Posts Tagged ‘real person’

The best marketing that can ever take place for your business is when one friend recommends your business to another friend. That close bond of trust between two friends cannot be replicated on a large scale. Yet, you can tap into the power of that trust by using the referral.

You do this by helping spread the real stories that real people tell about your business. You can also play a big part in encouraging those stories to be told.

You have doubtless seen ads where real customers tell their stories. Even if you doubt just how real these customer are, there is a good chance that you trust what they are saying a little more because of the perception that they are real. You don’t know the people in the ad, but you can relate to them because they are real.

Why do you have an easier time relating to what a customer is saying about a product than to whatever is coming directly from the company’s marketing department? Here’s why. A marketing department often thinks from inside the company. A real person thinks about how the product or service betters his or her life. In other words, a real person thinks like you or me.

What does all of this mean for your business? Well, for starters, whenever you get the chance, shut up and let happy customers do the talking for you. They will have a very easy time connecting with other potential customers, because they have been in the exact same place. In this way, a customer can often do a better job communicating your message than you can. They speak from a place of trust and focus on the points that are going to matter most to their friends. Often, they will tell friends about you after they hear their friends complain about something or mention a need. They have a relationship and out of that they can provide a recommendation that would be worth gold if it could actually be bought.

Good referrals can’t be bought, by the way. They must be earned. I don’t mind if you offer a reward for referrals, I just don’t think its that useful. If you want consistent referrals, you need to build consistent communication with your customers. You can ask for referrals at the end of a sale if you want. But the fact of life is that people make suggestions through daily interactions. Your customer may not know anyone who needs your product today, but they may have a conversation a year from now where a referral will make perfect sense. Your job is to keep your message fresh in that customer’s mind, even if the sale happened a year ago. You do this by providing useful information via blogs, newsletters, webinars, and more.

Keeping the conversation going is probably the best way to ensure that your story is being spread. You put your effort on keeping the story alive in the minds of your customers and fans. They do the job of spreading the story, one to one.

Since asking for referrals one time is not the most effective thing (you will basically get a list of cold leads), use the capital of trust that you build up during the sale to ask for something else instead. I like to get a few things from the customer. Of those things, a testimonial is an important component. Ask your customers for testimonials that you can use in your marketing. And if you get a great testimonial, take it further by asking to sit down with the customer, record an interview and make a case study out of that relationship.

And there is one more thing that you can ask for at the end of the sale that will help spread your story. Ask your happy customers to post online reviews. Sites like Yelp, Google Maps, and Angie’s List can drive referrals and make it possible for customers to post comments and reviews about your company.

This is a better use of the after the sale ask, because that review or testimonial will be viewed by people who are considering your service. That is the magic of letting customers spread your story. Whether they do it one to many with online reviews and testimonials, or if they are doing one to one referrals, real customers can communicate with real customers and get your message across better than you could ever hope to.

photo credit: hectorir

Recommended Reading

I am constantly on the prowl for good business books. Right now, I am reading Crush It, by Gary Vaynerchuk. I love Gary’s take on passion and business. This book will give you a kick in the butt to get up and get moving as you pursue your passions and your business.

If you are interested in Crush It, you can get it through Amazon by clicking here or by visiting your local bookstore.

Have a Small Business Question? Ask me and I will answer it here – email me with your question now.

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Bradford Shimp is the publisher of All Biz Answers. He is also the co-creator of Idea Anglers, a place to see your ideas come to life through collaboration. Follow on Twitter @bradfordshimp. Let Bradford help you with your business – visit BroadRiverCreative.com

Things have changed so much, they are starting to look familiar. Used to be, when you wanted to buy something, you would buy it from someone you knew. We had local groceries, local hardware stores, local clothing stores, etc. We used to have a relationship with the people we bought from, or at least we knew who they were.

While this has never completely gone away in some sectors, it was mostly replaced by nondescript, non-personal big-box retail. The internet seemed to be the last nail in the coffin to personal relationships between buyer in seller. With the internet, we could buy and sell things without ever leaving our home. Our best chance for communication was with the UPS driver. It was the death knell to local interaction.

But something happened. I don’t know what caused it. Perhaps our DNA just demands interaction, even relationship. I do know that social media, Facebook, Twitter, et al, greased the wheels. Suddenly, the internet which threatened to end relational selling turned on its head. Instead of killing the local experience, it made local global.

People are buying things from people that they know again. Sometimes it is a personal relationship, born not over the back yard fence, but over conversations on Twitter. Other times, it is a different kind of knowing. When I buy wine from Wine Library, its because of Gary Vaynerchuck. I don’t know him, but I feel like I do. He puts himself out there so thousands of people feel like they know him. The same is true of people like Tony Hsieh and Chris Brogan. We are starting to buy products because of the person again.

When I think of the online products that I have bought or used recently, almost all of them are because of an interaction I have had with a real person. I use BatchBook CRM because I chat with Pam and Michelle at #sbbuzz. I know Maria at SmartSheet, which has caused me to use and recommend it. Matt is the co-developer of MemberHub, the best group organization tool there is. I know about it and use it because I met Matt on Twitter and chatted with him on Skype. I find myself moving away from faceless companies and toward companies that have a good product and are accessible.

That’s what local is. It is being able to talk to the owners and key people of small companies. It is being able to recognize and like the people we buy from. It is about communication and relationship.

The new local is not limited by geographic boundaries. The only limit is our involvement. Any business can become local on the internet. It just takes a commitment to communication. Blogs, Twitter, YouTube, these things are not just passing fads. They matter because they are outlets for communication. For business, these tools are essential for breaking down the barriers of communication and helping to build relationships.

Whether you build those relationships one at a time, or thousands at a time, you need to be doing something. You’re buyers aren’t just outside your door anymore. They could be anywhere, but they are all looking for the same thing. Everyone wants connection.

The great thing is that you don’t have to learn any new school of thought. Instead, you need to remember how to be yourself. You need to give your business personality and free up your employees to talk to customers online. The only thing you really need to learn is how to use the web to connect with people. Once you learn that, building relationships hasn’t changed.

People flock to honest, trust-worthy people who give of themselves. Position yourself and your business in a place of trust and expertise. Build relationships with prospects, customers, competitors, and just about anyone. That way, you can be the most respected business in town. Except now your town is the whole world. Think of what that means to your business.

photo credit: milesdeelite

Have a Small Business Question? Ask me and I will answer it here – email me with your question now.

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Bradford Shimp is the publisher of All Biz Answers. He is also the co-creator of Idea Anglers, a place to see your ideas come to life through collaboration. Follow on Twitter @bradfordshimp. Let Bradford help you with your business – visit BroadRiverCreative.com