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How to Create the Ultimate Referral Marketing System
Sunday, Aug 10, 2008 at 1:52 PM (Public Entry)
By John Jantsch It’s funny how often small business owners tell me that the number one way they acquire new business is by way of referral. Yet, when I ask what they do to intentionally stimulate this powerful marketing strategy, I get blank stares. If you’re doing something right in your business, you will get the accidental referral but, by creating a systematic approach to consistently generating referrals, you will find that your job of marketing and selling can become a pretty simple affair. The following seven steps constitute the core components used to build an effective referral marketing system for your business. Step #1 - Create a referral target market(s) – you must create a target list of companies and individuals who can be motivated to refer. This can be clients or a network of related businesses. In many cases you will find a certain percentage of your clients already refer some business. Tap these sources first, create tools to make it easy for them to refer you, ask them what would motivate them to refer more business. Don’t spend your time and energy trying to create a referral program that everyone will buy into. Some people are just wired to give referrals – focus on that group Step #2 – Identify your ideal referral client – In order to receive high quality referrals you must be able to quickly communicate the exact type of person or business that makes a great referral. Skip this step and you will likely find yourself on too many wild goose chases with referrals that don’t fit your ideal target client. Step #3 – Create and communicate your core referral message – you must be able to easily explain the value you can bring to anyone who is referred. For example, a marketing and branding expert for professional services might tell an attorney, “We show estate attorneys how to become famous,” as a way to simply communicate how they are unique. It’s important that your referral sources know what makes you unique, what your brand has to offer that a referral might value most. Step #4 – Design a referral education system – When you meet with a potential referral source you can substantially increase the number and quality of referrals if you systematically educate them on: Who makes a great referral, what’s in it for them to provide a referral, how to refer you, and the exact steps you plan to take with that referral. Taking the time to educate your referral sources is a great way to differentiate your business from the hoards of other businesses that are probably courting them are referral sources as well. Step #5 – Outline your referral lead offer and system – this is the heart and soul of the system. This is where you devise the creative offer that makes people want to refer you. Spend some time to craft a creative approach to motivate your referral sources. Money for referrals is rarely the best approach. Motivate your sources with recognition, thanks and contests. Example: Earn a 100 percent refund on your tax return preparation when you refer 4 people who become clients.” Step #6 – Create a referral conversion strategy – what good are referral leads if they don’t become referral clients? You must map out a specific set of steps that will allow you to convert your referral leads. A referred lead is a warm lead, but in some cases, they may actually have higher expectation, due to the referral. Make sure that your initial marketing materials, meetings and sales process meet those expectations or you may find that the referral tap gets turned off. Remember, you are borrowing the trust a referral has with the referral source, don’t abuse it. Step #7 – Identify a referral follow-up strategy – to bring your referral system full circle you need to devise two follow-up steps. 1) a way to continue to market to your referral leads that don’t immediately turn into clients and 2) a way to systematically communicate the progress of a referral back to your referral sources to keep them motivated. I find that often it makes sense to create several ways to reward your referral sources. Acknowledge them in some way as they refer leads and then again, in a more significant way, as a lead becomes a client. This way you consistently communicate how much you appreciate their support on your behalf. Take the time to complete the steps outlined above and then operate your referral marketing system week in and week out and you will soon discover a steady flow of highly qualified leads, already aware of the value you can provide, seeking to do business with your firm. ---Source: John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide published by Thomas Nelson. He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system. You can find more information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com How to Make Your Fitness Bootcamp Stand Out in the Crowd
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 at 8:27 PM (Public Entry)
These days, it seems that there are fitness bootcamps everywhere you look. Even weekly classes in a gym are now being referred to as fitness bootcamps because it’s the new trendy buzz word. So what you do to make sure that your bootcamp does not become lost in this media circus?
If you have been in the fitness business for any length of time, you will know it all comes down to fitness marketing, but not just any fitness marketing – it has to be innovative, fresh .. not the same as everyone else. The first thing you should decide is what niche to promote your bootcamp too (actually you should decide on this aspect before you design your fitness bootcamp really, as you will see in a moment). I know it’s tempting to be all things to everyone but that’s what a whole lot of other fitness professionals are doing so here is your first chance to stand out from the crowd. There is another great reason for specializing as well as it makes it much easier to find the best places to advertise as well. Let’s look at a couple of examples. Perhaps you have designed your bootcamp for agility, then you could target local athletic teams through visiting the local running track or local high scolls or colleges. Maybe your fitness bootcamp is for mothers who have just had babies and want lose a little weight. You could frequent baby accessory and clothes shops or even place a few strategically placed leaflets at the local maternity wards! You potential clients are more likely to choose your bootcamp if you can get them to remember you. You know the saying ‘nothing in life is for free’? Well, that’s one myth you can explode by offering a free Saturday workout for people in your local town. Once they see how you would conduct your bootcamp you can get them hooked to attend everyday. Best of all they will remember you! More and more people are using the internet to search for ways to get fit and there is a variety of ways that you can get your bootcamp in front of these searchers – writing articles, creating a mini video about your bootcamp and blogging about it to name a few(hint). The best internet fitness marketing tip I know is you can also find websites dedicated to the niche (and geographical location) you have decided to advertise to and you can contact these website owners and see if they would promote your fitness bootcamp for a commission and attract new clients that way. A fitness business should definitely take advantage of what fitness marketing avenues the internet opens up for them especially as only a small proportion of fitness professionals presently use it to advertise their classes and bootcamps – see it as another chance to stand out from the crowd. Georgette Pann Sure Victory Bootcamp Kit: http://thefitnessbootcamp.com How to Get Great Ideas for Your Fitness Bootcamp
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 at 4:13 PM (Public Entry)
There are fitness bootcamp workouts for everyone! After just a little browsing on the subject of bootcamps I came across bootcamps for new moms, athletes, kids, teachers, police and more. Then their were others that were run military style or equipment specific,such as band camps, kettlebelle camps, and even a bootcamp for dogs! So if you are ever at loss for ideas for fitness bootcamp business ideas just browse on the internet should have your mind buzzing with ideas in no time.
There are hundreds or resources on the internet which you can get ideas from. My first point of call would be searching ‘fitness boot camp’ on YouTube. This is a great source as you will immediately be able to see what videos are really popular and get a whole array of ideas for your own fitness bootcamp workouts. Just to let you know that six pack abs and bikini ready bodies feature quite often on these videos. Weight loss is indeed a major reason why people go on fitness bootcamps Playing to peoples’ positive emotions will win you customers i.e. ‘Become a ‘Buff Bride’ would attract more people than ‘if you get any fatter, you’ll never get a man’.  Actually this idea of targeting a select clientele with a specific purpose is also a great fitness marketing tip. I know it’s very tempting to be all things to everyone and have a large target market but it is actually easier if you have a specific niche to decide where you want to advertise. The market for fitness bootcamps is still wide open and with plenty of scope for new bootcamp ideas. Look around you all the time for target markets and decide what exercises would be best for them,the most fun or challenging. One such idea popped into my head when I was thinking about my schooldays. Why not create fitness bootcamp workouts based, around playground games? You know the ones, like dodge ball, catch, tag,and other such games. Market it as a trip down memory lane and advertise on reunion type websites like Friends Reunited,Meet Up,or Facebook All it takes is a unique idea some innovative fitness marketing and your fitness bootcamps will be extremely popular! Georgette Pann Sure Victory Bootcamp Kit: http://thefitnessbootcamp.com |
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