Increase Your Sales Team
In any business you need to have sales, and in order to have sales you need to have people who know about you and are interested in what you have to offer. It is for this reason that sales and marketing often get a disproportionate amount of attention in most businesses. They provide the lifeblood that is needed for the organisation to exist - cash flow and profit.
Generating high quality leads is the objective of the marketing department and converting these leads into sales is the role of the sales team. The more proficient a company is at doing this the better the return on investment from sales and marketing efforts. One of the single most effective ways of increasing conversion rates is to enlist the support of previous happy customers. They know you, trust you and have had a great experience with you. It is very likely that as they have been dealing with you, particularly if it's a larger project or larger expense - like a house, car, kitchen, new carpets or a new piece of machinery for their business, they will be speaking to their friends and colleagues about it. If these people were thinking of making a similar purchase it is very likely they would think favourably of you. This is where testimonials, referrals and case studies can make a significant impact on effectiveness in marketing and sales.
Many people miss out on this opportunity simply because they do not build it into their sales process. When we are deliberate and intentional around enlisting our customers we are able to then, in effect, make them part of our sales team because they share with their friends, their colleagues and their family. The trust they have created in those relationships is then transferred across to your product, service and team through their recommendation.
How often do you ask customers if they know anybody else who might have the same needs as them, or if they know anybody else whom you might be able to serve? How many case studies have you created from your last 30 interactions? If a client wanted to connect with a previous customer do you have a bank of names that you can call on so that potential new clients can speak to raving fans?
When a customer has had a really good experience with you, they are often more than happy to share insights about their experience and do not expect any reward. You can, of course, send them a little thank you if somebody does choose to go ahead with you. A little tip if you do decide to do this: make sure that for every person they refer who goes ahead they are similarly acknowledged - consistency is incredibly important. When people know that you appreciate their efforts and referrals they are more likely to give you more, and this is the easiest way to grow your sales team.
