The best and most effective type of marketing is of course – referrals, referrals, referrals. All business owners desperately want word of mouth clients, but the biggest question is – how? In today’s edition of Manic Marketing Monday, I’ll share just few quick ideas.
Having clients just come to you without any cost in marketing, is like living in the sweet spot. It would be absolutely incredible to never have to spend a dime on marketing – to do business every day while clients just wander in and say, “Where do I sign up?” Maybe that’s not too much of a wild dream. Maybe its more achievable than we think.
At this point of my business, at least 80% of my clients come in via referral. Now, I’m not in ‘referral heaven’ and I definitely do not have it all figured out, but I am seeing referral success. So I thought I’d share a few things that I have added as a part of the DNA of what my business is all about that benefits me with referrals. Here’s number 1: treat people well. My main goal in Brown Cow is to have my clients walk away from a project with a ‘more than positive’ feeling. I want my clients to have such a good experience that they can’t help but to tell others. From the beginning of Brown Cow, I wanted to hold the hands of my clients and walk them through what can be a difficult and confusing process. I wanted to give them a sense of confidence, not only in the process – but also in me… that I knew what I was doing and that I was going to take care of them. Basically, I am building a relationship of trust. Of course I want them to be happy with their design, but I want it to go further… so that they are thrilled with the relationship and want to share with others. Key elements of building that ‘more than positive’ feeling include: Value- each client needs to feel like they are getting a good deal, Integrity – mean what you say, Accountability- make a service plan and keep to it, Honesty- don’t make promises you can’t keep.
Getting the referral ball rolling is the toughest part of this type of marketing. Some people ask their clients for referrals and leads – not sure that’s thats the best way. If you have to constantly ask your clients for help, you may not really understand the idea of referrals. Start with a change in who you are and how you do business. If you don’t genuinely care about your clients, getting referrals will be very sparse. Sometimes incentives are a great way to keep your business on the minds of your clients. Incentives can be: kickbacks (finders fee), free work, donations to charity. If you want more info on referrals, check out this article: here.
scottJ
owner/artist Brown Cow Design
