Word of mouth, recommendation and references. Each business I’ve worked with has, quite rightly, held their level of Customer advocacy as a key objective. But take this a little further and think about what you actually want to be recommended for.
For many businesses the majority of recommendations happen in the first month. This is understandable when someone is admiring the builders handy-work on their neighbours new extension, however is a little surprising when a Customer has not yet experienced the service they are recommending, for example in the financial services industry.
In the most part these Customers are recommending a price point, a rate or competitive premium. Don’t get me wrong these are still great leads, probably achieved at a low cost, but you may find these “recommended” customers behave very differently to those attracted by your real advocates.
So value these leads but don’t just see these volumes and stop looking for ways to create real “talk about factors” for your business. If you pride yourself on your businesses service, expertise or design skills, keep striving for ways to deliver these - consistently. Aim to create a memory for a Customer, a story that they will continue to tell for far longer than when their paperwork is filed in the kitchen drawer.
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