The following tips and strategies in part three of this three part series are intended to help you grow your business more effortlessly and easily. Using the tools that you already have at hand in a more expanded way, you’ll be able to spend more time working ON your business instead of being run BY your business. Giving you more time for what’s important versus what’s urgent.
Action is key, so pick one strategy, put it into action and watch your business grow!
Let us know what worked best for you. We’d love to hear your success stories~
Tip #7 :: Spreading the Word
Spreading the word of your business through the referrals from clients is a tried and true way to growth. Better known as Word Of Mouth marketing (WOM), you get to design this strategy into your relationship with clients up front by sharing with them, “If you’re satisfied with the work we do together, would you be willing to refer my services to your friends or colleagues?” If they agree, then your job is to provide extraordinary service to your clients and let them do some of your marketing for you!
You can plant the seed in their thinking by asking, “Do you know of someone who could benefit from my services? If so, who?”
When you set the tone up front for excellent service and ask for referrals in return, your clients will be more willing to give you those referrals with little or no prodding.
Most importantly, be sure to follow-up on their referrals with an invitation to sample what you have to offer. And, if that referral becomes a client, BE SURE to send your client a big THANK YOU for the gift they have given you.
Tip # 8 :: Have a Referral System
These days a website is a crucial part of your marketing strategy and referral system. Can your clients, colleagues, friends or family point potential clients to your website? If not, you need to consider creating one. It is an easy way to give people the vital information about who you are, what you do and how you can be of service to them – 24 hours a day (the web never sleeps!).
In other words, having this front-end system can help you give information to prospective clients as well as help you track who is interested. Beyond just a website though, you have to have a follow-up strategy in place as well. What do you do once you have a new lead? What are the steps that you take to get that person in your database, follow-up and stay in touch with them?
The more you can keep your “brand” front of mind through a variety of different connections and touch points, the more likely that person will be to call you when they finally do need your services.
Tip # 9 :: Getting Them to Your Door
How do you lower the risk of doing business with you? You can offer potential clients a complimentary product or service, which allows them to get a sample of your work – a bite size experience if you will. Additionally, you can further lower the perceived risk by offering a guarantee of some kind (depending on your industry of course).
The *key* to turning potential customers into actual customers is developing a level of relationship with them and thus building trust. Once there is trust, it’s much easier to enroll them in what you have to offer. Then, once their curiosity is peaked and they are interested in what you have to offer, then it is simply a matter of delivering value above and beyond what you promise to keep them coming back for more while also telling their friends and colleagues about your fantastic services!
