Category listing: June, 2010
Developing A Referral Marketing System
Join us Wednesday for a FREE WEBINAR called “Referrals Happen! Do they for you?” – click the ad above to see how you can choose between 2 different times according to your schedule.
You can see in the ad some of the things we’ll discuss during this webinar – all for FREE! I think when you see what we’ve done to the “marketing funnel”, you’ll see how it all makes perfect sense. I guarantee you’ll leave the webinar with a list of practical suggestions to start trying out and implementing!
One of the things that makes any referral marketing system work is the word “system.” Marketing, just like any other area of your business, benefits greatly when you can look at it in a systematic manner. Instead of reacting, you need to script every aspect of your marketing effort. According to John Jantsch:
A fully functioning referral marketing system includes each of the following components.
- A clear definition of WHO makes a good referral
- A clear definition of WHEN you are going to ask for referrals
- A clear definition of HOW your referral sources should recommend you
- A clear definition of WHAT you are going to do with that referral
- A clear definition of WHY your referral source will recommend you
- A clear definition of a PROCESS to turn each referral into a client
What’s YOUR system? Join us on Wednesday for FREE!
As DFW’s only Duct Tape Marketing Coach, I can offer you a unique bonus! This is a unique link offered by John Jantsch, creator of Duct Tape Marketing and author of the latest best-selling book, ‘The Referral Engine” - John interviews some of the greatest minds in referral marketing! This is worth your time to hear folks like:
- Chris Brogan, coauthor of Trust Agents
- Seth Godin, author of Linchpin
- Guy Kawasaki, cofounder of Alltop
- David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR
- Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com
- Bob Burg, coauthor of The Go-Giver and Go-Givers Sell More
- Marcy Shinder, vice president, American Express OPEN
In one word, there’s a reason my online consumer review sites should matter to any small business:
REPUTATION
We just recently learned of the passing of the great Coach John Wooden. He is quoted as saying this about “reputation”:
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
This is at the core of who we are as individuals; your character is really more important than worrying what people think about you. However, in the world we live in, especially where consumers are researching businesses online before ever calling you up or trying you out, your online reputation is at least something to be concerned about. While you can’t control what everyone thinks about you, you need to be aware of what is being spewed out online (especially if it is negative).
WHAT IS AN ONLINE REVIEW SITE?
Some of the more popular sites are:
- Yelp
- City Search
- Insider Pages
- Google Places and Yahoo Local
- Merchant Circle
- Angie’s List
There are hundreds of these, especially when you factor in industry-specific review sites (Edmunds.com for automotive, UrbanSpoon.com for restaurants, etc.) Some of the sites, including Angie’s List above, are paid membership sites, so they are not as broadly viewed (although those who are loyal Angie’s List reviewers will often check that list for service professionals first!) Normal everyday consumers get to write pretty much whatever they want about their experience with your business. These sites are growing in popularity and it is part of our culture’s infatuation with our computers! We can get on a write a great review of a book we bought on Amazon.com, or trash a hotel for lousy customer service and bad accomodations. We feel empowered.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:
You cannot influence everyone, but you would not likely want alot of negative reviews about your business for potential customers to see. The problem is, once they are out there, they are likely there to stay (unless you can prove some malicious intent). So for years, negative reviews can haunt you because that’s what online researchers are going to see first. If you are a local mechanic or a pediatric dentist, people are searching online all the time for businesses like yours. If you live in any large metro area, where people don’t know everyone, this is becoming the most popular way to find out about a business. See what others have written about you. That’s a scary place to be: in the hands of amateur reviewers.
If you are in the Colleyville/NRH area, join us on Tuesday for a presentation, “What To Do About Online Reviews?” Hosted by the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce at the DBU Hurst/Colleyville campus, we will discover:
- 5 Ways to Respond if You Get a Negative Review
- Making Online Reviews a Part of Your Referral System
- Develop a Strategy on Getting 5-Star Reviews from Your Customers
RSVP is necessary although it is FREE to attend – see the Chamber site for details!
Make sure you make plans to come hear Randy speak at the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce Brown Bag Seminar next week! Randy will be speaking about strategies you should use to address online reviews and other social media topics including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other word-of-mouth referral techniques.
It’s free to attend but registration is required: lduke@colleyvillechamber.org
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