With each referral program, you must remember that you want this to do one thing, very well. A referral letter is the “next best thing” to having a personal referral, without that person knowing who will be reading their letter. This can be simple or complex, depending on your needs – as long your broadcast message is clear, then having several is a good strategy.
Every major website out there now has referral letters available to them, called testimonials. We have people who have written in to rave about a product – doesn’t sound like a big deal, does it? Way over 60% of purchasers have said that they 1) read user generated comments or testimonials and 2) that their decisions have being based on these writings or comments. This is the main reason that many businesses spend large amounts on customer satisfaction and client follow-up.
With the current economic downturn, it’s no wonder that there is a high demand for these programs. Using this strategy has become so necessary that it’s worth mentioning again, briefly.
Ensure the sales process goes smoothly and to your clients satisfaction; follow up, each and every step of the way. When you’re assured of their satisfaction, then ask for a referral – or ask for a referral letter, depending on the product or service you are offering.
It’s in areas where your company’s offerings are not in a wide demand setting that referral letters will come into play best, as not everyone has the connections to know someone who absolutely will want your product, but if they’re satisfied with your performance, there’s no reason that they shouldn’t give you a referral letter. Knowing what these can do for your company, it’s one of those things that should be drummed into all staff – to ask for a referral, be it direct or as a letter.
Having testimonials on hand to allow prospects to review an honest assessment by a previous client of your product or service will reinforce that your business holds its quality standards high. Taking into consideration the effect the referral letter has on sales is not easy and it’s incredibly hard to find metrics to back it up, but it is a known fact that our opinions do affect others, however trivial they may seem to us at the time, and that this influence has a huge impact on every sales arena.
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