Referrals and Testimonials. What are they? Why do I need them?

Are you using referrals and testimonials as part of your business development strategy?   You’re not? Then this blog is for you.  If you’ve been to any networking events recently, whether online, or in person you’ve probably heard people talking about and thanking others for the referrals they’ve received.

Testimonial

What is a testimonial?  It is a statement from someone who has used your services and wants to tell others how satisfied they are and what a difference you made to them.

You can use the testimonial in your marketing, if someone is not sure about working with you, the fact that other people have and have been happy enough to actually put pen to paper so to speak, will carry weight in their decision making process.

It is important to have a process for obtaining testimonials.  They are well worth the effort, they can be used on your social media, website and marketing, they demonstrate your value to prospective clients.

You could ask for a testimonial, at the end of a project when the client is happy and the work you’ve done for them is fresh in their mind.

Maybe you’ve been working together for a long time and they drop you an email to say thank you for a particular piece of work that you’ve done, or tell you verbally during a meeting; get them to put it down in writing and you’ve got a testimonial you can use.

I usually ask for a testimonial by email, a few sentences saying what it’s like to work with my business.  They don’t need to be long, 3 or 4 sentences is perfect.

Referrals

What is a referral?  Someone you know, like and trust and feels the same about you introduces you to someone else they know like and trust, who may well have a need for your product, or service.

So where  do you start when it comes to referrals?  Your starting point should be for you to put together a list of the businesses and contacts that you think might be willing to be a referral  partner.  This list is likely to include customers, past and present, businesses that you’ve been a customer of and even competitors.  Also, people who are fishing in the same pond as you – same target market.  When you put the list together also think carefully about whether there might be opportunities for you to work collaboratively (together with the same client).

The information you will both need to be effective referral partners:-

  • Who is your ideal client? Be really clear and specific, the more information you can give each other the easier it will be for you both to refer people.
  • How should we describe what you do? How do you like your business / product / service to be described?
  • How will you follow up with the referrals I send you? What’s your referral follow up process.  Remember, your referral partners reputation is also at stake here.
  • What do people say about your business? This is where testimonials are great.

Developing a referral network takes time and results will not happen overnight.  Take the time to nurture your contacts and you’ll be surprised where your relationships will lead.   Have regular catchup sessions so you keep up to date with how best you can help each other.

A personal introduction is far warmer than other types of marketing.

Need help developing a referral strategy for your business?  Then give me a call on 07952 112432, or Click here to send me an email to arrange a Free 121  session.