If you’re going to start with the referral in mind and the lifetime value of the customer, then every single point of contact and influence with them needs to be considered. Here’s seven steps to include as you build your business and referral systems.
1 Contact
Make a good first impression at the first point of contact between your referral and your business. The more narrow you define your ideal customer, the more directly you can speak to their needs.
2 Like
What’s behind the facade? After the initial meeting, what will your potential customer see, hear and feel about your business? Invite a respected colleague to review your office, store or website.
3 Trust
All customers need to trust us before they buy. This may be quick or take some time. To manage trust provide a range of educational materials to inform your customer about what you do and how you do it.
4 Sample
The best way a potential customer can find out if you’re the right solution for them is to test run your business. Provide an entry level offer, seminar or small sample to continue the smooth referral pathway.
5 Buy
In the referral mindset, the first sale is significant and it’s merely one piece of the customer experience. Create a process to reveal their true expectations and then deliver. Hint: Start by asking questions. What do they really want?
6 Repeat
The key to securing repeat business is to produce measurable and desirable results from the first purchase. You can increase the chances of this by creating and sharing how to guides with video or in-store demonstrations.
7 Refer
Your goal is not an occasional referral, it’s to generate a consistent flow. The ideal situation would be for every single customer to be an advocate for your business. To achieve this you’ll need to continuously monitor, measure and adjust your referral system.
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