
It's a simple truth: when Person A is looking for a service, they ask the people they know whom they might recommend. When Person B, someone they trust as a colleague or personal friend, passes on a recommendation in this situation, the likelihood that Person A will call the provided number increases substantially.
Good Word of Mouth referrals are the ultimate goal for all businesses - they give potential clients the confidence to approach you, as one of their circle has vouched for you and your services; it will often mean that the issue of price is not going to get in the way, as the value of your service has already been established by the recommendation and, as you've not had to do anything to generate the referral (other than offer a great service in the past, of course!), it costs you nothing!
But how do you get these wondrous word-of-mouth referrals? In his recent Duct Tape Marketing guest post, The 5 Fastest Ways to Get More Referrals for Your Small Business*, Andy Sernovitz of WordofMouth.org, and the New York Times bestselling author of Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, outlines how some simple, thought-through actions can help you make it happen more often for you and your business.
| It's not rocket science, but it does need you to be proactive in your dealings with your clients and network, thinking ahead about how you create the right environment to encourage others to act on your behalf. With therapy clients, it may not be appropriate always to use the 1st point in the list, but if you deliver on the other 4 points, you'll still achieve the results that you're aiming for ... Let me know your take on getting word-of-mouth referrals or what you make of this article by adding a comment below. And for more ideas about how to grow your business, check out my Business Breakthrough Programme and learn how Mirror Coaching can help systematise your marketing to maximise your referrals *(first posted on the wonderful Duct Tape Marketing Blog) |