Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach strongly recommends that all business owners (especially small business owners) develop a strategic referral plan. Te power of word of mouth has probably never been stronger. Prospects re relying upon the personal referral and testimonials of people they know and trust to help them make their decisions.
Positive word of mouth can come in the form of a referral, a testimonial, or both. To distinguish between them, Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach defines referrals as specific names of people you receive or personal introductions made on your behalf. Testimonials are written or verbal communications that convey the confidence people have in you. Of these two, a written testimonial is preferred because it can be used repeatedly.
Using referrals and written testimonials in a strategic combination produce a powerful tool because the more you can reinforce the referral, the greater the likelihood of favorable access to whom you are referred. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach urges you to look at the following reasons why you may not be getting the referrals you need.
Reason #1: You have not committed to using referrals and testimonials as a strategic marketing tool to grow your business.
Reason #2: You had a negative experience when asking for a referral and so you stopped asking.
Reason #3: You have not committed to forming the habit of asking for referrals.
Reason #4: You are not comfortable with the words you use to ask for referrals.
Reason #5: You are not sure when it is the right time to ask for referrals.
Reason #6: You forget to ask for a referral because you are too “caught up” in the actual event of “making the sale.”
Reason #7: You are not comfortable asking for a referral when delivering the final product or service to the client or customer because you feel uneasy about asking for “something else.”
Reason #8: You make an assumption, without ever asking them, that your client or customer really does not want to “push you” onto their friends.
Reason #9: You have become apathetic and complacent about asking for referrals because it worked very well and you got “busy.”
Reason #10: You make an assumption, without ever asking them, that your client or customer is not that pleased with you and your work and you don’t think you would get a good referral or testimonial.
Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach encourages you to develop a strategic referral program to grow your business. If you would like to learn more about how a strategic thinking business coach can facilitate and guide you in that endeavor, please contact Glenn Ebersole today through his website at www.businesscoach4u.com or by email at jgecoach@aol.com
To learn more about this author, visit Glenn Ebersole's Website.
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