3 Ideas for Your Customer Referral Program
Pause for a moment and think of all the services you currently use in your life; your financial advisor, your dentist, your hairdresser, your house cleaning services. Chances are, you were recommend to them by someone you know. Even in your business, your IT services, the printer you use, your accountant, your creative services (wink wink), even to the coffee you drink were probably given to you as a reference from someone else, right? Studies show that 71% of online shoppers read reviews before buying. What others think about your business is important to them. Studies also show that referred customers were both more profitable and loyal than normal customers. Referred customers had a higher contribution margin, a higher retention rate and were more valuable in both the short and long run. (see the actual study published) On top of that, customers say that referrals rate #1 in the utmost importance in determining who they buy from, what they buy, and what services they hire.
We trust people who are trusted by the people we trust. Say what? Okay, I’ll say it again. We trust people who are trusted by the people we trust. We naturally seek out wisdom and experience from people we know and trust, and the more credibility that they have, the more influential they become in the decision making process. I was meeting with a potential client a few weeks ago and about half way through the meeting, I realized that our conversation was already moving towards intricate details about the project. Apparently, the decision to choose my services was already made. His comment to me was that he completely trusted the person that referred him to me and that was more than enough to make his choice. We trust people who are trusted by the people we trust.
Ninety two percent of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising.
So now knowing that referral marketing (word-of-mouth marketing) is effective and powerful, how do we implement it into our own business? Here are 3 ideas to consider.
1. Ask for it: Once you deliver the excellent services your customers expect and they recognize you as a credible, valued resource, just simply ask them in person or in email to refer you to others that need your services. It a very logical and organic next step in the relationship. Technology can also come into play by simply sending them a survey through a free service (Survey Monkey) or ask them to rate you on a third-party site such as Yelp and/or Insider Pages that combines customer reviews. Also, ask for testimonials that can be incorporated on to your website and your social media platforms.
2. Coupon it: Print coupons that show %OFF or $OFF your service and distribute a handful to your clients for them to pass on and even for their own use for their next service. Make the offer simple and easy to understand and make sure the client’s information is noted on the coupon so they can be acknowledged when the coupon is being used by a new customer.
3. Reward it: Offer an incentive that they cannot ignore: cash, gift cards, free services, a hug or a high five. Whatever it is, make it awesome. Create a simple online form for your clients to submit referral client information, and when those referrals become your paying client, pay the big reward. Here’s the online form I created to capture and to reward my clients. By the way, feel free to fill it out and recommend me; there will be a $100 CASH for your reward as your referrals contract me for website services!
Are You a Puzzle Builder or a Quilt Maker?
I parked today at the beach. If you knew me, one thing I don’t carry around is loose change. This has been my problem for years. I need to park, but I don’t have change. I even came up with a simple solution of carrying rolls of quarters in my glove department of my car, but once it ran out…who’s got time to re-fill it? Not me. So, I keep running into the same problem…no change – no parking. I envision that someday, one beautiful day, I will be able to park at a meter and not have to bend over with my iphone flashlight to look underneath my seat for a couple of loose quarters.
That day was today. I went to my favorite spot this morning for a run. I boldly parked in front of the meter, pulled out my iphone, clicked on my parking meter app, punched in my meter number, chose my minutes and off I went. In fact, when the time was about to run out, my app gave me a quick alert and asked me if I wanted to add more time. I was already near my car so I said to my phone, “no, but thank you and I love you.” Just kidding, I didn’t say that out loud, that was just my inside voice.
The truth is that this parking meter solution started with Imagination (ability to envision things that don’t exist) moved on to Innovation (applying creativity to come up with a unique solution) and ended with Entrepreneurship (applying innovation to bring ideas to life to the rest of the world). Tina Seelig, the executive director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, talks about how this is the “Inventure Cycle”: capturing the attitudes and actions necessary to foster and bring breakthrough ideas to the world. Simply put, we are just one idea away. But we need to turn that idea into action. And while actively pursuing, we must have persistence and inspire others along the way. That’s entrepreneurship. It doesn’t matter where we work or what we do, if we possess the character of persistence and we are able to inspire others, we are entrepreneurs.
So the puzzle and quilt thing…there are two kinds of people: one who builds puzzles and the one who makes quilts. The one who builds the puzzles looks at the box cover to see exactly what their life is supposed to look like and they put the pieces together to achieve it. But, what if there’s a piece missing? They stand paralyzed and frustrated, not being able to complete the puzzle. Then there are the ones who make quilts. They take all things at their disposal and put them together to create solutions to their problems. They live with imagination, apply creativity and innovation to solve problems. Then they put their innovation into action, and with persistence, they inspire the city of Newport Beach to put their devices on every parking meter which then inspires me to download the app on my iphone so that I can go running without loose change.
Let’s make quilts together, it’ll be fun!
Who Do You Listen To? [Podcast]
As a new Entrepreneur, I am constantly seeking wisdom and inspiration from others who share their stories of failures, triumphs and “AHA” moments that re-shapes and/or launches their business to a new level. It has become my daily ritual to carve out some time to listen to podcasts, watch videos and read blogs to educate, feed my inspiration and to create aha moments of my own. These are my top 6 that I listen to and why:
1. Pat Flynn: He shares his strategies on his successful online business and he interviews entrepreneur guests to teach marketing techniques that helped them grow their business. Very insightful and Pat is very genuine and real. I have implemented more ideas from listening to Pat then anyone else. This is my favorite Podcast.
