Coaching Tools to help Coaches Get More Coaching Clients. Suzan Schmitt: The Coach Marketer

Grow Your Coaching Business with Referrals and a Referral Program

March 11, 2010

All small businesses need a referral system. In internet marketing we call it an affiliate program and in most service businesses it is call a referral program.

You can and should encourage your customers and clients to bring customers to your business. Satisfied customers are happy to help you grow your business by referring you to others but they will not think about doing so on their own.

You must ask them and offering a reward does not hurt either. Think about how much you enjoy it when a business gives you something in response for supporting their growth by making a referral.

The Power of a Referral
You can talk about how great you are all day long but nothing speaks louder than when someone else talks about how wonderful you are. A great referral is a powerful resource that can sway almost any customer. It is hard to beat a testimonial or a referral from a customer that has experienced your services and had a great experience that they want to share.

A satisfied customer singing your praises to another customer is perhaps the most compelling forms of advertising you can get and it is free! The referral cycle is self perpetuating because the person that gives your business a referral becomes invested in the success of your business so they are likely to give more referrals and referrals have a far higher sales rate than cold calls. There is no better way to increase sales without increasing expenses than referral marketing.

Plan to Get Referrals
You must have a plan in order to get referrals at a high rate. Great customer service is essential to getting referrals but it will not insure referrals. Building your businesses referral rate requires planning, strategy and tactics.

Many coaches assume that when their clients see results that they will want to refer them to others but that is not how it works. You must encourage customers to make referrals for you. They may not have thought of referring you to someone else until you ask. Once a satisfied customer is aware that you would like them to help you and your business with referrals they are usually more than happy to do so.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it is an idea that will pop into their mind without you asking for the referral and having a plan to make it easy for them to refer you.

Related posts:

1. Get New Coaching Clients: With Networking that Works
2. Life Coaching Tools: Focus on New Ways to Help Your CLients to Grow Your Coaching Business
3. 3 Must Do Ways to Grow Your Coaching Business Fast
4. Power Up Your Coaching Business with a Power Team
5. Get Coaching clients Without Sellling

Filed under: Increaseing Coaching Income

Tags: affiliate, coaching, referral marketing