The last couple of posts have been rather negative.
Debbie Downer topics have dominated the conversation… Repelling unwanted prospects. Firing overbearing clients. By no means upbeat subjects.
In honor of Thanksgiving, which is this Thursday, let’s ditch all the pessimism. And embrace a lil’ goodness and light. ‘Tis the season, right?
No more dwelling on the prospects you don’t want and the clients you can’t wait to get rid of. Instead, let’s focus on what you can do for the clients you have. They clients you REALLY enjoy working with. And explore how better serving these clients can actually generate new prospects for your business.

The Referral Engine: Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM)

When you do great work, word spreads… That’s Word of Mouth Marketing at work. And when it comes to marketing and sales, there is no more powerful tool than Word of Mouth.
The conversion stats for Word of Mouth recommendations are OFF THE CHARTS. Whether from family, friends or even strangers, people are simply more inclined to trust the word of an actual person over any other source.
And what is WOMM, really? In essence it’s a referral. When a satisfied customer shares their positive experiences, whether solicited or not, they’re referring your business.

What Motivates Referrals? Three Key Considerations…

So the question is: How do you motivate clients to sing your praises and refer new prospects.
Here are three key considerations that will ensure Word of Mouth about your business spreads, generating referrals aplenty!
Here are three key considerations that will ensure Word of Mouth about your business spreads, generating referrals aplenty!

Do the Best Job Possible

Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Of course you always strive to the best job possible.
But if you’re like lots of small business owners, struggling to just keep your operation on the rails, it’s easy to adopt an assembly line production mentality. And if you slip into that mindset, it’s easy to lose sight of quality control and customer services. Two critical differentiating factors.
The key here is to always remain client-centric. Stay focused on providing quality service and serving your client needs with personalized, individual attention. This approach and attitude underscores your commitment to doing the best job possible.

Go the Extra Mile

In my last post I talked about getting rid of overbearing, underpaying clients (AKA clearing out the dead wood). But what about the clients you really enjoy working with? How can you better serve them? And how can providing even better service help boost your business?
When you consistently deliver quality service, your clients are more than happy. (You’d be surprised at how many businesses struggle with living up to minimum basic expectation).
But when you go above and beyond – deliver more than promised, make connections are that result in unexpected referrals for your client, and generally add value – clients are ECSTATIC. And your efforts are not soon forgotten. In other words, you’ve primed them perfectly to refer new prospects.

Encourage Referrals (And Make it Easy).

If you do the best possible work and go the extra mile, referrals are undoubtedly headed your way. But you’re also in the perfect position to request referrals.
As the old saying goes, referrals are the highest form a flattery, and most satisfied clients are more than happy to pass your name along to interested parties. All you have to do is ask.
Of course you don’t want to overdo it, as some smarmy salespeople are prone to do, incessantly hammering home their “Always Be Closing” mentality. The best strategy is gentle ask and a follow up or two.
To make it easy, provide your clients with a quick pitch they can pass along to prospects. Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – three sentences or less that explains exactly what you do, why it’s unique and how you can solve a prospective client’s problem – is often best. Your clients can recite this on a phone call or forward in an email along with your contact info.

What About You?

What sort of rewards, and referrals, has performing exemplary work bestowed upon you? On the other side of the coin, has your work ever fallen off and cost you a client? Swing by my Google+ page and share your experiences.