One,Sure-Fire,Way,Boost,Profit marketing One Sure-Fire Way to Boost Profits With Referrals
Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t
If I had to choose one effective Internet marketing tool, abusiness referral program would be right at the top of the list.Whether your business is online or off, a good referral programwill increase your profits.Another word for referral is "word of mouth". If you can just getenough people talking about you in a positive manner and sendingcustomers to you, you will have more business than you canhandle! A business referral is priceless.Don't Wait for Your Customers To Send You ReferralsMany online business owners feel they can only get referrals by acustomer taking the time and initiative to tell a friend oracquaintance about them. The truth is, most customers will forgetto mention you or only tell others about you if asked. You willget some referrals by treating customers well, but the number maybe limited to a few.Ask For ReferralsUse the methods below to initiate referrals from your presentcustomers. The most important thing to remember is thatwhen a potential buyer is referred to you by a happy, satisfiedcustomer, half the sale is already made. That's the benefit ofgetting referrals!Who Do You Ask for a Referral?A happy, satisfied customer.What Do You Ask?When writing to a customer to ask for a referral, first reinforcethe benefits, value, and contentment that customer has justexperienced with your company. Write and thank them forpurchasing your product (some companies send a thank you note ore-mail just saying thank you first - this way the customerdoesn't think you're just trying to get something from them).A day or two later, send the customer a second thank you andmention some of the benefits he/she experienced while dealingwith your company such as prompt service, great quality, helpwith a problem, etc. Once you've reminded them of the benefits,politely mention that he/she may know someone who would benefitfrom your company's product or service. Ask the customer ifhe/she can think of anyone who would save time, money, andheadaches by purchasing from your company.Why Should the Customer Give You a Referral?The customer should give you a referral because it could benefittheir friend. If he/she has a friend that is going to be purchasingthe product or service that you offer, he/she has an obligation totell that friend about your site, especially if it is going to savethem time or money, doesn't she?When Do You Ask for a Referral?The best time to ask for a referral is right after the customerpurchases from you. Your customer is still excited about h/hisrecent purchase and will happily talk about it with friends!Where Should You Ask for Referrals?As I mentioned earlier, a second thank you letter would probablybe best. Or, you could make a quick phone call in some instances.The first thank you should show your appreciation for the purchaseand how much you value the customer. If your company is online,you can send both the first thank you and the referral letter viae-mail. This will save money, time, and paper. If the customer hasalready purchased from you, he/she expects to hear from you again.How Should You Ask for the Referral?Ask for your referral in a way that's irresistible to the customer.Take the time to calculate how much one customer is worth to youover a period of one year (in other words, how much will thatcustomer spend with you based on the nature of the product?).Once you've established that the customer has benefited from yourcompany and knows someone else who would benefit, you're ready toask for the referral.Make your offer irresistible and, if possible, ridiculous!!! Ifyou calculated that the average customer spends $1,000 per yearwith your company, then would it be worth it to offer a $100, ormaybe even a $200 incentive for them sending a new customer toyou?After all, you probably would have never had that customer if notfor the referral. That new customer may spend thousands of dollarswith your company over the next several years. If that happens, itwould really be worth the investment, wouldn't it? I know whatyou're thinking, that's too much money! But, before you decideagainst it, try testing your offer and see if it brings in traffic.The funny thing is, some people will never ask for the referralfee, they'll send you the business just because they like you!!!Try it on the next customer that purchases your product orservice. You can't afford not to get referrals!
One,Sure-Fire,Way,Boost,Profit