Before television there was radio. Before radio there was books. And before books there were storytellers. The power of a well-told tale, passed down from generation to generation is the power that brought people together. Stories helped to form the beginning of cultures that have lasted to present day.
A good story stays with people and compels them to share it with others. This is especially true of success stories. Everyone loves to hear them and everyone wants to have one! And doesn't this align nicely with word-of-mouth marketing where referrals are based on thousands of individual success stories.
Referral Marketing Tip: Write down your own success stories
Think of your best success stories with your clients. What made her a perfect client? What were her needs? How did you help her? How is she better off after working with you? Why did she choose you?
Why write these stories down on paper? Most importantly ... so you don't forget them! Beyond that, taking time to capture these stories on paper will enable you to share them with your network. By sharing these true success stories, you are empowering your network to refer you more effectively. You're giving them a compelling way to capture the attention of a future prospect for you. The more stories you share with other people, the more high quality referrals you will get that are similar to these stories.
So ... get busy!
Showing posts with label referrals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label referrals. Show all posts
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Referral Marketing Tip: Track Your Referrals
Do you have a system for tracking your referrals? If not, you're in the norm.
Most people don't track their referrals at all. Why? Why wouldn't you want to keep track of where your business is coming from? Are you tracking the business that comes in from your phone book ad or your billboard or your website? So, then why not track your referral business too. How can you duplicate a good thing if you don't have a record of what made that good thing happen?
Referral Marketing Tip:
Begin today to track not only what referrals you RECEIVE but also what referrals you GIVE to other people. It doesn't need to be complicated. Use a basic Excel spreadsheet for referrals IN and referrals OUT ... making sure to list the names of the people responsible for sending you the referrals and the names of the people you give referrals to.
Over time, you will begin to see who your primary referral sources are and you can make a consious effort to ensure that you are giving back to them in some way as well. You can also begin to see who you tend to give more referrals to. Perhaps these people need to be guided on how they can give back to you as well.
Keeping track of your referrals will ultimately lead you to a more stratgic and thoughtful approach to your relationships. If you want more structure on this, seek out the book, "Networking Like a Pro" by Dr. Ivan Misner.
Most people don't track their referrals at all. Why? Why wouldn't you want to keep track of where your business is coming from? Are you tracking the business that comes in from your phone book ad or your billboard or your website? So, then why not track your referral business too. How can you duplicate a good thing if you don't have a record of what made that good thing happen?
Referral Marketing Tip:
Begin today to track not only what referrals you RECEIVE but also what referrals you GIVE to other people. It doesn't need to be complicated. Use a basic Excel spreadsheet for referrals IN and referrals OUT ... making sure to list the names of the people responsible for sending you the referrals and the names of the people you give referrals to.
Over time, you will begin to see who your primary referral sources are and you can make a consious effort to ensure that you are giving back to them in some way as well. You can also begin to see who you tend to give more referrals to. Perhaps these people need to be guided on how they can give back to you as well.
Keeping track of your referrals will ultimately lead you to a more stratgic and thoughtful approach to your relationships. If you want more structure on this, seek out the book, "Networking Like a Pro" by Dr. Ivan Misner.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)