Client Referrals
Let's get back to word-of-mouth promotion. It is one of the best and least expensive methods of promoting your consulting business. As you know, it also takes the most time to develop and it sometimes doesn't present the message you want to distribute. How can you take advantage of on-message word-of-mouth promotion? By helping your client refer more clients to you.
To refer is to report. A referral is a report about something to someone. Your goal is to entice clients into giving good reports about your business to their friends and acquaintances. Be proactive in getting clients to report good things about your business. How? You can ask them for referrals! Here are some ways to get referrals:
Ask clients, “Do you know any of your friends who might need help solving this problem?” If so, ask them for a referral.
Give discount coupons to current clients, one for themselves and one for a friend.
Give clients discount coupons that they can redeem when they bring a friend.
Honor your best clients publicly, such as in your client newsletter. Your proud clients will tell others about it.
Make sure your business has signage that reminds clients to “Tell a Friend about Weight-Down Services.”
Whenever a client mentions friends in conversations, ask the client for a referral.
The best way to profitably build your business is to clone your best clients. Referrals can do this. They are the most effective word-of-mouth promotion your consulting service can earn.
Many successful consulting services develop much of their business through referrals. That is, they sell their services to those who work with people looking for jobs: counselors, human resources departments, businesses, employment offices, and executive placement centers.
Of course, you can enhance word-of-mouth advertising by developing testimonials. That is, when you have a client who expresses satisfaction with your service, you ask the client to write you a testimonial letter. The letter, on business stationery, will describe how professional your service is and how well you respond to the needs of clients.
Unfortunately, only a small percentage of those who say they will write a testimonial letter will actually do so. But the problem isn't sincerity, it's time. Most clients just don't have the time to write such a letter. Some consulting services offer to write a draft of the letter themselves and send it to the client for approval and typing on their letterhead. A well-written testimonial from a well-respected person will be worth literally thousands of dollars in new business to you. You will copy it and include it with your brochure, quote from it in advertisements, and pass it out to prospects. It will be your best form of advertising. Of course, make sure you have a client's written permission to use any testimonials you quote in advertising.
You don't have to depend on just your clients to get you referral business. You can work with other businesses in the area. In merchant association meetings, give members some of your brochures or other collateral that tells about your business and what you offer. Also learn what others are selling and ask for reciprocal referrals.
To encourage satisfied clients and their testimonials, some consulting services establish and promote a policy of satisfaction guaranteed.
