Ask for referrals. Ask, ask, ask!

Why do you want referrals?

1) They are the most profitable, most cost-efficient, most loyal and continued source of business you will ever get

2) They are the most reliable, pay you the most money, negotiate the price the least, buy the most often and refer even more people to you

3) The problem for every business, front and centre, is "getting noticed". And whilst referrals will likely never constitute your entire business, they are an invaluable way not only to get you off the ground, but maintain you and get you out of tight corners.

Where do I start?

Jot down a list of your present customers and identify which came to you directly (i.e. knew you already or saw your advertising), which "wandered in" either to your website or to your shop (they equivalent of coming via search engines) and which came to you via referrals (on the website this would be from other sites. In the real world it would be from word of mouth).

How did each referral come about? Who gave you the referral? Did you take any action yourself to get it?

It is always nice when a referral comes in you did nothing to get yourself (i.e. someone just thought of you and referred the person). But you can proactively encourage referrals too.

Consider the folowing new sources of referral to you:

a) People who already sell to you

b) People who already buy from you

c) Employees, colleagues, friends, relatives, neighbours, members of clubs etc

d) Competitors. Yes you read that right. Everyone has their strengths - how about lessening the aggressive attitude towards your competitors and try combing different sectors of the same market with them? Just send those customers that fall within their skills set to your competitor - but do ensure others come your way too! :-)

e) Current prospective clients

f) "Failed" former prospect clients

g) Magazine and newsletter editors

h) Respected people in your own line of business.

When is it opportune to seek a referral?

A) By routine to people you know (just don't overdo it or fail to pay back)

B) At entry, loiter and exit points in yours - or anybody else's business cycle (take the example of the additional publications available in the tea room in our chateau)

C) When someone has just purchased from you ("friend gets in half price next time...")

D) At significant change points in peoples' lives.

What are some ways of seeking a referral?

Money-off next time

Introduce a friend, get a discount

Give a bonus "gift" on top of what you actually sold

Contact your competition and offer them something they don't offer themselves. Ask how you might be of assistance to them, likewise.

Write articles, or get written about

Ask straight-out if someone knows anyone who would benefit from your services

Ask venture-capitalists, business incubators and retired senior businessmen for leads

Educate people (customers, colleagues, family etc) how important referrals are to you.

(Website) Obtain links to your site from high quality websites in related fields. (This is the only strategy Google will admit will help you climb the search rankings). But the links have to be high quality. Avoid automated link schemes, link farms and link-submission software.

These are some of the ways and people you can consider to generate referrals business. As stated, it is unlikley it will become your sole source of business, but referrals (whether people or websites) are very very highly valuable and all you have to do is ask.

About the Author: Richard Martin of Briquesetclics is a Certified Management Consultant and Accredited Internet Marketing Consultant of 20 years experience in IT. Briquesetclics offers exquisite eBusiness solutions, website design and Internet Marketing with English to French Translation to expat and French Comunities in Southwest France. He serves the Limousin, Poitou-Charentes and Aquitaine regions and the cities of Limoges, Poitiers, Bergerac, Perigueux, Angouleme, Cognac, Bordeaux, Niort.

Briquesetclics will help you market with eMail marketing. Find out more here.

We're always ready to talk to you. See our contact details.

Click below for APEX Pacific's PPC Software Solution "PPC Bid Maximiser"

Do you know, how much your competitors spend on AdWords? SEMRush.com will tell you!