Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/306984
16 O U T D O O R P O W E R E Q U I P M E N T www.outdoorpower equipment.com W ord-of-mouth is one of the most powerful forms of advertising, but many outdoor power equipment dealers don't have a process in place to generate a constant stream of what many consider the most valuable leads your business receives: referrals. At its core, getting more referrals is quite simple. You simply have to ask for them. There's no need to be shy about asking for referrals; there's nothing pushy about it. Let your customers know you value referrals, which you'll earn by providing excellent products and services. It is also key for you to provide those satisfied customers with clear instructions on the best way to provide you with a referral. In this article, I'll help you develop those instructions with a referral process that starts in store and is supported by your digital marketing initiatives. In store The process of asking for referrals begins on your customer's first visit to your dealership. Ask all customers who visit your dealership how they heard about you. If they were referred by a friend, this gives you an opportunity to reach out to that referring party with a personal thank you. As you close your initial conversation with your new customer, set the expectation that you'll be asking for a referral later in your relationship. "If we do a great job for you — and we're committed to doing just that — will you agree to refer a friend to our dealership?" This approach does two things: It sets your customers' expectations for doing business with your dealership, and it gets them thinking about who they might refer. Upon final delivery of their product or service, your customers are already anticipating that you'll ask them for a referral. If they say no, don't just move on. Use the opportunity to understand if they weren't completely satisfied with their experience, or if they are just reluctant to share their friends' contact information. If the former is true, this gives you an opportunity to mend the relationship, which could ultimately lead to referrals. If the latter is true, you can easily overcome this objection. Print referral cards that offer a discount for new customers. Write your customer's name on the card, and explain that he or she will receive a gift card or the stated reward via email for each referral card that comes in to the dealership. You'll of course need your customer's email address on file to send on these valuable discounts, so be sure to ask for it. emaIl While you'll begin to see a steady trickle of new customers from your in-store initiatives, many customers will put the referral cards in their wallet and leave them there to languish with old receipts and movie ticket stubs. Backing up your in-store efforts with email marketing initiatives can substantially bolster your pipeline of referral leads. A feedback request email is a great way to gently reinforce your in-store referral request while gaining valuable feedback on the customer service experience you offer. This email should link through to a short survey, where you ask customers to rate your staff, share ideas for what would make things better, and give open feedback. One key question that you must include: "Would you refer us to a friend?" Follow that question with optional fields that allow your customer to insert the name, phone number and email of up to three friends. Online vendors like Wufoo 1 and SurveyMonkey 2 offer free basic online survey tools that make creating a survey quick and easy. When you receive a referral from an email campaign or from your in-store initiatives, it is important to reach out with a message FeatUre storY By Heather Blessington Spark word-of-mouth How to boost customer referrals Image ©istockphoto.com/bgblue