These steps are taken from the Referral Flood Marketing Program. Referral Flood is an insider’s shortcut to referral marketing and features over 4 hours of audio training, 54 real-world referral marketing systems, and a host of referral marketing tools, letters, postcards and forms.
Step #1 – Create a referral target market(s) – you must create a target list of companies and individuals who can be motivated to refer. This can be clients or a network of related businesses.
Step #2 – Identify your ideal referral client – In order to receive high quality referrals you must be able to quickly communicate the exact type of person or business that makes a great referral.
Step #3 – Create and communicate your core referral message – you must be able to easily explain the value you can bring to anyone who is referred. “We show estate attorneys how to become famous.”
Step #4 – Design a referral education system – When you meet with a potential referral source you can substantially increase the number and quality of referrals if you systematically educate them on: Who makes a great referral, what’s in it for them to provide a referral, how to refer you, and the exact steps you plan to take with that referral
Step #5 – Outline your referral lead offer and system – this is the heart and soul of the system. This is where you devise the creative offer that makes people want to refer you. Example: Earn a 100% refund on your tax return preparation when you refer 4 people who become clients.”
Step #6 – Create a referral conversion strategy – what good are referral leads if they don’t become referral clients? You must map out a specific set of steps that will allow you to convert your referral leads. What do you do with a lead when the phone rings?
Step #7 – Identify a referral follow-up strategy – to bring your referral system full circle you need to devise two follow-up steps.
1) a way to continue to market to your referral leads that don’t immediately turn into clients and
2) a way to systematically communicate the progress of a referral back to your referral sources to keep them motivated.
John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide published by Thomas Nelson – due out in the fall of 2006 He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system. You can find more information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com
