“The best customer service I’ve ever had”,

“They helped me find exactly what I needed”

“I’d definitely recommended them”

We can all agree these kind of reviews are music to our ears. Achieving such positive reviews is every business’ goal because we know that  good referrals have a huge impact on future potential customers and therefore business growth. But, the truth is, not every client is willing to give a referral.

According to The Texas Tech University:

So, if you are already providing excellent customer service you might wonder what does it take for a customer to take that next step?

Here are our top 3 tips to motivating customers to rave about how wonderful your business is. Whether they do it via word of mouth or online – you must make sure you are mastering these areas to increase your probability of getting a well earned referral!

1. Ensure your client is getting a benefit for referring!

Customers need to feel that when they invest time and money into your business they are winning something meaningful in exchange.

Only then will they tell their friends –or other people- about you.  For them to put their name on the line, they have to be certain that others will also gain by being your clients too, and as a result, their reputation will be maintained.

It might be an economic gain (like finding a good deal or a bargain), filling a specific need they have, or the simple joy of finding something unique that they’ll be excited to tell others about.

The advantage, whatever it might be, has to go together with trust. They will not refer you to others if they think you are likely to let their friends down or if in the back of their minds there’s any doubt about your service . At the end of the day, it’s a risk for them and their reputation too. A personal recommendation is an act of trust, so give them the peace of mind they need to do it freely.

2. They feel a sense of belonging

Your customers will be more likely to promote your business if they think it’s something that expresses who they are, a place to share with their friends, or that it represents their values ideas and belief systems.

Make your brand so cool and authentic that they’ll be proud to be your customers and share it with their nearest and dearest. Consumers in today’s age like to interact with businesses who they can identify with. Make your consumers feel a sense of belonging and that will go a long way to getting them comfortable with sharing your services with their networks.

3. Reciprocity

Another often overlooked area for driving referrals is the act of Reciprocity. Sometimes a business can provide such an exceptional product or service that a client is left feeling almost a guilt of not sharing this with their networks. In other words, the value you delivered to that customer was so exceptional that they feel they owe it to you to share!

Loyal customers will be more than willing to promote your business because you have already given them so much.

It might never have crossed your mind to ask anything in return for your great service, but asking for a referral after delivering an amazing customer experience will lead to tremendous results.

So, guide them! One of the biggest reasons customers don’t refer a business is because they simply don’t know how to, or they are never prompted to.

Help them with this. Give them a specific topic to share with others – like a discount or promotion which they could share with their networks. This provides them with the reason to reach out to their friends and family.

Driving referrals is critical for any business from retail to software providers. The act of asking for a referral is a challenging request. Oftentimes, staff members can be reluctant to ask customers for a referral – either because they are scared to face rejection or they don’t want to disturb their customers.

Help eliminate this unpredictability. GroHawk can help gather feedback and request feedback from your raving fans in real time after each interaction with your business.

Arrange your free demo today to find out how GroHawk can help you drive referrals today.