1. Set A clear Target:
You can only hit a target if you know it. The more clear you are about your goals the more effective your referral marketing campaign will be.

2. Track and Measure.
Unbelievably few companies actually measure the effectiveness of their referral marketing strategies.

But how are you going to to improve your results if you don’t know what works best? WELL ..YOU CAN’T. You can only improve what you can measure.

3. Define who your best referral is.
Define specifically who is your perfect referral to get. What gender are they… how old, how much money do they make, interest, where do theu live etc etc They more precisely you know who you are looking for the easier it is to find them and attract them.

Remember: Clarity Equals Cash.

4. Timing:
The time you ask for a referral can be crucial. Traditionally salespeople have been taught that the best time to ask is immediately after the close, but this might NOT be the best time to ask for a referral today.

Understand that when they have just bought from you the first time, your relationship is not that strong yet and therefore trust in you is not very high.

If they don’t feel “ready” to refer their contacts to you they will feel you are too aggressive. Many times its better to wait to ask for the referral until they have tried your service or product and are happy with it.

5. Identify the best:
Not all of your customers are created equal and not all of them are equally likely to give you referrals. To be effective with your time and resources you need to identify who is the most likely to refer you clients. Focus on the top 10-15% that are the most happy with your company. When it comes to referral marketing quality is king, not quantity.

6. Give to Receive:
Over-deliver and give your clients something extra they didn’t expect. If you exceed their expectations they are usually very happy to recommend you to their contacts.

Also if you tell your clients that you are offering THEIR referrals a free taster/consultation/etc just for taking a look with no strings attached it become very easy for them to make the decision to help you out with a referral. When you over-deliver on value, they will return the favor.

7. Communicate expectations clearly:
When you ask for referrals Inform your clients of the ideal type of customers you are looking for and exactly what you can do for them. Doing this makes it easier for people to jog their memory and find the best referrals for you.

8. Have a Rewards Program:
Even though people are really happy with your company sometimes they need a little incentive to “remember” giving you referrals. By giving your referring customers special rewards they will be even more inclined to recommend you to their clients/customers.

9. Show them you love them:
Simply showing your appreciation for getting a referral can work wonders.
People are usually “appreciation-deficient” and they will love you for it. The more
they love you the more likely they are to recommend you.

Start putting one or more of these simple strategies into action today and be consistent. You will find as with most marketing strategies they will work better and better over time.

Happy Referral Hunting

Patrick Powers