This 1 Simple Trick Can Boost Your Referrals by 39%

Imagine developing a fantastic new product or a vital new service, something reflective of your values and important to share with the world. After months and sometimes years of hard work, you’re finally ready to expand your business from a few loyal customers to a vibrant community of individuals that just can’t stop recommending your business to everyone they meet. You’re ready, you just need to figure out how. It’s not as hard as you might think.

Thriving businesses recognize that success comes from building meaningful connections with customers, and then finding innovative ways to transform those connections into referrals and recommendations.

After all, it’s human nature to talk to friends and loved ones about companies and products that really work, so why not encourage those conversations in a way that benefits your customers and grows your business?

Want to know the simplest way to foster a culture of referrals with your customer base? Thoughtful and authentic gift-giving—a simple and effective method for improving the likelihood of a satisfied client referring a friend or colleague to your business. Done correctly, gift-giving increases your chances of a referral by up to 39% while simultaneously building relationships with existing loyal customers.

Start the Conversation with a Gift

Gift of appreciation remind customers of their positive experience with your brand, and help customers feel included in the success of your business. And when people feel included and engaged, they start the vital conversations that will help friends and colleagues find your business. Wondering how to make gift-giving part of your company culture? Here’s what works for us…

Be Sincere

Loyal customers want to help you grow, so It’s important to show customers how much you appreciate their role in your success. Focus on showing genuine gratitude with thoughtful and personalized gifts that reflect your customers needs and wants. While gift-giving can increase referrals and help expand your customer base, your primary objective should stay focused on gifting sincerely and authentically. So get to know your clients and customers: from the tech enthusiasts in need of a new ten-foot charger cable to the busy commuters who’ll use that no-spill coffee mug every day.

Be Thoughtful

At Spoonful of Comfort, we are motivated by acts of appreciation - no matter the distance. When looking for gifts for clients or customers, avoid the instinct to send a brand-heavy gift covered in your company logo. Instead, consider your clients needs and send something that makes life a little easier, like dinner. It’s why we’re so proud of our Soups and Sentiments care packages—we’ve made it possible for everyone to send a warm meal. Care packages are a truly unique and delicious way to recognize a valued customer, and they’ll be sure remember your gesture, no logo needed.

Share the Love

Make it easy for customers to recommend your services. Since 77% of customers look to family and friends for advice on what products or services to use, setting up a successful referral program will help build your community.

Start Your Own Referral Program

There are many ways to get started, but here’s a few go-to ideas to keep in mind:

Set a budget

The first step to a successful referral program is establishing a realistic budget with clear guidelines. Are you creating gifting tiers based on customer spending, or rewarding customers for clicking on a link or completing a purchase? Determining the details and cost of your program will set you up for success.

Hold a fun contest

One way to create an ongoing recommendations is through periodic referral contests. If your customers are mostly online, promote referrals with an email list and reward everyone who refers a friend. Create a little competition by rewarding the biggest referrer with additional product or services, just make sure you stick to your budget and keep the contest rules simple and easy to understand.

Gift Socially

Do you have a small budget? If so, social gifting is the way to go. Email your customers a referral code to share with their friends for a free trial. Allow each person the opportunity to send the code to three more friends and watch your email list and customer base grow.

Create Community

A recent Nielsen survey shows that 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know, making a word-of-mouth recommendation one of the most important marketing strategies for any growing business. Incorporating thoughtful and meaningful gift-giving is one way to start the conversations between loyal customers and future clients, so it’s important to find the perfect way to show appreciation for the people helping you grow your business.

Whether it’s having dinner (and cookies!) delivered through one of our Soups and Sentiments care packages or customizing the perfect spill-proof coffee mug, developing a culture of appreciation helps more people access that fantastic product or your life-changing new service. Just let us know where to send dinner.

Marti Wymer is the CEO and Founder of Spoonful of Comfort. Her company has been seen on Shark Tank and was also featured on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine and named one of its “Most Brilliant Ideas.” Spoonful of Comfort has been featured in Southern Living, Real Simple Magazine, Fox Business News, and the Today show as well.