by Deborah
Walker
http://www.RevenueQueen.com
©
2007
The most reliable revenue growth comes in two forms:
repeat sales and referral business. The better your skills for generating referral
business, the faster your customer base will grow. The best strategy for building
referrals is simply to get your customers talking about you. As your clients talk
to potential new customers, more and more business will come right back to you.
The
following three skills will get your customers talking about you-and building
your business for you. Turn your client base into a network of enthusiastic sales
representatives (who work for free!) eager to pass along your message and reputation.
Here
are the three "B's" that will get your customers talking about you and
your business:
1. Be Memorable
No
matter your business type, competition for consumer dollars has never been tougher.
Don't make the mistake of looking, acting or sounding exactly like the crowd.
Think of a forest of evergreen trees. The bright red fruit of an apple tree stands
out in that forest, saying, "Pick me!"
There are
many ways to be memorable. For example:
* Incorporate
marketing strategies that are different from your competition
*
Dress to be remembered-wear an interesting tie or unique accessories
*
Ask thought-provoking, insightful questions
2.
Be Personable
In today's ever more impersonal world, people
crave being heard and understood. Differentiate yourself from the crowd by making
an effort to know your customers and to let them know you. Take time to find out
what is important to them in their buying decision. Cultivate a genuine care for
the satisfaction level of those you serve. Always remember that friends recommend
friends to their friends-so be friendly!
Taking a personable
approach is easy when you:
* Work at remembering
names
* Let them hear you smile by your positive attitude
*
Ask open-ended questions that get your clients talking about themselves
3.
Be Excellent
Bottom line, your clients need expert information,
advice and guidance in their buying decisions. To earn the reputation as the "go-to
guy" in your field, learn more about your product or service than anyone
else in your market. Stay ahead of the curve for your industry's trends. Add credibility
to your expertise by obtaining the appropriate credentials and certifications.
If you take the time to build your reputation as an expert in your field, new
clients won't need to be convinced; they'll already be sold.
Being
excellent is also about delivery of promises and quality of performance. Your
customers will recommend you to others with confidence when they know you will
live up to their praise. The reputation for excellence is hard to earn, but easy
to lose. Let one referred client down, and your original client will never refer
new business to you again.
You'll earn "excellent"
customer ratings when you:
* Continue to improve
your product or service
* Consistently provide on-time deliverables
*
Never make promises you can't keep
Once you
have put into practice these strategies for being memorable, personable and excellent
in all you do, your clients will begin talking about you and your business. With
time and consistent effort, your referred business will outgrow new sales from
any other marketing source. The added bonus is that referred clients will also
refer other new clients-and all of them will remain your loyal customers.
