... And the Clients Went Wild!: How Savvy Professionals Win All the Business They Want

Chapter 11. Your Best Prospects Come from Referrals

Scripts and Strategies for Increasing Your Introductions to Others

People will never talk about you to others if you haven't given them something unique or different to say.

Positive word of mouth is one of the most coveted outcomes of great products and service. It is also perhaps the best thing that can happen to any business. A good reputation generates referrals—which are often the most profitable leads that a business can receive. Clients who you acquire through referrals are more loyal, easier to close, more cost-efficient, and in turn are often the ones to give you even more referrals.

Consumers today trust a personal recommendation more than traditional advertising, a brochure, a web site, or other company communications. According to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), two-thirds of all economic activity in the United States is influenced by shared opinions about a product, brand, or service. Yet according to eMarketer—a leading web site on digital marketing and media research and analysis—only 18 percent of businesses have a referral program in place.

Most of you inherently understand the benefits of having your clients refer their friends, family, and colleagues, but you simply fail to actively make it part of your marketing plan—and realize that earning and acquiring referrals requires a systematic approach. But before you can create and implement a referral system, it is first helpful to determine what may ...