Apart from networking organisations that you may belong to like BNI? Do you have any other referral systems? Or do all your referrals come from word of mouth?
If you had four solid referral systems working in your business, what might happen to your sales? 10% -15% increases are easily possible.
Systems that allowed you to ask for referrals without feeling awkward that encouraged the giver of referrals to easily come up with them.
Sounds great doesn't it. There is however a problem why many companies and practices don't get any referral systems operating.
Its not that they are not bought into the subject, there are a few reasons why referral systems don't get developed or they simply fail.
Many of the reasons are found in my implementation posts that I wrote some time ago.
The word is 'system' many companies simply don't create them properly, they don't test it, they don't train their people and they give up too soon.
Let me give you something from some training I provide on networking strategically.
Almost every small to medium sized businesses that I come into contact with, attend lots of different networking events in search of referrals. Have you ever sat back and asked yourself questions like these?
What do I really want to achieve from attending these networking events?
How does it fit into my marketing strategy and business plan?
What am I going to do before during and after the event to achieve my goals?
Who should I try to talk with?
How can I get to speak to these people?
How much time have I got for this?
What pitfalls should I avoid?
How am I going to get people to deal with me?
How can they help me?
How can I help them? (To motivate them to help me).
What kind of follow up system do I need to build the relationship?
The purpose of asking these questions is to have a purpose to your networking, to develop a strategy that will tie into your overall business goals.
There are over 65 different referral strategies in our results driven marketing system.
Here are some things you can do; promotions cards, coupons certificates gifts or discounts, make referrals a condition of business.
Here's one I got from MTV and Virgin in Time Square. A simple coupon was presented to me in MTV offering a discount redeemable in the Virgin shop, how simple is that.
For my readers in the UK, in the East Midlands there is a training grant available which could be used to develop and implement two referral systems in your business. It maybe available in other areas as well, I would have to look into that.
For any of my overseas readers, happy to discuss creating referral systems for your business or practice as well. It can all be done via the telephone and the internet.
Take Care
Regards
Mark
Integrated Marketing Copyright Mark Wheatley 2010 All Rights Reserved
If you had four solid referral systems working in your business, what might happen to your sales? 10% -15% increases are easily possible.
Systems that allowed you to ask for referrals without feeling awkward that encouraged the giver of referrals to easily come up with them.
Sounds great doesn't it. There is however a problem why many companies and practices don't get any referral systems operating.
Many of the reasons are found in my implementation posts that I wrote some time ago.
The word is 'system' many companies simply don't create them properly, they don't test it, they don't train their people and they give up too soon.
Let me give you something from some training I provide on networking strategically.
Almost every small to medium sized businesses that I come into contact with, attend lots of different networking events in search of referrals. Have you ever sat back and asked yourself questions like these?
What do I really want to achieve from attending these networking events?
How does it fit into my marketing strategy and business plan?
What am I going to do before during and after the event to achieve my goals?
Who should I try to talk with?
How can I get to speak to these people?
How much time have I got for this?
What pitfalls should I avoid?
How am I going to get people to deal with me?
How can they help me?
How can I help them? (To motivate them to help me).
What kind of follow up system do I need to build the relationship?
The purpose of asking these questions is to have a purpose to your networking, to develop a strategy that will tie into your overall business goals.
There are over 65 different referral strategies in our results driven marketing system.
Here are some things you can do; promotions cards, coupons certificates gifts or discounts, make referrals a condition of business.
Here's one I got from MTV and Virgin in Time Square. A simple coupon was presented to me in MTV offering a discount redeemable in the Virgin shop, how simple is that.
For my readers in the UK, in the East Midlands there is a training grant available which could be used to develop and implement two referral systems in your business. It maybe available in other areas as well, I would have to look into that.
For any of my overseas readers, happy to discuss creating referral systems for your business or practice as well. It can all be done via the telephone and the internet.
Take Care
Regards
Mark
Integrated Marketing Copyright Mark Wheatley 2010 All Rights Reserved
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