Referrals can be one of the best ways to grow a business without having to spend much. In some cases they won’t cost you anything at all. With this low cost source of potential revenue at their disposal, it’s a wonder as to why more businesses aren’t making use of referrals. It may be because many businesses feel uncomfortable asking for them, but the trick is knowing how and when to ask for referrals so that you don’t come across as being pushy or annoying.

Here are two easy ways to get more referrals for your business right away:

Existing Clients

You can start by asking for referrals only from your regular clients that are already happy with your service or product. You already have a source of referrals, and they are your existing customers. Treat your existing customers well, give them an experience they can’t forget, and they will talk about your business. There is nothing like happy customers advertising for your business. The word of mouth from a client to a friend or family member is a very effective marketing tool

By creating some kind of loyalty reward program you can stay in touch with your customers and be able to send them thank you and birthday/ Christmas/ gift cards or weekly discount vouchers. This way they become a part of your community, a relationship develops as you learn more about them and how to help them solve their problem, and they learn more about your business.

You can leverage technology to help with this. By using tools like social media or a blog you can continue to build that customer relationship by offering them free solutions and ideas to solve any related problems they might have.

New Clients

Make a habit of new asking customers for feedback and reviews on how your product or service has helped them, and keep score. Don’t be afraid to ask them what you need to do in order for them to consider telling someone else about your business.

When new customers buy from you can also send them a thank you email in which you could include a discount gift code. That’s to say you appreciate them for choosing your product or service from the variety of choices they had. You might also consider giving potential customers a free trial of your product or service so as to generate a potential referral.

When you ask your customers for referrals, make sure the process is quick and easy. You should show them how to do it and give them a choice as to how they would like to refer you. For example you can let them know they can also give testimonials as a form of review/referral.

The aim is to create a continuous funnel of customers going through your referral program at all times. Each customer may be at a different stage of their journey with your business, so the programme has to be customised to each customer depending on where they are.

Don’t be afraid to ask them what you need to do in order for them to consider telling someone else about your business. Make it a habit to ask customers for feedback and reviews on how your product or service has helped them, and don’t forget to keep score.

In summary in order to increase the number of referral your business gets, it may be worth setting up a formal referral program for both new and existing customers. This would also involve training all relevant staff so that they are aware of how to deal with referrals when they occur.