Tweet

How to Create a Blockbuster Referral Machine

Guest post by: Veronika Noize

Article Overview: Tired of marketing like a maniac but not getting any clients? Beef up your referral systems, and soon you'll have all the clients you want.

How to Create a Blockbuster Referral Machine

Tired of marketing like a maniac but not getting any clients? Beef up your referral systems, and soon you'll have all the clients you want. Here are ten secrets of building a blockbuster referral machine that builds your business:

1. Network, network, network. And when I say network, I don't mean join groups and never go, or go but skulk around the sidelines, I mean network actively. Talk to people about their businesses, and your business. Mingle with people you've only met once so that you get to know them better. Introduce yourself to everyone you don't know, and learn how you can refer to them, then tell them how they can refer to you.

2. Build a Team 100. A Team 100 is a network of 100 people with whom you have a reciprocal referral agreement. You feel comfortable referring others to them because you have personally sat down with these folks, and learned enough about their businesses to understand who will really benefit from their products or services. In the process of learning about them, they will learn about you, and so you have just expanded your network to the 300 people each of your Team 100 folks knows!

3. Refer to other people. Referrals are almost like yawns in that they spawn more of the same. I receive reciprocal referrals more often when I am referring to others, so I make it my business to refer as often as possible.

4. Ask for referrals. Ask your clients, ask your prospects, and ask your colleagues. But ask correctly. Don't ask if they know anyone who needs your services, because they might not know off the top of their heads. Sure, they know a lot of people, but may not think of the right person to refer to you unless you ask in the right way. The right way is to ask a clarifying question such as, "You're active in your neighborhood association, aren't you?" A positive response sets up your request for referrals: "Do you know anyone in your neighborhood who is also thinking about getting a new swimming pool?" That focuses the attention on a specific group, rather than on all acquaintances, which is more likely to result in an actual referral.

5. Give it away. Not your services or product, of course, but something valuable to people who are thinking about buying the services or products you have for sale. For example, you might have a free report or checklist on choosing the right professional for the job that you do. Once it becomes known (through your web site, press releases, and word of mouth) that you offer a great tool for figuring out how to buy what you're selling, you will become the go-to person for whatever it is that you're selling.

6. Become visible. If you're not on the internet, you're invisible. But just one little web site isn't going to cut it these days; you need higher visibility. Get listed on your networking organizations' web sites, send out press releases, participate in community projects, and assume leadership positions in one or more of your social, business, or philanthropic groups.

7. Establish a stellar reputation. If you know that you're good, but not sure your clients are raving about you, ask them for written testimonials (but don't you dare write them yourself!). They will write much nicer things about you than you would ever write yourself, and the process reminds them of how good you are, so they are more likely to refer to you.

8. Create a rewards program for referrals. Set up a system that gathers information about how your clients heard about you, and reward those who refer to you. It can be as complicated or as simple as you like, but remember: if you promote it, you must honor it.

9. Develop strategic alliances with non-competing businesses. Find out who works with your clients before they need your services, and set up a system that funnels their clients your way.

10. Reward referrals, not sales. It is your responsibility to close the sale, so always measure the success of your referral program by the number of referrals you get, not sales.

Related Articles
  Lessons From Blockbuster: Don't Hide All Your Good Sales Material
  Lessons From Blockbuster A UVP Worth Writing Home About
  Lessons from Blockbuster: Total Access Takes Another Minor Misstep
  Business Model vs Business Plan
  Lesson #3: “Never underestimate the competition”
  Lessons From Blockbuster: Money For Nothin', and the Survey's For Free
  More on Referrals
  Getting Referrals
  Revealed: the Ultimate Lead Generation Tool
  The 4 Keys to Referral Success
  Business Marketing No More Cold Calling
  When Good Referrals Turn Bad by Keith Rosen, MCC
  Referral Program
  Stress-Free Selling® - Go After the Easy Sales First
  Create Your Own Referral Sales Force
  Karma Keys to a Referral-Based Business
  Meeting with people- What are the next steps?
  Turning Garbage into Gold: Huizenga’s Business Takes Off
  Gift certificates for referral
  Get Proactive About Referrals

Article Tags: free marketing help howto marketing, marketing tools, top ten



Related Forum Posts
Re: Do you think Blockbuster will survive? - Personally, I don't feel that renting movies online has the same "movie rental experience" as going to a bricks-and-mortar store like Blockbuster. It'll be a shame if/when Blockbuster goes out of business because of Netflix and the rise in DVD piracy.
Re: Do you think Blockbuster will survive? - [quote="Kevin":cm77l089]Personally, I don't feel that renting movies online has the same "movie rental experience" as going to a bricks-and-mortar store like Blockbuster. It'll be a shame if/when Blockbuster goes out of business because of Netflix and the rise in DVD piracy.[/quote:cm77l089] It is a real shame that the piracy is killing the DVD business and it is hurting a lot of people in the industry. Used to work in the video distribution industry and know how badly every part of that business is hurt by piracy and it is world wide. MichelleJ
Re: Can Soemone Invent a Longer Day - Hi GT, I think time travel would be better. That way we could just go back a few days and do more work. We'd essentially be able to get more done, and in a sense would be making our days longer. However, do you think maybe that if we traveled to the past, then it would erase what we had previously done? Or, no matter what we do, the outcome remains the same, like in [i:1rij0ml4]The Time Machine[/i:1rij0ml4]?
Re: Win Prizes - The Triple Crown Contest! - Hi GT - if you log into your author account you'll see Referral Program as one of the options on the left side. If you click on that you'll get the link that will tie people to your account.
Picking a corporate lawyer - Hi Everyone, I was just curious to know what's the most important criteria a small business owner should look at when choosing a corporate lawyer? -Cost/hr? -Location? -Reputation/Referral? -Experience? -Personality? How did you pick your lawyer? And what's a fair price to pay per hour? Thanks


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

How do I finance a franchise?

Top 5 Qualities in an Outsourcing Company

How to sell a business

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.