| Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to | | | | 3. Give your customers incentives for giving you |
| grow your coaching business. It's free, or at most | | | | referrals |
| costs very little, yet very few coaches use it to | | | | If you're being passive about referrals then you're |
| anywhere near it's potential! | | | | sitting on a gold-mine. Come up with ways of |
| Consider this: if you got just one referral from each | | | | rewarding your clients for referring business to you. |
| one of your clients, over the next 60 days you'd | | | | They could receive free gifts, such as a 30 minute |
| double your client base! What would that mean to your | | | | back massage voucher for referring a friend or a free |
| potential income and how many more people would | | | | Style Cut from an award winning beauty salon. The |
| you be helping in supportive and uplifting ways? | | | | businesses involved would welcome the opportunity to |
| So, how do you maximize word of mouth? Here are 5 | | | | have new clients come their way and would be happy |
| Steps you can take now... | | | | to give that first style cut or treatment for free if they |
| 1. Really appreciate your clients and let them know | | | | understand the potential value of a new customer. |
| consistently you value them | | | | Action: Reward your clients for referring people to you. |
| This is the most important, yet overlooked element of | | | | Come up with rewards that will be beneficial to your |
| creating endless referrals. Many businesses focus | | | | clients. If you worked with executive clients perhaps a |
| more on profits than on people. Focusing on profits | | | | free 30 minute health check at a trusted health centre |
| alone can be detrimental to success and 'Word of | | | | would be valuable or a voucher to use at an upmarket |
| Mouth' success comes from looking beyond just profit | | | | clothing boutique. |
| into how you can enrich your customer's lives. | | | | 4. Make it easy for clients to give you referrals |
| Action: At least once a month, take the time to | | | | If you want to get lots of referrals, you must make it |
| communicate to each of your clients and show them | | | | incredibly easy for your clients to tell their friends. Don't |
| you appreciate them. Send them something of value, | | | | expect them to go way out of the way to help you |
| something unexpected, a bonus report, a special piece | | | | grow your business. Make it as simple as possible. |
| of news you just found. Make it relevant to them and | | | | Action: Develop a 'referral package' that you give to |
| do it regularly. | | | | your clients. Ask your clients to be an ambassador for |
| 2. Create an exceptional experience each time they | | | | your business as you wish to work with people similar |
| deal with you or your company | | | | to them. The package would include a letter explaining |
| If you can make doing business with you an | | | | why referrals are important to you, and a series of |
| exceptional experience, your clients will want to tell a | | | | referral cards that your client can give out to others. |
| lot of people. People want amazing experiences! | | | | Present it professionally and it will hold more value, |
| Here is an example: There is a Life Coach in Brisbane | | | | more worth. |
| who has a special relationship with a city coffee shop. | | | | 5. Ask at the right time! |
| Once every 8 weeks he invites his clients to a 'brains | | | | When is the best time to ask for referrals? Any time! |
| trust' meeting and the coffee and cake is on the | | | | If you have followed the steps listed above...you've let |
| house. Every client that attends gets a card and a | | | | clients know they are appreciated, you've made |
| voucher from the coffee shop owner to say 'Thank | | | | dealing with you an exceptional experience, you give |
| you for joining us today, we would love to see you | | | | them an incentive to share your message with friends |
| again soon'. The voucher is a 'buy one get one free' | | | | and you make it easy for them to do so...you can ask |
| coffee voucher. So they are encouraged to come | | | | for referrals at any time. |
| back again. And because the coffee shop owner is | | | | Action: The key is to do something now. Draft up a |
| exposing his business to potential new clients the | | | | letter or e-mail today and just send it off to your clients |
| coach pays just cost price on the coffee and cake his | | | | letting them know how much you value them, who |
| clients eat. Normally about 8 clients attend and the cost | | | | much you have enjoyed working with them in the past |
| is around $30. Just a little extra touch can make | | | | and include something that is going to be helpful, useful |
| dealing with your business that much more of an | | | | for them to use, read or understand. Then over the |
| exceptional experience! | | | | next 4 to 6 weeks develop your 'referral package' and |
| Action: What can you do now to add little things that | | | | start to use it. Take yourself out of your comfort zone |
| make an exceptional experience? Perhaps you can | | | | and take action....because if you don't someone will and |
| use the above example or something similar. | | | | what will that mean to your business in the years to |
| Remember, start creating exceptional experiences | | | | come. |
| today. | | | | |