As a growing business, you’ll constantly need to find ways to boost your sales. And one such way is to get client referrals. According to research, about 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know directly, indicating the power of word-of-mouth and client referrals. Your ability to make the most of such referrals as a business owner will be crucial in driving your sales. Businesses with referrals as part of their marketing strategy experience about 70% higher conversion rates with a faster sales closing time. If you’re interested in improving your sales through client referrals, here are some effective ways to get them.
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Exceed client expectations
The only thing that will encourage a client to recommend your product or service to a prospect is if you exceed their expectations. That means going above and beyond to ensure you delight your client. Of course, what that includes will depend on what you offer as against what your client expects. After sealing a satisfactory purchase, follow it up with supportive after-sales service or any other perks that shows your client that you care more about them as people than as customers.
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Build trust and credibility
Building a credible and trustworthy brand is crucial in boosting your chances of getting client referrals. If your business lacks a physical address, for example, or doesn’t have physical office space, customer testimonials, a business email address, and so on, looking credible may be challenging, and people might consider your business fake. Even if your entire business operations are online, you may occasionally need to meet with potential clients. If you cannot afford to rent a permanent or long-term office space, you can consider a shared office space instead. You can find shared office spaces that offer all the amenities, staff, expertise, and other perks of traditional office space.
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Ask existing and past clients to offer referrals
After exceeding your client’s expectations, you can ask them to refer your business or services to others. Chances are, they will not refuse to do that, especially when they are delighted with your service. Doing this is pretty straightforward. Start by thanking your customer for choosing your service or product, let them know you value them, then ask them to tell others about your business. It’s important to get your timing right when asking a client to offer referrals. An ideal thing to do is wait until the deal is over and your client is pleased with your service.
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Create a client reward program
You can even throw in an extra perk to encourage your pleased customers to vouch for your products or services. Not every satisfied customer will have a natural drive to spread the good news about your business to others. But an attractive reward program can encourage them to do so. For example, a client that brings in a new customer can get a special discount, gift, or promotional item. A reward system is also an excellent way to thank satisfied customers who willingly refer your business to others.
