As any savvy business owner knows, referrals can be one of the most effective ways to grow a business. However, it can be the most challenging to create, for many reasons.
This great article by small business marketing expert John Jantsch gives you 7 simple steps to follow to quickly get your referral marketing system off the ground and humming along nicely.
It’s funny how often small business owners tell me
that the number one way they acquire new business is
by way of referral. Yet, when I ask what they do to
intentionally stimulate this powerful marketing
strategy, I get blank stares.
If you’re doing something right in your business,
you will get the accidental referral but, by
creating a systematic approach to consistently
generating referrals, you will find that your job of
marketing and selling can become a pretty simple
affair.
The following seven steps constitute the core
components used to build an effective referral
marketing system for your business.
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As you go about marketing your business, there are lots of things to keep in mind. In fact, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the various ‘things’ needed to create an effective marketing campaign or program.
Fortunately, there’s no need for this.
Just keep these 2 things in mind as you prepare your next campaign and you’ll quickly have a killer marketing campaign:
- List selection is vital. If you’ll put the time, effort, and money (if necessary) into selecting a good list you’ll be miles ahead of everyone else. At the same time, get the wrong list and most of your effort and money will go down in flames.
- Message to market match. Next to selecting a good list, making sure you send a message that resonates with your market will ensure a good return on your marketing efforts.
So, the next time you feel yourself getting overwhelmed with trying to grow your business, focus on these 2 keys and you’ll quickly have your hands on a marketing tool that’s sure to produce new customers.
One of the biggest obstacles to overcome when trying to grow your business is simply getting people to try out your service. It can be extremely difficult to gain the trust necessary to convert a prospect to loyal customer. As such, a free trial is a great way to overcome this hurdle.
However, several keys to making a free trial service profitable is to know your costs and don’t give away too much. If you give away more service than you can afford to, you’ll quickly give yourself right out of business. Second, if you give away too much too often, your customers may not respect the prices you charge. There’s definitely a fine line to walk.
This is a post from an interesting article I found that talks about the power of free trials. While it does refer to smaller, perishable items, the overriding ideas and benefits still hold true.
I want to expand my customer base. Are free trials worth the investment?
Absolutely. A free trial is a great marketing tool and a solid step toward establishing good will with new customers. Trials with products aimed at particular audiences are effective, such as chewing gum geared toward people with dental work, tasty protein bars for athletes or eye shadows that complement certain eye colors. ”Very few people are going to give you a bunch of money to try something if they are already using a product that works,” says Kenn Devane, president and CEO of MineTech, a consultancy that helps companies find patterns in customer data. “I think you have to do a free trial.” |
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Here’s a very interesting and telling commentary about the importance of customers by Michael Masterson, a very successful business builder and marketer. Pay special attention to how your customer might characterize themself.
Most of your time is spent figuring out how to get new customers - but some of it must also be spent thinking about pleasing the ones you have.
So spend a few minutes - right now - thinking about your customer. Not from your point of view, but from his. If you asked him to characterize himself in relationship to your business, he might remind you that…
- He’s the responsive guy who answered your plea with: “Me! Please! Me!”
- He’s the brave guy who bet his reputation on the promises you made.
- He’s the guy who invested his time in you. His time and his money.
- He’s the generous guy who helps pay for your mortgage, your children’s clothes, and your family vacations.
- He’s the understanding guy who has tolerated your mistakes and exaggerated promises and is still willing to give you another chance.
As Harry Beckwith pointed out in Selling the Invisible, your customer is the guy who has “laughed through the best, suffered through the worst, and said nice things about you to other people.”
If you don’t feel indebted to your customer, you should. And if you’re not constantly letting him know how much you care, you’re making a big mistake. Write an e-mail. Make a phone call. (If you are an employee, your customer is also your boss. Think about it. Do the right thing.)
I’ve talked quite a bit about the power of using upcoming events, holidays, or dates on the calendar to create a reason for contacting your customers and prospects.
I know I certainly need to do better at it myself, but here’s someone else talking about the benefit of what’s called ‘borrowed interest’. So, even though it’s too late to do something for this Saturday’s 7/7/07 date, there are plenty of upcoming opportunities.
| Marketers across the country are looking to take advantage of America’s superstitions this weekend, using a marketing tactic called borrowed interest. This Saturday will be 7/7/07, and the lucky triple-seven is an auspicious sign that’s expected to give rise to host of supernormal behavior. Borrowed interest advertising — so-named because firms “borrow” consumers’ interest in something outside the company — is a way for companies to ride the coattails of larger events, whether it be the Olympics, a president’s birthday, or a steep rise in gas prices. |
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