4 Best Practices to Increase Customer Referrals

May 15, 2021
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Customer referrals are an important and exciting event for any business, whether you’re a B2B or a B2C company. But businesses so often get caught up in the excitement of a new lead that they forget what these referrals actually are: an opportunity to foster loyalty and trust with your current customer base. Instead of focusing on chasing a new customer, take time to remember the valued customer who referred you. Here are four best practices to follow to increase your amount of customer referrals.

1. Earn It

Your quality of work is what gets you customer referrals in the first place, so let your work speak for itself. There should be no need to ask your customer to refer you around if you’re already giving them reasons to. Appreciate the customers that you have now in order to get even more customers in the future – that’s how a successful business is built.

2. Be Helpful

Don’t think of customer referrals as just a way to build your business – think of it as a way to help people in need of your service or product. Ask your customers what they love about your business and then suggest how those things can help their family and friends as well. Customer referrals are most successful when they’re helping everyone involved, not just you.

 

3. Commit

Your customer has put their reputation on the line for you and it’s up to you to prove they were right to make a referral. It’s important to follow-up with them and help them be sure that you are carrying out the same quality with their referred customer that your business provided to them. Show them that their referral means something and there will be more in the future.

4. Be Thankful

Your business wouldn’t exist without loyal customers. Customer referrals is a way for your customers to show their confidence and trust in what you do.  What your company provides is of great value to them and they want to spread that value to the community. Take the time to reach out to your customer in appreciation for their devout support.

These best practices provide value to your customer referrals versus just stealing another lead. It’s the transformation of sales into customer appreciation and loyalty. Approaching referrals this way puts more confidence in you and your customers and provides a long-lasting, valuable experience that your customers will want to share even more.