Word of mouth can be vital when it comes to building a business. When your services create a buzz within somebody’s community, it gives you a leg up overselling your product or service on your own. Referrals come from trusted sources, and that means that it’s likely you’ll already be on the top of someone’s list. Your potential new client will reach out to you, value you and your product before hearing your pitch, and be much quicker to close.
Why are referrals so important?
Referrals create a personal connection seamlessly and without you having to lay any groundwork. Three basic referral types can lead to making new personal connections: the introduction, the word of mouth buzz, and the warm lead. The introduction is simple and doesn’t push for a business deal between the two connections. It just opens the door for possible future networking. The word of mouth buzz paints you and your business in a positive light to prospective clients, and the warm lead gives you a way to help a future client with their specific problem your services could solve.
How do you get referrals?
Since referrals occur organically, it can be difficult for you to go out and hunt them down. Typically, the way you do business will speak for itself through someone you have helped or worked with in the past. There are simple ways you can push for referrals, though.
You can encourage your clients to suggest you to their community by building and maintaining a secure and trusted relationship. When it comes to referrals, the most important client is your hero client—the client who has worked with you and referred you in the past. You can foster your hero clients’ relationship by making gratitude calls to them and thanking them for their trust in you and your business.
Another way to get referrals is by asking. You should always proceed with caution using this route of getting referrals because it can run the risk of violating a trusted relationship.
Referrals are golden tickets.
You may advertise and market your business flawlessly, but referrals will always be the most coveted way of gaining new clients. This is because they aren’t just getting you more clients; they show you that what you’re doing is making a good impression on the people you have already worked with.
Building a referral-based business isn’t always easy. Still, building a referral business can be done by knowing what type of referrals work best for you, maintaining a personal relationship with your clients, and continuing to accomplish the same goals for new clients to continue building your database of hero clients.
Colin Bradford is a certified MAPS and The One Thing Coach.