Word of mouth and referrals can be among the most powerful -- and cost effective -- ways for a small business to grow. All it takes for effective word-of-mouth marketing is a happy customer who feels compelled to share his or her story with others.
Many times, this happens organically, with little or no involvement from you. But you can do a few things to encourage a client to promote your business through word-of-mouth marketing.
Go Beyond the Obvious
We know that in order to benefit from effective word-of-mouth marketing, you need an exceptionally happy customer. To reach that point, it's not enough to do excellent work or provide a top-notch product; you need to do more. You can:
- Provide responsive, comprehensive and consistent customer service
- Send your clients relevant information that is meant to fulfill a need or solve a problem, not promote your services
- Get to know your clients and their businesses so you can offer the most well-rounded service possible
- Ask for feedback and do something with the results to help you improve
Ask for Referrals
Sometimes, all it takes to encourage a referral is a request. Explain what you hope to accomplish. Then, make it very easy for your clients to refer you by providing all of the information they may need -- your product/service list, your contact information, relevant links, business cards, brochures, etc.
And, perhaps most importantly, make sure you individually thank each client for every single referral they send your way.
Flip It Around
Do you see the value in what your client is providing to his or her own clients? Do you know a few people who could benefit from your client's services? Make an introduction, promote relevant products/services to your network, refer your client onto others whenever appropriate. This will start a trend of mutual referrals that can grow and benefit both you and your client.
For more on word-of-mouth marketing and client referrals:
- 7 Sure-Fire Ways to Build Your Referral Business
- The 6 Keys of Fanatical Customer Testimonies
- Can Customer Loyalty Be Bought?
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