I’ve often been asked, “what is the top thing I can do to market my program?” And the answer is very basic: improve your customer/client satisfaction. The number one source of new clients should be referrals.
Your best customers are the ones that LOVE your business. Do you know who they are? Are you collecting information that tells you who they are? And it doesn’t need to be scientific data you’re collecting. There are numerous simple tactics to identify who these individuals are – and here is ONE reason to invest time into social media.
There have been many gimmicks over the years to try to increase referrals – the easiest being gifts, cash or gift cards. I am here to tell you – that is a BAD idea. Your best referrals come from clients who are truly dedicated to you; believe in the power of your brand with all of the their heart.
You need to identify these individuals, find out what it is you are doing to make them feel that way, and then determine how to replicate it more often. If it is because of the efforts of a single team member, you need to find a way to mimic those efforts.
The biggest mistake I’ve seen year after year from colleagues and competitors is to over-think the issue and try to establish elaborate, over-arching plans to address satisfaction. You can get valuable results without the time and money spent on those plans. Start small, evaluate and then take the next step. Larger plans take longer, are more likely to fail and generally are less likely to be completed.
The best victories are often small victories.
