Customer referrals are important if you want to see your business evolve. It’s the same story as when you are interested in buying a product, you’ll most likely ask someone what they think about your product or service.
Many businesses will struggle with generating referrals, but don’t have your hopes down because it’s not impossible to do so.
In this article, we’ll show you the top 9 ways that can help you get more customer referrals.
1. Offer exclusive early access
Exclusive early access is a great way to reward loyal customers and those who represent your brand. Exclusive early access is for those who already trust your brand, so giving them a sneak peek of what you’re going to offer before anyone else knows will make them feel valued.
Including them to share their positive experiences will bring in high-quality referrals from those who value your product. These referrals can come through any communication channel such as social media stories, posts, reviews, and even sharing positive feedback with people live.
Customers who get early access to your product or service will always build great long-term relationships. Not only do they feel part of your product journey, but they will know that you put them first.
2. Include customer loyalty programs
Loyal customers are the ones who say the most good things about your business the most. Some might confuse loyalty programs with referral programs, but the difference is that loyalty programs will reward all customers who engage on your business’s behalf.
Loyalty programs differ and not all of them are the same; some can be point-based, others might give rewards in different ways. Regardless of how you choose to conduct your rewards, make sure that at the end of the day, your customers feel inspired and valued based on their commitment.
Loyal customers will reward you by offering you free referrals through word-of-mouth marketing, positive online reviews, user-generated content (UGC) on social media, etc.
3. Engage with your current customers
There’s nothing better than keeping current customers engaged. There’s no such thing as being king to your customers until the day they purchase your product or service (a one-time thing), but make sure that you do so continuously.
This means that you should invest time in relationships that are profiting your business the most, continuously providing your customers with ways that they can engage with your brand so you can always remain a top option for them. This can successfully be done by implementing the following practices:
- Remaining in contact with your customers after purchases are made to build long-term relationships;
- Providing continuous value to your customers through additional offerings, informative and helpful content;
- Providing an ongoing community with plenty of values.
Consistency is what keeps customers thinking about you all the time. Instead of having customers who won’t make any more purchases a few months after they interact with your business, consistency is what keeps them satisfied and more comfortable approaching your business the next time they want to make a purchase.
For example, you see brands like Starbucks and Coca-Cola personalizing their services to their customers. This includes writing the customer's names on a drink and much more. Things like these make customers want to come back over and over again and refer their friends or family members.
4. Use templates
It’s not a surprise for businesses to ask for referrals from the clients they work for. Or, maybe you are someone who runs a business on your own and wants referrals. When running a business, you need to always be aware of how busy your clients may be.
Rather than waiting for them to have free time, you should use a template that frees up their time much more. Here’s a referral template that you can consider using when approaching your clients, and write a sample email for them before they send it out to the person they want to refer you to:
(Referral name),
I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to reach out to mention that we’ve been working with (your name) for some time now and think that you both would be a great fit for doing business together.
That’s why I’m attaching their LinkedIn profile URL (Your name in this case), where I’ll leave the communication between you two.
If you see that clients don’t like this approach, it’s always best to leave them and try other ways of getting referrals.
5. Give people a reason to talk about your company
Customers will give out referrals when they see that you’ve given them a reason to talk about your company. This is something that is built over time by interacting with your customers and providing a positive customer experience.
Positive customer experiences are those that will have customers saying, “This product or service really solves a huge problem for me”. Stories are always what persuade other people into doing business with you and it’s the customers that will tell them.
Here are a few tips from our side on creating memorable customer experiences:
- Understand the pain points of your customers
- Solve the problem from point A to point B
- Cross-reference areas that include the solutions you’re providing
- Learn more about your customer's expectations
- Identify what will meet their expectations
- Deliver as soon as possible
Going above and beyond customer expectations is what makes the process more fun, enjoyable, and experiential. When customers are satisfied and you deliver higher than their expectations, they will always have a reason to give out referrals.
6. Take advantage of LinkedIn
Rather than asking for referrals, your odds can significantly improve in many other ways and this is by using a free method such as LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a Business-to-Business (B2B) platform that allows you to interact directly with other professionals who may be interested in your offer.
The good side of LinkedIn is that before you communicate with potential customers, they see your public profile and the headlines that will already define what your business is about, and what your expertise and goals are.
Furthermore, LinkedIn has an advanced people search feature that makes it much easier for you to connect with second-degree connections (from your customers). The LinkedIn advanced search options include connecting with first, second, and third-degree connections.
7. Offer something valuable
Everybody loves to receive something for free, whether it be a gift card, a free coffee, a one-month subscription, or anything else. Rewarding your customers shows how committed you are to them and will open a bright door to better future relationships.
You can take advantage of these opportunities by creating a program that will offer customers rewards in exchange for referrals. Referral agreements help businesses expand much quickly and are better for long-term customer satisfaction.
8. Start referring other companies to your customers
If you are asking for referrals from customers, in some cases, they might expect the same to happen to you. By referring other companies to your customers, you’re bringing value to their lives as well. Customers will get equally compensated for all the information you give them.
If you are referring good companies to your customers, you need to always make sure that they are trustworthy. Referrals can be a two-way street, and you’re fostering a partnership that both parties will benefit from.
9. Post-purchase follow-ups
Customer relationships shouldn’t ever end after a sale. It’s best to follow up with your customers even after the sale to address any concerns they might have had, offer additional support, and provide resources.
Here are the best approaches you can take:
- Send out post-email follow-ups to confirm purchases and address concerns.
- Send out surveys and utilize reviews to address any problems earlier on and show that you value your customers' opinions;
- Provide ongoing support to your customers to make sure that you are getting the most out of what you’re offering.
Post-purchase approaches will solidify loyalty, build long-term relationships, and ultimately lead to more valuable organic referrals.
Getting more referrals is your ticket to success
Getting more customer referrals isn’t just about asking for them– it’s about creating a good experience so that customers will naturally want to spread the word. By implementing these nine strategies, you can build a referral system that feels effortless and rewarding for both you and your customers.
Whether it’s through incentives, exceptional service, or social proof, the key is to make referring to your business easy and beneficial. It’s now time to get more referrals and apply these tactics as soon as possible.