Most business owners would probably agree that customer referrals are one of the most effective sources of new business lead generation.  Not only do referrals have a nil or low acquisition cost, but conversion rates are usually much higher than other lead generation sources as well.   The amount of referral business you have is a barometer on the success of your marketing efforts.  We give below a few tips to help you generate more referrals from your existing customer base: 

Customer Satisfaction

This will not come as a great surprise but if you provide a great product or service your customers will naturally give you referrals.  The secret is to deliver on your customers expectations with style!  For some industries your company’s stance on important issues such as the environment can be an important factor.  There is a local taxi company who actively promotes the fact that all his taxi cabs are low carbon emission vehicles and this works well for him. 

If you are lucky enough to have a very unique product or service, or have found yourself a unique niche market you are likely to be able to encourage your customers to share their thoughts about you on the Social Media sites. The more a customer is impressed by your products or the way you deliver your services the more likely they will be to tell their friends about it.

Ask your customers for a referral just after they have bought

Immediately after your customers have placed an order is usually an excellent time to ask them to give you a referral. We always ask our clients to mention us to their business associates and friends and this has proved to be an excellent lead generation exercise for our business.   You could also add a short message to your invoice stationery asking for business referrals. If you sell products, you can also add a short message to the packaging slip – even a hand written note can produce results as it will show that someone took the time to handle their package with care.

Tomorrow we will conclude this short series of articles about getting referrals from your existing customers – please check back then.  If you would like more information about our Lead Generation services please leave a message below or visit WSI IMS – WSI Internet Marketing for Business in Surrey, Sussex, Kent and throughout the South East of England.