The most effective and powerful marketing tool that you will ever have at your disposal, is a referral. An endorsement from someone who has experienced your product and your company, and LOVES both, and is prepared to shout it from the hilltops for you.
Existing, satisfied customers are a huge (and free) marketing resource that is frequently overlooked. There are two ways you can put them to work for you.
- ASK THEM FOR SPECIFIC REFERRALS FROM THEIR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
Everyone has a ‘sphere of influence’. This just refers to the circle of people – friends and family – who are likely to listen and take notice of our opinion. And when people listen to our opinion, and then ACT on it, we feel important and we attribute all the good things that happen to ourselves and our wisdom.
That’s what you need to tap into. Your happy customers love your product, and now they get to feel important and responsible for someone else’s happiness from buying your products – so just ask!
” Thank you for buying our widget, we are delighted that you are so happy with it! Do you know of anyone else who would love our widget as much as you?”
If they have a contact for you, follow up quickly, and thank your original customer – regardless whether you get a sale or not.
Some sales people give an incentive in the form of discounts or freebies in return for referrals – I think that the unpaid variety works much better. A recommendation is so much more authentic if there is no suspicion of bias.
- ASK THEM FOR A GENERAL REFERRAL
More commonly known as a testimonial, usually a written quote from a happy customer, that you display on your website, your social media and your printed marketing material.
Very often, customers will happily agree to give you and your product a testimonial, and then forget all about it, so be prepared!
” Thank you for agreeing to give my widget a testimonial, I was thinking of something along these lines….We really love our widget, we use it all the time, it saves us time end money, we would really recommend this widget for other seniors who need widgets!”
In other words, give them the words!
Most people will be relieved, and you will get your testimonial (and maybe a photo too!) without bugging people to send you something.
Feature each testimonial on your social media, and change up the testimonial regularly on your printed material and website – two reasons, its always good to share that many people love your product, AND, once people have given you a testimonial, chances are they will check if you include it, so make sure they feel appreciated.
Get into the habit for asking for referrals and testimonials EVERY SINGLE TIME – it’s the easiest “ask” you will ever have to make, and the most inexpensive and powerful piece of advertising you will ever use.
