Making Friends and Influencing Referrals

“People influence people. Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend. A trusted referral influences people more than the best broadcast message. A trusted referral is the Holy Grail of advertising.” — Mark Zuckerberg

This quote from Mark Zuckerberg (a guy who knows a thing or two about the power of social networks!) speaks volumes about the power of your current client base when it comes to generating new leads. What entices (or deters) your clients from making referrals? How can you make it as easy and enjoyable as possible for your clients to let people know that you do good work?

Why do people refer?

• Human nature. Most people like to help people by sharing helpful information.
• Connection. Sharing a common thread makes people feel connected to their community.
• Being a Know-It-All. In a good way. You know how everyone has “a guy”? People like to be know as “the guy with the best information.”
• Your business is special. Your client feels that your company has provided a solution for them, and they want to share this information with their network.

Why don’t people refer?

• It feels slimy. They feel pressured...and they don’t want their friends to feel pressured.
• It’s a one-sided deal. They feel like nothing is “in it for them.”
• You don’t make it easy. Maybe you’re lacking a social media presence, or it’s impossible to get into a group fitness class.
• Your service isn’t new, fun or interesting. Referrals come from being “remarkable”. 

Of course, my business is remarkable! But can every one of my clients succinctly speak to the WHY? To build a remarkable business based on referrals, you must first identify the most REMARKABLE thing about your business, the thing that almost forces people to talk about you…and share that remarkable experience with your best clients. (More about that later.)

What are ways to make it fun and EASY for my clients to make referrals?

• Offer an incentive. Of course, you could run a contest that entices clients to bring in the most referrals into order to win a prize. But at the end of the day, will an Amazon gift card or bottle of wine entice your clients to “sell” to their friends? Go back to the list above of why people do and do not refer. Reframe the idea of referrals by offering this incentive: sharing your positive experience at our studio can help your friend achieve their goals. Tap into a natural desire to find solutions.
• Create and distribute referral marketing materials to your most loyal clients. This could be anything from a business card, pamphlet, email templates or referral cards that include your logo and contact that “Referred by (insert name here)”. This referral includes a special offer that is only available from your best clients.This makes it easier for clients to refer you since they only have to hand out or forward these marketing materials.
• Offer a unique experience for your most loyal clients to share with their network. Remember our talk about being remarkable? Be unique by being a good host. Invite a few of your best clients to host their own private class on the house. For the cost of an hour of instructor time and a few bottles of wine, you’re enticing your client to share one of their favorite activities with their friends (who are, hopefully, your newest clients).

By designing clear and scalable practices that streamline processes, B.Well helps studio owners create more time to focus on doing what they love. For more information, visit www.bwellconsult.com.