Some of the best customers any business can get are those who find your company through a friend’s referral. Studies show that they are not only much more likely to become your customers in the first place, but they will also be more loyal to your brand in the long run.
So, getting these high value customers should be a top priority for any company, and this can only be achieved by increasing customer referrals. But how exactly can you go about this?
Here are 7 effective ways to increase your customer referrals.
Exceed Expectations (give them a reason to talk)
Customers are more likely to talk about your business when they have a compelling reason to do so. Your goal should be to provide all your customers with such a fantastic experience that completely exceeds their expectations, that they feel the need to go tell their friends about it. In order to do this, you need to understand deeply what your customers expect from you, and then to go above and beyond.
Provide Stellar Customer Service
One area where you can exceed your customer’s expectations is by providing them with excellent customer service. Today most people have a very high standard when it comes to customer service, so what used to be considered to be great is now just the bare minimum.
Harness the Power of Social Media
Remind your customers to share their positive experience on their social media channels. You can even offer them discounts and use other incentives to get them to mention your company on the relevant platforms, like a positive Yelp review, or a video on Instagram.
Give Referrals
One of the best ways to get more referrals is to refer business to others often. This simple act usually causes a chain reaction that leads to getting more business referred to you.
Offer Incentives
You can encourage people to refer customers to you by giving them an incentive each time they do so. You can for example offer them gift certificates for your own business, or for other popular businesses. Your best bet is to give them a gift for each referral, regardless of whether they buy something or not.
Add a Customer Loyalty Program
If you want to streamline the incentive process, the best way to do it is by implementing a customer loyalty program that clearly shows people what they can get for referring new customers to your business.
Just Ask
One of the most straightforward strategies to getting new referrals is to just ask your customers to give you a referral every time you do business with them. Just make sure that they are completely satisfied before asking them to talk about your business with their friends.
