This may surprise you. But when it comes to lead generation through referrals and introductions, your goal is not satisfied clients.
Research shows that while satisfied clients tend to be loyal clients, there’s actually a very low correlation between satisfied clients and giving referrals. In one study conducted by the firm, Absolute Engagement out of Toronto, Canada, only 20% of satisfied clients gave a referral in the prior 12 months.
So who does give referrals? Well, engaged clients give referrals. Getting referrals, creating an effective referral marketing strategy must start with you creating this sense of engagement with your new clients as quickly as possible, and continually enhancing client engagement over time with your ongoing clients.
Now you’re thinking, what the heck is an engaged client anyway? Well, an engaged client or customer is someone who sees your value. They like the questions you ask and what you teach them. And they like you as a person. And definitely trust you. I’ve divided this engagement concept into three main areas of focus. The first being the prospect experience, making sure that your initial process not only helps you make the sale or bring in a new client, it does so in a way that creates a strong sense of engagement, meaning you become highly referral quickly in this new relationship.
One way to bring value quickly in a new relationship is by discovering their gap. Every one of your prospects has a gap between where they are and where they would like to be related to the work that you do. You discover and then fill that gap by covering four areas with them.
First, where are they currently? What does their hero look like? Where would they like to be at a certain point in time? What is their look like, what are their challenges in getting from here to there? And what are their opportunities? Sometimes they know about challenges and opportunities that you don’t know. And oftentimes you’re aware of the challenges and opportunities that they don’t know. This simple model allows you to discover their gap.
And by addressing their challenges and opportunities, you close the gap. Just this conversation by itself before the work actually begins, will bring great value to your prospective clients. A great way to create engagement quickly with prospects is to talk about your why meaning why you believe in the work that you do, the value that you bring.
This is part of creating a compelling value proposition, your source of why it could be something that happened to you that caused you to get into the business in the first place. It could be how you’ve come to see how important the work you do is for your clients. When you reveal a little bit about yourself, you create a heart to heart connection. And when you talk about your why your prospects usually open up and tell you more about their why their reasons for their motivation.
The second area of focus is the new client experience. Someone decides to hire you and or purchase from you. That’s great. Now you want to employ an onboarding process that makes them feel welcome part of the family so to speak, this will validate their decision to work with you and continues to increase your refer ability. So do you have a new client onboarding process? Do you have a checklist of things that you and members of your team can do to roll out the proverbial red carpet to your new clients? I highly recommend you get together with your team or some colleagues and build this onboarding process. And remember, find things to do that connect on the level of value and find things to do that allow you to connect on a more personal level.
The third area of focus is the ongoing client experience. You want to make sure that you have a client service promise in place that keeps your clients engaged with both the value you bring and who you are. If you don’t continue to provide value on a fairly regular basis, then you’re no longer necessary. Have a specific structure or client service promise in place that determines when and for what reasons you’ll be reaching out to them.
Now the turbocharger that really makes you referral over the lifetime of your client relationships is the process of creating business friendships, meaning, connecting with your clients in ways that have nothing to do with the work that you do. I’m talking about things like client appreciation events, celebration events, birthday lunches, rounds of golf or trips to a ball game, creating business friendships, especially With your a clients is what can kick your reefer ability into high gear. It’s where fun enters into your business. In summary, there is a low correlation between satisfied and loyal clients and the giving of referrals. And you need to maintain this level of engagement with your value and with you, as well as your team as quickly as you can with prospects and all the way throughout the lifetime of your client relationships.
Lead Generation through referrals and introductions starts with becoming super referral. I have some news for you. This video is merely a small fraction of the proven strategies and ideas contained in my comprehensive unlimited referrals marketing system.
Author: Bill Cates
Bill Cates is an internationally recognized client-acquisition expert, author, and speaker who motivates others to take action with proven strategies. A successful entrepreneur, Bill started and sold two book publishing companies. Turning his attention to help other businesses grow, Bill has written four best-selling books and has delivered his business-growth message to over 500,000 professionals, small business owners, and salespeople across 5 continents; helping them increase revenue without increasing their marketing budget.