Business Tips - Referrals

This week I asked Jeroen to review the book Instant Referrals & to mine for some gems that we could share with you. What better lead source than a referral?!


See a couple of his gems + our team photo below. This was taken at our last 90 Day Planning Day, where Hamish Carter was our guest speaker. An added bonus is from Zig Ziglar, who recommends you use your business card to get referrals.

(Left to right: Polly, Jeroen, Shelley. Front: Gaylene)

Remember to:

1. Educate your clients, suppliers or customers why it’s good for them to give you referrals.
   Obviously, if your business is growing, you can deliver better services and products to them and their business will grow as well!
2. Give your customers something in return.
   They will be more likely to give you something if there’s something in it for them! To use this to your advantage, as an example, you can think of giving them a gift voucher when they bring on a new client. They can give the gift voucher to a friend or another business owner, and you’ll have a second referral! Make it something of low hard cost for you, but with a good value for the customer.
3. Be sure to keep in touch with your customers at least every three months.
   It is so much cheaper to keep your old clients or customers coming back, than it is to get a new one. So keep communicating with them (think about a newsletter, phone call, birthday/Christmas cards etc.). Give them something ‘extra’ to keep them thinking about you.

Now I know you may already be doing some of this, but there’s nothing like a reminder! Perhaps something new, to be tried at the conclusion of your (successful) meeting, is…


Zig Ziglar's business card tip:
Take out your business card & hold it in your hand:
“Tell me, [name], if your best supplier or a business friend came by now, would you introduce me?”
The reply’s likely to be: “Why of course I would…”
“Well, [name], that’s not likely to happen, so I’d like you to introduce me to him in another way. If you will, give me his name & address!”
Also write on the back of my business card ‘[friend’s name], this guy’s worth talking to’ & ideally get them to make a call there & then, or at a later date: “Hey [friend’s name]. I just had to call you as I’m pretty excited at the moment… I’ve just met with…”


These are just a few examples of how to get referrals. There is so much more out there… So feel free to share your own experiences on how to get referrals & talk to you soon…