Using a referral program for your business
If you’re considering using a referral program for your business, you’ll want to better understand how these elements of a strategic business plan work.
educate employees
One of the best ways to start implementing this type of plan is to get your employees fully involved. Employees often simply don’t know where to look for prospects or how to convince them to agree to become a new referral. Provide your employees with a set of reference tools to guide them on how to best approach potential consumers and help them avoid learning through a trial-by-error process that can cost you valuable references.
Create videos of your team
When a picture is worth 1000 words, a video can be priceless. Create a short, casual video that helps provide a powerful complement to your stories. You can have a hiring manager determine who may be the best candidates for your video excerpt, who can share the exciting possibilities of being a reference or a referrer for your company.
Develop a Powerful Referral Slogan
Often a referral program will have a compelling tagline. However, very few of them are memorable. Yes, it may be worth the investment to get the assistance of a professional marketer to help you create the most compelling sales slogan. The best slogans are those that help ensure maximum impact.
Provide an inventory of stories
Many potential consumers are forced to learn more about the business in which they can invest their time or money. Be sure to provide a powerful referral-gathering tool for your company. Your first step will be to develop your story. Put it in an “About” section on your website or profile. Share it on Wiki or create a website just for your story. Make sure your story provides your business focus, best practices, and history. Your goal is to provide employees with access to a wealth of information about your company and its history.
Offer a buddy program
Employees can be the best salespeople even if they don’t have backgrounds that give them direct experience selling products or services. If you ask your employees and encourage them to become referral volunteers, you could have the best referral program workers. People are often surprised to hear hourly employees espousing the benefits of their products and services, and sometimes this can have a huge impact on those who may have been sitting on the fence before.
Answer the tough questions
If you work in a competitive industry, you may have consumers responding with questions when you start praising what your business has to offer. Be prepared in advance. Get to know your business and its facts, statistics and selling power. Don’t be afraid to tackle the toughest questions with good, honest answers.
Using a referral program to generate more revenue for your business is a solid method of increasing your bottom line and providing your business with consumers who have a predetermined level of trust in your offerings.