Did you know…

…91% of customers say they’d give referrals…but just 11% of salespeople ask for referrals? [Dale Carnegie]

…roughly two-thirds of consumers (65%) make purchases because someone they know recommended a particular product or service? [New York Times]

…people are four times more likely to buy when referred by a friend? [Nielsen]

…a personalized note can increase response to a marketing campaign by 30-50%? [TMR Direct]

All of which points directly to the need to start being proactive and make asking for referrals a part of your daily business activities!

To assist you, the team at WhiteHOT has put together the following idea starters. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at (609) 429-2972 for additional information on creating a program specific to your business.

Please Note: Not all of these tactics will be right for every business. As always, incorporate the ones that lend themselves to your industry; others might be adapted to work for your business or spark a creative idea of your own.

PHYSICAL REMINDERS

Easel Back Displays/Desk Plaques/Buttons/Email Signatures

Sometimes we simply forget to ask for the referral, or we don’t do it often enough. To help develop the habit, consider…

• Displaying a “We Love Referrals!” easel-back display at the point-of-sale. Design a fill-in-the-blank form containing the information you need to follow up the referral, as well as a container into which the referrer can drop the completed form.
• Providing a desk plaque to each employee coming into contact with the public. Ideas for such plaques include: “The greatest compliment you could give me would be a referral.” or “Do you have a friend who would enjoy ___?” or “Do you know someone who can use ___?”
• Producing buttons for staff to wear, asking for a referral.
• Using your email signature to ask for referrals. Add something like this under your name and contact info: “Know someone who would like ___? We love (and reward) referrals!”

Tomorrow’s Referral Idea Starter focuses on a four-letter word…beginning with G. 😉

See you then!

WhiteHOT, Inc. is led by owner Phil Clouser, a seasoned creative director with over 25 years in sales and marketing. Whether you’re doing a full-blown campaign or a single project, we do it more competitively than the big agencies. That’s the advantage of our streamlined, boutique approach. We are aggressive as well as responsive. We’ll meet with you, analyze your goals and expectations, design your project, and expedite it before the “big guys” assign a team and traffic number. Call Phil today at 609-577-4314 to get the best value for your money, without the aggravation!