We all know that it’s great to have happy customers that tell others about us. Those that hear about us this way are much more likely than others to do business with us, and sooner, than those that hear about us through other ways. We also know that referrals are one of the most powerful marketing tools out there, and can cover the marketing process and get the sale, even without anything else coming into play.

All businesses, products and services can benefit from referrals in some way, but the general rule seems to be that the more expensive the purchase or the more personal the service, the more important it gets. If you get someone to clean your house, for instance, you would like a referral – right? But they can also influence much smaller purchases and less personal. If a friend tells me that the Wagawaga bread at the Boom Boom Bakery is great, I am much likelier to buy it, right?

Word-of-mouth is one type of referral, but there are various ways one can get them and increase the likelihood of getting them. Why should we just cross our fingers and toes and hope that someone recommends us when we can do things to make it so? ;)

So, we come to that question, which may indeed be one of the most important ones in your marketing…

“Would you recommend … to others?” (insert the name of your company, product or service) [Read more…]