Are you a business owner? Are you hoping to be a business owner? There are going to be tips on this show for you. Now one of them is referrals. This is powerful, powerful, powerful.
In our, well in my marketing system, we call it the perpetual sales cycle, so that you put people in one end, and they generate new people at the other end called referrals who put them back in, into the thing and thing cycles around over and over and over.
And if you can get it right, and it’s really really not difficult. I actually, I have to confess the way I discovered it was by accident. It hadn’t occurred to me that I had actually set this up.
It just happened, as I built it and improved and then when other people asked me what I do, I suddenly realized wow I have got a system and the reason I don’t have to put in as much effort as I used to, is because we have it so that people refer their colleagues, their friends to us willingly, without having to be forced or bribed.
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But let me explain how that happens. So you, first of all you are going to have everything, remember the 7 P’s.
So you have a presence, which is your website, your profiles, your social media profiles, potential which is all, you are only going to talk to the people that are potentials.
You are going to ask for their permission to market to them. You are then going to make, get them to make their first purchase, their first one and then this is bit.
The 6th P, you are going to convince them to become preachers of your business. Which means they love you so much, they love the service, they are going to recommend you, and give you referrals.
Even sometimes, you don’t even know that they are giving you referrals. But you might think, ‘I don’t have a really ordinary business.’ Who on earth.
So take me for instance, we sell fire extinguishers, safety signs, we do servicing of fire safety equipment, and fire alarm things for construction sites, who on earth is going to refer that. Who’s going to tell their friends, you’re thinking?
Well people who have a particular job that involves them buying whatever we sell. Probably know somebody else who has a similar job, who buys what we sell.
That maybe from their trade context. They may be a big player in the trade industry that they are in, I don’t know that.
Are They a Large Company?
They maybe in a large company where they have a team of buyers and there other, they have discovered us, but we don’t do any any outgoing sales. So they have other colleagues they can tell. We wouldn’t know that.
We can’t ask them, they are just buying online, they buy from us in a way that like amazon, you just buy and it’s just amazon. It arrives the next day, couple of days later whatever it is. With us, the next day, by the way.
But that’s it, we don’t have any real interaction, we do speak to a lot of people, we give a lot of advice, but we don’t then ask them for referrals. Not that way.
So firstly when they make that first purchase, they are starting to trust you. You need to convert, work them from being a purchaser to a repeat purchaser to a regular purchaser.
Okay, and at the point when they are regular. Job done. Although you still need to keep on top of it, and keep them happy.
But the bit where people go wrong, and this is the secret. When, in asking for referrals, I’ve done talks before, or I’ve been in groups, where I’ve asked people to put their hands up who gets business from referrals, and almost everybody does.
And then if I ask people how many people got referred to them, how many of their customers in the last 7 days were from referrals. Then it’s very rare that someone can put their hand up and say 4, a specific number.
And if I ask somebody how often they get refer, how what percentage are referrals against, then people generally say, ‘I don’t know that.’ Say okay how you know you get referrals.
The answer is most a version of, ‘We just do.’ Now that’s not good enough, that is assuming and that is like finger in the air, seeing which way the wind blows. You are guessing if that is so.
That means you are leaving money on the table and this, here is the secret, this is the big secret of getting those referrals to increasing them and to making it more, more obvious. Ready. Ask for them.
Da da da da daa! Yes. Oh it’s time like this I wish I could play a trumpet, especially one of those long ones, you know with the big banner hanging off it. But it’s as simple as that. Ask people.
Now if you’ve listened to lot of my podcast, and of course you have. By the way if you have listened, have you ever reviewed it? Have you ever gone on iTunes or Stitcher, and actually given a review?
Can I ask you to kindly do that? It’s really really really easy, easier on desktop. Just go on to iTunes, look up Marketing for Owners and just do a review, it takes you like 3 seconds. Thanks. End of request.
Speaking to Your Customers
But if you’ve listened to me, I will talk to you over and over about speaking to your customers, talking to them. They want to know that you appreciate them.
Don’t assume anything. Don’t be scared. And this is the point. If they’ve become a repeat buyer, then they trusted you enough to trust you again. Did you let them down?
Do you think you are going to let them down? Are you worried, do you think, well hope we do a good job. Or do you think, ‘yeah. We’re great. We do a good job.’ Because that’s how you should be thinking.
Then do you have customers that buy regularly? Yes you do. Or that use you regularly? Yes you do. Do you have clients that are long term, that are with you for years? Those are regular customers. They are not forced to use you. So ask them.
Just simply ask something like, say we are getting a lot of people referring us to other clients. But sometimes, sometimes those types of clients aren’t ideal.
Our type of clients is explain who your typical type of client is. Possibly someone like the person you’re talking to, say do you know anyone like this that would be suitable? Is there anyone you can recommend us to?
I’ll speak to them myself and if you want me to mention you, I can, if you don’t, fine but these are anybody. Most people, and this is sort of face to face. Don’t just send them an email like that.
This could be face to face or somewhere like that. But just simply ask the person. Simply, simply ask and that’s all there is to it. And that’s the end of what I’m going to say on the subject.
Drive Time Podcast
Now it’s time for a special drive time podcast recommendation. And today it is called Flip the Switch. Which is a top marketing one and it’s from Hana Abaza.
It’s the Uber flip team, if you want to look them up — uberflip.com. And by all means, please have a listen, what they do.
It’s they have conversations with the brightest marketing minds. But they have a slightly different take on it. I enjoy the conversations but anyway I can’t tell you what to think. You go see what you think. Let me know and if you like it, give her a rating too. It’s a good podcast.
Tomorrow Friday is Mike Russel. Mike is a top UK marketer who is doing great things online. You are going to really enjoy it. Mike is a lovely guy, and he has got one of those voices for radio. Honestly you’ll enjoy it. After that have yourself a good weekend.
