Word-of-mouth referral is one of the best strategies to
employ to keep your service business full. The best way to
manifest these referrals is by creating "cheerleader
clients", or those clients who think you're the greatest
thing since sliced bread and eagerly and enthusiastically
tell everyone they meet about you and your services.
The one trait that all of my clients seem to have in common
is a sincere desire to help others. They're all fairly well
connected, and when someone in their networking circle
talks about their frustrations with their Internet
marketing efforts, my client recommends me right away. Not
all of the referrals are ones that I take, as many times I
don't have the time to take on another client or I don't
think it's a good fit for some reason, and I refer them on.
The part I do play in this referral piece, however, is in
how I treat my clients, which makes them enthusiastic about
working with me and willing to tell everyone they know
about me.
The traits I possess that turn my clients into "raving
fans" are:
1. Being in a true long-term collaborative partnership
with my clients. I've gotten to know them and their
businesses well and serve as another set of eyes and ears
for them. Anytime that I am reading something that I think
one of them might use, I forward it to that client, with a
"I thought you might be interested" note attached. I
occasionally even do this for clients with whom I'm no
longer working.
2. Practicing the "Golden Rule". I treat my clients the
way I would want to be treated as a business owner, which
means if I know of a better/cheaper/faster way of doing
something, I tell them about it. The final decision still
belongs to my client, but I know I have saved my clients
lots of time and money over the years and earned their
undying gratitude in the process.
3. Taking initiative in my relationship with clients. I'm
an INFP in Myers-Briggs terms, which means I'm a big
picture person. Seeing what comes next as a natural
progression of things comes very easily to me, and this
gift enables me to help my clients clearly map out the road
ahead. Keeping my clients organized and accountable is of
great benefit to them, and having discussions about what
comes next helps them in their planning processes.
4. Never telling my clients "no". If my client asks me to
do something and I either don't have time to do it or don't
how to do it, I try not to counter with a "no" but instead
with an option of a later time to do something, another
resource they can use to get it down, or an offer to use my
contacts to find out how to get it done. To the point that
you're able, try to never tell a client "no".
5. Being an expert problem-solver and idea generator. One
of the things I love to do is brainstorm with my clients,
and I tell them that I'm not offended if they don't take my
ideas if they're not offended that I keep offering them.
Over the years, I've probably had as many ideas rejected as
accepted, but it continues to be a fun experience for me,
and my clients benefit as well.
6. Playing to my gifts and talents. I've come to realize
that there are things I absolutely love to do as a coach
and an online business manager -- anything to do with
Internet marketing and writing, along with the opportunity
to solve problems and generate ideas. I stick with what I
do well and what I enjoy, and that's where I shine with the
client, so the payoff for me comes when the clients refer
me to friends like themselves who need very results for
their businesses. It's like a never-ending circle of
referrals for me, and who can argue with that?
To create your own cheerleader clients, ask your clients
who absolutely adore you to send out a letter to their
contact database. Offer to draft this letter, outlining the
benefits that the client has experienced as a result of
working with you and how his/her business or life has
changed as a result. You ask the client to sign off on the
letter and to provide his/her contact database, and you pay
for the printing, sending, and mailing of the letter. This
has worked extraordinarily well with colleagues of mine,
and I think you'll begin to see the magic happen if you
request this of your clients.
----------------------------------------------------
Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business
Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals
learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their
expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To
claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing
Toolkit, visit her site at http://www.OnlineBizU.com . Ask
Donna an Internet Marketing question at
http://www.AskDonnaGunter.com .
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