Tips on the Go: 5 ways to get business referrals
Tips on the Go is a PG Bison series aimed at helping smaller companies who work with our products to improve the way they do business. For many carpentry businesses, the best way to find new jobs is through “word-of-mouth marketing” – where a happy client recommends your work to someone else who then hires your services. These sorts of business referrals cost you nothing, but help you to build your business and line up your next job. That’s why it’s important to try to find ways to get more referrals. In this blog post, we offer five top tips on how to do this.
Carpentry Businesses
- Do excellent work
PG Bison products are top quality, with a wide range of options available to suit every taste. This means that as long as you have listened to the client, addressed their requirements, and completed the job well, they will probably recommend your services.
Customers also expect excellence throughout the quotation and installation processes. If you or your team has made a poor impression, they are more likely to talk about that than how impressed they are with your services. Keep this in mind in all your dealings with the customer and train your team to work neatly. Here are six ways to make a good impression to help you with this.
2. Find ways to stand out
Thanks to the internet and social media, customers are well-informed about the many options available when looking for a contractor. They do their research and weigh up a range of pros and cons before deciding which one to use. This means you need to acknowledge the amount of competition you are up against and make sure your business stands out. What do you offer that your competitors don’t? Once you have found your unique selling point (called a USP), make sure that you emphasise this to your benefit.
For example, maybe you could include cleaning up after a job in your services, so that when you finish installing cupboards, you make sure there’s no dust or mess left behind and the new cabinets look their absolute best. Or perhaps you work with a great plumber and electrician, and you can offer your customer a complete project installation, including lights and plumbing, rather than cabinets only. Think about your customers’ needs and how you can help to solve their problems and use this to develop a strong USP.
3. Build a portfolio
Few customers will hire you without proof of work you’ve done in the past, with many won over by pictures showing previous jobs. Before and after shots can be impressive and encourage a customer to choose you over another business.
Remember to ask all clients for permission before taking pictures of work done and exclude any identifying details that could compromise your customer’s security.
If you have a social media account like a Facebook business page, ask your customer if they will permit you to post these pictures online. Usually, if the customer is happy with their project, they will want to share it, so let them know you’ve posted the photos. This can help to encourage them to share the post on their own social media, which can help get you more referrals.
4. Create a social media presence
Social media can help any small business. In addition to making sure your business is visible online, customers can leave reviews and recommend your services (all of which can help generate more business referrals).
Business owners who make the most of social media can ensure that prospective clients see adverts about their business, leading to sales.
5. Keep communicating
Make a point of being present at job sign-off so that you can test all handles and hinges to ensure customer satisfaction.
Make a note in your diary and give them a follow-up call a month later to find out if they are still happy. Note and address any concerns they may have and follow through to make sure they’re satisfied. Then, politely ask if they know of anyone who may want to use your services. If they say yes, ask if they would be able to introduce you, whether it’s in person, or over email, WhatsApp or social media.
If your customer refers you to someone else, be sure to thank them. This is not only good manners, but also encourages them to keep referring you to other people who might need your services.
