Referral marketing works all by itself. But it needn't exist in a vacuum. If you bolster your marketing capabilities in other areas as well, you can make yourself more referable and also improve your closing ratio with the referrals you get.
Take becoming an author. In a new report, The Business Impact of Writing a Book, RainToday.com considers whether or not this time-consuming activity actually provides tangible financial results. "We surveyed 200 professionals across industries who have themselves written a book, or books," the report's authors write, "in order to answer that all-important question, 'Is the investment in blood, sweat, and tears worth it to my practice?' Our conclusion: a definite and resounding 'Yes!'.... 96% of authors reported that publishing a business book affected their practice either 'Positively' (49%) or 'Extremely positively' (47%)."
You can imagine the referral benefits of having a book with your name on it. For example, when one of Mark Colgan's clients tells her mother or friend about him, she can say, "Mark is a real expert in the financial issues of widows. He's even written a book on the subject" (free registration required). In this situation, you benefit from both the "credibility glow" of the referral and the additional credibility of being a published author.
A book can also be a door-opener with referred prospects. Prospects are often happy to provide contact information if it means they can get a free copy of something valuable, especially something as substantial as a book. And of course, a book helps in myriad other ways too, as the report examines in detail.
Maybe writing a book isn't for you. But do give some thought to what clients will use to help bolster your credibility when they talk about you. Perhaps it's an article, a column in the local paper, a tv or radio appearance, a good brochure with your name on it, or even just a few good stories about similar clients you've helped (free registration required on all).
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