Easy Small Business Tip: Word-of-Mouth Referrals
Tags: Entrepreneurship, Queer Business, Business Coach, Marketing, Small Business Marketing

As a small business coach, I often work directly with people looking for how to get started in their business. We’re usually talking logistics: website, branding, social media accounts, service offerings etc.

And many of my blog posts cater to the new business owner, because I know those folks are the ones googling “Do I create a second twitter just for my brand?” — and I write for them! But I also write for the perhaps more established entrepreneur thinking about client retention and looking for ways to get feedback.

So, let’s talk about that.

Photo by Pavan Trikutam on Unsplash

Word-of-Mouth Referrals

When I think of word-of-mouth referrals, I immediately think about in-person shopping. I think about products, talking to people face-to-face, in some shop, discussing a product or service. In my family we have a running joke that none of us have “ever met a stranger” because we are able to strike up a conversation (and are often distantly related to // went to school with) just about anyone.

But word of mouth referral is more than the scenario described above. It’s about access, trust, and relationships. When people are looking for recommendations, they’re looking for familiar names, people they know, that they vibe with. That’s who they’re going to buy from, eventually.

So how do you let people know you’ve got something their friends may be interested in? As a coach, when clients come to talk with me about ways to create and foster those relationships with clients (because odds are you’re not Marie Kondo, who famously has never had a client come back again since her methodology is incredibly sound, and folks will be back for more of what you’ve got: products, services, etc), we start with the basics:

What does your client onboarding look like?

Where do you allow a client to give feedback during their experience with you?

Is this a survey? A form? A questionnaire?

Where do you share client feedback publicly (reviews)?

If your answer to any of the above questions is “I don’t” — then good news, you’re not alone! Business owners are often focused on the funnel — bringing in new clients, which is very important — don’t get me wrong! But with client referrals, you’re building a community, a hype train for YOU and it starts with you showing people how they can show up for you.

Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash

It may happen organically, people sharing public reviews on social media (I love to do this since I love to share fun products and services I’m trying out) — but for others, a prompt like a follow up survey, or even a “have any feedback? Drop me a note — I’d love to hear from you,” in your confirmation email opens a door, hell, even just a window for that connection.

Business coaches have to be good communicators — it’s part of what draws us to coaching to begin with. So for me, sharing reviews is a natural part of the process when I try out a new service or product I’m trying. But your clients might not follow this train of thought train — they may finish a service or purchase with you and have a really positive experience, and it might not occur to them they can share that.

Business owners understand that reviews and feedback means more clients, more sales. A review from a human that’s not you for your business provides that word-of-mouth relationship, even if it’s over social media or on google. When folks take the time to share about their experiences, the people who are scoping you out are going to read those reviews.

I love love love when small businesses include a note or card in their product sales that encourages me to share their products on social media and tag them — this is a low cost, low effort way to remind people that sharing is caring!

On the service offering side of things, when clients take the time to share positive feedback with you, it’s always important to ask permission to share — those reviews can be shared, with consent, across social media platforms, and even take a permanent spot on your website under the exact service offering they’re reviewing.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

This creates a chain reaction of referrals: people see your clients reviewing your products or services, and are encouraged to do the same — which encourages their circle to engage with your business and potentially brings new clients to your website!

What should your first step be?

Establish how you want to encourage clients to engage with you:

will you create a type of business card with the words “Please tag @yourbizhandlehere on instagram if you share your purchase!” or

will you ask to share a snippet of a positive email a client shared after they purchased a service from you to socials?

Choosing which of these best fits your business model — and then strategizing how you can create this feedback mechanism, and ultimately score those word-of-mouth referrals is what business coaching is all about!

Photo credit: Violet Foulk Photography

Wanna pick my brain about encouraging word-of-mouth referrals?

I’ve got a coaching website just for that! Check out www.itsjustliz.com for more info!