By Brade Yoho, Dave Yoho Associates
Ask any in-home salesperson to identify their preferred lead source and the answer is almost always the same—referrals. So why doesn’t the average home improvement company get more referrals? For the most part, there is a lukewarm application of modern techniques to generate them.
Developing a Modern Referral Program
- Monitor the successes and failures of your referrals as you would any other lead source.
- Ask new customers for four-five prospects (family, friends, co-workers and neighbors).
- Extend your referral program to all employees.
- Seek out referrals by networking with business owners and executives from other industries.
- Personalize your offers through every touchpoint.
- Incorporate automated email, text campaigns and social media messaging to follow up.
- Create a landing page where your customers can quickly refer someone.
- Send out reminders to customers when the project begins. Follow up with powerful scripting via phone, email and text after the job is completed in 30-, 60- and 90-day increments. You can obviate the “Do Not Call” requirements by getting permission in writing or on your website.
- Get creative with incentives, and reward customers who refer multiple people with higher-value offerings such as gift cards, charitable donations, modern technological products and weekend trips.If you are a smaller company and don’t have the manpower to implement these steps, leverage the knowledge base of industry providers such as gFour Marketing Group, which has a defined track record of implementing profitable referral programs.
Your program is working if the number of referrals you receive an increase on a month-to-month basis. Create monthly, quarterly and annual incentives for representatives who sell the most referral leads.
Many of our clients sell 20-30% of their volume from referrals with a close rate that is 10-20% higher than other sources.
Remember, you have invested a significant amount of time and money in lead generation efforts. As such, you need to maximize revenue from each of your customers, and a well-developed referral program will help accomplish this goal.
Dave Yoho Associates is one of North America’s largest, oldest, and most successful small business consulting companies. Dave Yoho has appeared in over 100 training videos. He is the author of the best-selling book: "Have a Great Year Every Year" (Oakhill Press). His company developed the sales methods which are used by the most successful people in the in home sales industry.