Any service providers or businesses need to utilize referral marketing in order to grow and succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. Even if your goal is to merely to maintain your current levels of customer satisfaction and business, you should incorporate referral marketing as one of your marketing strategies.
Referral marketing provides a very effective method of maintaining a healthy customer base of individuals who are pre-sold on purchasing your particular products or services. The technique relies heavily on customer service which is essential to the success of absolutely any business. Referral marketing can help you replace any customers who will inevitably begin to lose interest, move away or switch to one of your competitors.
If you create a referral marketing campaign that is personalized and focused on establishing solid customer relationships, you will often see immediate positive results.
More Repeat Business
Individuals who feel they have established a positive rapport with the people in your company will be much more likely to become long-term repeat customers. A greater number of customers tend to return when companies choose to build trust via referral marketing.
Improved Customer Relations
Companies that focus on establishing solid business relationships also experience improvements in customer service. It can be a very wise decision to have your top professionals included in this plan. Customers want to be treated as respected individuals, rather than merely a number. If your company operates on this philosophy, your valuable customer base will continue to grow.
Ability to Up-Sell
Referral marketing also incorporates the ability to effectively up-sell. For example, an insurance salesperson who establishes a solid relationship with a customer interested in purchasing car insurance will be more likely to see that individual return. In fact, that same individual may also decide to purchase additional insurance policies such as homeowner’s insurance, health insurance and life insurance if they have been treated very well by the owner of their auto insurance policy.
Genuinely Interested Referrals
You need to find a way to make your company stand out among your competitors. This is essential in a very competitive and often cut-throat marketplace where many businesses are trying to sell the same products or services. You can start to set yourself apart by increasing your levels of customer service and addressing them on a personal level. This will result in referrals that are genuinely interested, excited and motivated to buy!
Increased Sales
Your revenue charts will reflect any successful marketing efforts. Your company can experience remarkable increases in revenue and customers when your customer base continues to expand. In fact, some businesses have experienced growth of 200 to 300% or higher by utilising referral marketing effectively. You can retain your current customers and continuously attract new ones. Better yet, referral marketing enables you to achieve these results with minimal money or time.
Enhanced Sense of Ownership
It is a proven fact that solid referral marketing systems that are relationship-based create customers who feel they have a genuine connection or ownership in the business. Clients may begin to refer to their banker as “my banker” or their accountant as “my accountant”. They adopt a different attitude towards the professionals they encounter in your company. An added benefit is the fact that the increased sense of enthusiasm and loyalty expressed by these customers is contagious; it can attract new customers and turn existing clients into long-term, satisfied ones.
