Referrals should be the life-blood of your
business.
But I'll bet that's not the case.
In fact, I'm betting that you get a couple here
and there, are thrilled when you get them, but
have no clue how to ensure you keep getting
them...consistently and automatically.
Well, we're going to change that.
But before we do I want to make certain that you
understand why referrals are so much better than
other prospects.
A referred client does not need to be sold.
Unlike other prospects, a referral comes to you
95% pre-qualified and predisposed to doing
business with you.
A referred client will refer to you. When a
client comes to you by way of a referral, she is
much more likely to refer to you as well. It's a
behavioral thing. The best referrers have
generally been referred.
A referred client is easier to work with.
In most cases, a referred client is more
motivated, more trusting and more loyal. This is
a function of the referral process. The referrer
most likely said some very positive things about
you. The referrer trusts you enough to refer to
you. The referral trusts the referrer, that's why
she's come to you. And now that trust has been
logically extended to you.
A referred client can be more profitable. The
marketing investment to obtain referrals can be
comparatively inexpensive, sometimes even free.
Plus they are more likely to refer to you, are
generally easier to work with and tend to stay
with you longer.
So now that you understand why referrals are the
best prospects, let's work on creating an
approach that generates a steady stream of them.
It's a very simple system:
Earn
Ask
Reward
Earn - Seems simple enough. Do a great job.
Overdeliver. Never be late. Send hand-written
notes and birthday cards. Know all the details
that matter like the name of your clients' kids,
what they do for a living, when their
anniversary. Send gifts and show real
appreciation for your clients doing business with
you.
The more you give, the more you'll get.
Ask - Let everyone know from day one that they're
required to be a "walking billboard" for you.
Educate your clients about what type of person
you want as a client (it helps if they fit the
mold) and ask them to refer anyone who might be
your "ideal client." Send a newsletter each
month, in which you recognize the clients who
have referred to you. You might even start a
"referral rewards" club. This will help
strengthen the referral culture. Ask your clients
for names and contact info of people who might be
interested in receiving your newsletter - this is
kind of a "soft referral." You can send the
newsletter and a free report compliments of the
referrer. One other simple way to generate
prospective referrals is to gather names and
addresses of 3-5 close friends, family members
and co-workers on the day someone becomes your
client. Let your client know you want this for 2
reasons...you want to send the free newsletter &
report as a gift from them and to take steps to
educate those around them to facilitate a
environment that leads to success.
Reward - You need to reward clients (everyone
really) for the action of referring, not just
when you close the sale. It can be as simple as a
phone call or a card. It also could be a personal
gift like a book by a favorite author or a gift
card to their favorite store. No matter - the key
is reinforcing the action of referring. You might
even offer cash (everyone's favorite gift.) Your
clients will soon be referring prospects left and
right.
Referrals are like any other facet of business -
you can't be shortsighted. You need to be
consistent and ask every client, send newsletters
each month and reward every referral. Eventually,
you'll hit "critical mass" and referrals will be
flowing t you like water. Your list will grow and
you may be forced to accept clients only by
referral. Just be patient and do the work. It
will pay off.
Dedicated to Growing Your Business,
Pat Rigsby
P.S. - Would you like a complete client attraction
system to follow and over 20 done-for-you,
ready-to-use marketing tools that will produce a
never ending stream of new clients? If so, go to
www.megamarketingforfitness.com
Fitness Consulting Group
PO Box 1539
Elizabethtown, KY
42702-1539
US
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