2. John Lee Dumas: He interviews one entrepreneur per day, 7 days a week. He asks the same questions in a same tone with the same emphasis on the same syllable…hahaha! However, there’s something to be said for consistency, because the interviewee is usually very prepared to answer each question. I actually like it because the questions still leads to helping the interviewee share their story of their success, failures and aha moments.
3. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders: This is a recorded seminar series on entrepreneurship at the Stanford University. Guest speakers are crazy brilliant and have accomplished much. This fascinates and inspires me the most as the guests have taken it to a whole another level.
4. Michael Hyatt: He coaches and teaches on intentional leadership. He has great wisdom on business but he focuses on the heart issues of entrepreneurship and life. This helps me put things into perspective and helps me see the bigger picture.
5. Tim Ferriss: He’s the author of the book The 4 Hour Workweek. He has high-profile guests and interesting topics such as…”Getting Punched and Picking Winners” You just have to listen to figure it out.
6. Brendon Burchard: He’s a Motivational Speaker/Personal Development Trainer. He also teaches business marketing and helps teach pqeople how to grow their business. The content that he puts out there is excellent.
Hope you can find these resources helpful. Comment below to share with us who you listen to.
Content Marketing Changed the Game
When we started our Private Tutoring business 10 years ago, social media didn’t play a significant role in helping the growth of our business. In fact, the market studies showed that 80% of the sales conversions happened after 7 brand impressions (your product or an ad is viewed by a customer). So you know what we did? Everything! We did print media, mass mailing, banners, magazine advertising and road signs.
One funny story, we purchased a couple of road signs and strategically placed them at stop signs where every car in the area would see them. Well, apparently, this didn’t comply with the city rules, so a city maintenance vehicle went around and picked them up each day to dispose of them. I just happened to know where the dumpster was, so, at night, so I would simply retrieve my signs back and set them back at the same location the next day. (Not recommended). The point was, I had to get my brand out there.
Well, today, social media has made it a little bit easier to create brand impressions through content marketing. Content marketing is a technique that creates content to attract a defined audience. This defined audience would eventually turn into raving fans (through building trust, relationship and loyalty), then your product or your services would be purchased by your raving fans at a very high percentage conversion rate. Boom! That’s all there is to it. So, now you are left with one question, how do we grow our defined audience of raving fans?
1. Create amazing content: You can offer something that no one else can; your thoughts, strategies, techniques and experience on how something worked, changed or impacted your life or your business. Stop selling and start educating your audience. For example, if I am a weight trainer, I might start blogging about “How To” workout secrets, or an amazing green smoothie recipes, or the latest diet myths, or the best workout app resource…list goes on and on. This will become more interesting and useful for the audience to read and it will also help build your defined audience.
2. Give it away for free: Offer your amazing content for free through your blog. Then, create a link to your blog through all the social media platforms and through your email blasts. Your goal here to have the whole world see it, to have the whole world visit your website, to have the whole world to sign up for more awesome content…and eventually, to have the whole world buy your product.
3. Get the name and email addresses of your defined audience: Easy to say but how do you do it? Give readers something in return for their email address (i.e. gifts, giveaways, promotional items, a chapter from your book, an ebook, a recipe or reports on topics of interests to them). If they commit to giving you their name and email, they’ve made a commitment on their end, saying they are interested in what you have to offer and it’s valuable enough for them to help in their business. This is the exact fan base you want.
Through content marketing, you are creating far beyond 7 brand impressions; we are now talking about hundreds of impressions that you are NOT forcing on them but that they are seeking out from YOU. This builds trust, this builds relationships and this builds loyalty. This will change casual readers/followers into raving fans, and those raving fans into your #1 customers.
Why Design Matters for Your Website
I am a runner. I logged close to 1000 miles last year, and I am tracking to do the same this year. It is important to me that I have the right running shoes that are a proper fit and that allow me to run at my best. So why is that that when I am shopping for running shoes, I neglect looking for the features of how my next shoes can help me run better, faster and free from injury, but I first walk over to the specific brand section and I am immediately drawn to the design – colors, styles and overall look of the shoes before I even try them on?
Psychology breaks it down:
What is a brand? “It’s an emotional and intellectual association people make with a specific person or thing.” What does that mean? Well, it means that a pair of Nike running shoes is not just materials sewn together to protect and cushion your feet while running, it is a competitive, over–achiever with lean and defined muscular physique exclaiming “just do it!” A brand is filled with the characteristics, traits and hopes of a living person. It means that somewhere in my subconscious mind, I want to be that guy, and if I wear these shoes, I am half way there. I just have to work on the lean and defined muscular physique…P90X anyone?
Why we choose Design over Function? Because most of us perceive good design as someone who does good work. It manages our expectations and experience in many ways. How we feel at that moment is going to help us engage and even buy. And it’s directly influenced by the design.
What does this mean for you? When it comes down to it, design IS your brand. It reflects who you are, what you do, and what you care about. For your company, it reflects your culture, your purpose and your vision. Your website is like a room – the only room in your house you can show to the world. It’s where every item is displayed for the sole purpose of impressing visitors to buy products, follow your ideas, or use your services. яндекс Does your current website reflect who you are? I’ve added a quick checklist for you to find out.