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The difference between knowing something and doing something about it

Posted on May 3, 2007
Filed Under Marketing, Clients, Findability |

Everyone knows that exercise and eating will make you lose weight! The idea is simple. So why doesn’t everyone do it? The same holds true for marketing and sales. You know referrals cost less than traditional advertising. You know referrals usually create better, more profitable members. So why aren’t you asking for and receiving more referrals?

The answer might be human nature, says Nicole Wicks, president of ReferNow.com – an online referral rewards and customer loyalty marketing service.

“Exercise and eating right requires change. It’s hard work. The same goes with asking for referrals. It takes practice and time to integrate referrals into everything you do, but it works,” said Wicks.

Wicks believes far too many organizations don’t give referrals the attention they deserve.

“You walk into a business and see they offer a cash bounty for referring a friend. This is usually a sign posted near the door or on the front desk. But the the front desk people or the sales guy who signed you up in the first place never mention the program,” she says.

Wicks believes Lifetime Fitness is one of the industry leaders in referral rewards programs.

“Lifetime Fitness has done a great job of taking the risk off the table. When the person who is referring a friend can actually give a discount to the prospective member, everyone wins,” said Wicks. “It gives a prospective member an opportunity to try it. It gives the current member something of value that they can pass along. It is a win-win for everyone.”

Wicks advises new businesses to look at new members AND employees as champions of the brand.

“The people that carry your torch, the people that carry your brand out to the rest of the world are your current customers – so treat them well! Every company should have a program or a system in place to reward the people that are telling the world about you,” said Wicks. “Your members don’t spend their days and nights thinking about your bottom line,” Wicks said. “So it’s okay to ask for referrals and not feel awkward about it. As your product adds value to the member, the number of referrals you receive should increase.”

Wicks believes it does not matter if you ask for referrals before, during or after the sale – the hard work, she explains, is getting the courage to simply ask. “Don’t ask once. Ask again and again and again and I guarantee you’ll grow your business,” Wicks said.

 

www.refernow.com

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