Four Ways to Power Up Your Referral Game

Referrals from satisfied customers serve as a critical source of new business for contractors. Here are some tips for getting the most benefit from the referrals you’ve earned.

  1. Have a strategy.
    If you would like to do more of a specific type of project, work more in a particular geographic area, or have more customers in a certain demographic, ask for referrals from satisfied customers who meet that criteria. By requesting those targeted referrals, you can begin to tailor your sales pipeline to opportunities that play to your strengths and preferences.
  2. Make it a policy.
    Ask for a referral soon after you have successfully completed a project. Don’t let too much time go by because you may forget! A casual, no-pressure approach will allow you to ask without making your customers feel imposed upon.
  3. Follow up quickly.
    Reply promptly to calls and emails to prospective customers who were referred by your past customers.
    If you fail to respond or wait a long time to get back to a referral, it will reflect badly on you as the contractor and the friend/family/colleague who referred the prospect to you.
  4. Show appreciation.
    Take a minute or two to thank your customers when they refer other customers to you. Whether a phone call, email, card, or (if a sizable project) gift, that gesture will build goodwill and potentially lead to even more referrals.

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