Video Mystery Shopping – Referrals: How to get ‘em, How to give ‘em!
I LOVE referrals! I love GIVING them and I love GETTING them. Can you imagine if 100% of your new home sales came from nothing but referrals?? Wouldn’t life be SWEET? While I doubt that many one of us will ever obtain ALL our business just from referrals; I DO BELIEVE you can substantially increase your percentage of referral business just by implementing a few simple steps.
As Bob Burg, the best-selling author of Endless Referrals, The Go-Giver, and several other excellent books, likes to say: “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.”
Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, it may sound simple, but it does take a lot of work and effort on your part to make this powerful trifecta of know, like and trust a reality with your clients and sphere of influence.
So, how do you start to build our referral business? One simple way is by GIVING referrals. A referral is worth its weight in GOLD. As the expert of your new home community, doesn’t it seem natural that you would know the best dry cleaner, pet sitter, hair dresser, and medical professionals in the area? Are you sharing this information with your new home buyers when they move in? Why not create a one page document with a few of your personal suggestions for business professionals in the area. In fact, you could list three per category and let your homeowners make the final decision based on their personal needs.
Be sure to let these business professionals KNOW you are referring their services and products to your new home owners. And, make sure your new home owners are letting these businesses know where they got their name from.
Another great place to build your referrals is within your realtor community. I often ask new home sales people how they are establishing relationships within the realtor community, and I am always amazed when I hear: “Well, I drop off fliers at the offices once a week.” REALLY??? How’s THAT savvy and original marketing tactic working for you??
Remember people: Know, Like and Trust are the key words here. Build solid relationships with your key realtors. Get to know them personally.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask your past customers for referrals. The average person knows at least 200 other people (and now with social media, I am certain that number is much higher). Let your customers know that a referral is the highest and best compliment they can give you for a job well done. Remember, if you don’t ask…the answer is ALWAYS No.
