Dec 07 2007
Referrals Marketing - why do so many SMEs not do this well?
Many small business owners that we talk to will happily admit that they get most of their best new enquiries by word of mouth or recommendations from people they know but then the same small business owners do absolutely nothing proactively about trying to maximise the opportunities that could come their way through this route.
Why is this?
The answer for many British business people may well be that world famous British sense of reserve….. “One doesn’t just ask for something, does one?”
Given that most small business owners are very much entrepreneurial in almost everything else they do, there is something strangely contradictory about a reluctance to ask for help from people who are, because they have first-hand experience of working with you, unusually well-placed to understand how you may be able to help other companies or organisations that they know.
The evidence suggests that time spent working with your existing network of contacts to get more referrals is time well spent indeed. We are not talking about that dreaded word ‘networking’ here, it is about using the network we already have to maximum effect.
Letting your existing clients and contacts know that you welcome referrals is a good start but too many companies fail to do even this simple thing. Based on our experience, we have pulled together a few hints and tips to help you generate more referrals for your business. We hope that you will find it useful. hints-tips-for-using-your-network-to-get-referrals.pdf
To see some more of our Hints and Tips for successful marketing, please visit the resources section on our website: www.totalmarketingsolutions.co.uk