If you’ve been in the business for quite some time you know full well how important getting referrals are. To most contractors, referrals make up the majority of their projects – this saves them a lot of time and money when it comes to marketing and advertising their companies. Of course, getting your customers to send prospects your way isn’t always easy, so we compiled the top five strategies to get more referrals for your home services business.
- Provide Exceptional Service
Naturally, for your customers to rave about your business to others, you must provide them with services that exceed their expectations. Some ways to give stellar experience to your clients include:
• Keeping in constant communication with your clients. Always keep the lines of communication open. Be honest about what’s happening with the project and also truly listen to their concerns and opinions to show them that you care.
• Be proactive. Anticipate any possible issues and be sure to provide solutions as they arise.
• Give a satisfaction guarantee so your customers feel they’re in control of the project, and that they can rely on you to solve issues when they’re not 100% happy with the completed work.
- Stay in Touch
Keeping in touch with your client doesn’t end when a project is completed. It will help you establish a good relationship with your customer if you check in with them from time to time. Ask them how they are doing and how is your work with them holding up. Staying in touch will keep you top of their minds when someone they know would require your services.
- Refer to Other Pros
Sometimes you would run into a lead that doesn’t really fall under the scope of the services you provide. This situation allows you to refer the services of other trust-worthy contractors within your network. Referring to other pros will help establish a good relationship with your peers, who can, in turn, put in a good word for you and also send referrals your way.
- Give Incentives for Referrals
Having a referral program in place is a great way to get a steady stream of possible clients down your pipeline. An example would be utilizing your existing email list to send out an offer for a discount on your services or a gift card for every referral.
- Don’t be Afraid to Ask
What’s the simplest way to get referrals? Ask! Especially if you think that you’ve provided high-quality service to a client, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to refer you to their family and friends.
Take note, however, that timing is essential when asking your clients for referrals. You want to do this after the project is fully completed.
Don’t be afraid to ask them simply if they know someone who would benefit from the services that you offer. It’s OK if you don’t get a referral right away, what’s important is that you’ve opened the possibility of them referring your company in the future.
There is no single formula when it comes to gaining more referrals, but these winning strategies – providing excellent service, networking, and staying in touch with your clients, will surely help you capture more leads for your home services business.
