11 Strategies for Getting Customers to Make More Referrals

There’s nothing quite like word-of-mouth marketing.

Question: What is one way I can get my customers to make more referrals?

Give Instructions

"While you'll get some referrals just by vaguely asking for them, you'll get more if you set up a specific process. Let your current and past customers know exactly what they should do to refer someone to you. Do it in a way that puts the onus on your team to reach out to the referred potential customer, rather than waiting on them to call you. "


Offer an Affiliate Program

"We set up formal affiliate programs for many clients that allow their fans to promote the company and get a kickback any time one of their leads makes a purchase. It's a great way to grow sales exponentially, and reach an audience you may not be able to easily tap into without their help."


Time Your Request Correctly

"People are much more likely to send you referrals the moment you've created value for them and they're feeling great about you. At that moment, ask them to provide you with the name of someone else who could benefit from your service. Because they came as a referral from your customer, you promise to go out of your way to make their experience extra special."


Make It Easy

"If you have a great product or service, people naturally want to help you grow because it validates their decision to use your product or service. So don't put any barriers in their way. Make it so easy for them to tell the world that they can't help but tell everyone they know. This doesn't mean adding some social buttons. The right solution is different for every business."


Give Them Content to Share

"One of the best ways to have customers become lead-generation engines for your business is to give them great business-related content to share with others in their organization and industry. For example, at Poshly we publish reports that include data-rich insights that are of interest to many in our industry. Whenever we send these reports to our clients, we encourage them to share them broadly."


Buy Them a Beer

"Sitting down with customers as people rather than numbers increases personal relationships and leads to new ones. Networking requires making significant and lasting connections with everyone you come into contact with. You never know who is going to lead you to the next potential customer. When you get to know someone, you are investing in them, their history and their networks."


Incentivize

"Reward your loyal customers when they make referrals. We set up a program that gives our existing customers a $25 credit when they refer a friend (who in turn also get $25). It’s a great way to both show customer loyalty while growing sales. "


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11 Strategies for Getting Customers to Make More Referrals

There’s nothing quite like word-of-mouth marketing.

Question: What is one way I can get my customers to make more referrals?

Give Instructions

"While you'll get some referrals just by vaguely asking for them, you'll get more if you set up a specific process. Let your current and past customers know exactly what they should do to refer someone to you. Do it in a way that puts the onus on your team to reach out to the referred potential customer, rather than waiting on them to call you. "


Offer an Affiliate Program

"We set up formal affiliate programs for many clients that allow their fans to promote the company and get a kickback any time one of their leads makes a purchase. It's a great way to grow sales exponentially, and reach an audience you may not be able to easily tap into without their help."


Time Your Request Correctly

"People are much more likely to send you referrals the moment you've created value for them and they're feeling great about you. At that moment, ask them to provide you with the name of someone else who could benefit from your service. Because they came as a referral from your customer, you promise to go out of your way to make their experience extra special."


Make It Easy

"If you have a great product or service, people naturally want to help you grow because it validates their decision to use your product or service. So don't put any barriers in their way. Make it so easy for them to tell the world that they can't help but tell everyone they know. This doesn't mean adding some social buttons. The right solution is different for every business."


Give Them Content to Share

"One of the best ways to have customers become lead-generation engines for your business is to give them great business-related content to share with others in their organization and industry. For example, at Poshly we publish reports that include data-rich insights that are of interest to many in our industry. Whenever we send these reports to our clients, we encourage them to share them broadly."


Buy Them a Beer

"Sitting down with customers as people rather than numbers increases personal relationships and leads to new ones. Networking requires making significant and lasting connections with everyone you come into contact with. You never know who is going to lead you to the next potential customer. When you get to know someone, you are investing in them, their history and their networks."


Incentivize

"Reward your loyal customers when they make referrals. We set up a program that gives our existing customers a $25 credit when they refer a friend (who in turn also get $25). It’s a great way to both show customer loyalty while growing sales. "


See Also: Focusing on the True Objectives of Entrepreneurship

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