If green and growing is the intention, a referral is like organic fertilizer for the soil.

Sherry Lee’s instincts kicked in the minute she heard the glowing compliment from the customer. After connect team member Jeff Hockenberry earned a rave review from a customer after an installation at a Little Rock accounting firm, it was the perfect time to ask for a recommendation.

“It feels very natural to ask for a recommendation when they are genuinely excited about the services we are providing,” Sherry Lee, a Solutions Specialist in Little Rock, said. “Any time we have a customer that is complimenting us as a dealer and as a service entity, that is the very best time to bring it up.”

The Net Promoter Score^®, of course, demonstrates a solid view of a customer’s view of us as a company by asking a simple question: “How likely is it that you would recommend our company to a friend or colleague?” If our customers are willing, it’s up to us to take the positive experience and run with it.

“The referral is absolutely a powerful thing to have. It makes it a lot easier to get business from a customer,” Dallas Business Process Consultant Jeff Graul said. “Happy partners are happy to help.”

How likely are customers to recommend Datamax? It’s the one number we need to grow. We can tout our own services over and over again – but it’s more powerful when customers can say it for us.

How to ask? When to bring it up? And what’s the best means for getting a customer referral?

6 Steps for Getting a Referral From a Customer

1. First, gain their trust.

“I believe it all comes from building a strong foundation of trust in the eyes of the customer,” says Jeff.

This includes, he says, doing what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’ll do it. And then always being responsive to customers needs and resolving issues quickly. He always tries to respond immediately and at least within the hour.

"I’ll try to do little things that go above and beyond – if somebody’s out of toner, I’ll personally bring it to them. When I go above and beyond, and I’ve gained trust, that’s when I’ve earned the right to ask for a referral.”

2. Know the program.

Datamax offers a fantastic Client Referral Program. When clients refer new business to us, we’ll reward them with a Visa gift card, or they can opt for donating to a non-profit organization of their choice.
Clients simply complete and submit a Datamax Client Referral Form online. The referral will be distributed to the appropriate sales department and assigned to a Datamax Consultant. If it results in a sale, that person will be notified via email.

“Personally, I don’t think this program gets used enough,” Sherry says. “I don’t think we as reps think about it enough.”

3. Know when (and how) to ask.

“When we've created a Raving Fan, we've earned the right to ask for a referral," Jeff says.

Sherry agrees: whenever we hear good news coming from a client, that’s the absolute best time to think about asking for a recommendation.

“I like to just ask them if they are a Raving Fan,” Sherry says. “If they say yes, I just say ‘would you mind sharing with me anyone else who could use our services?’ Of course, when I tell them about the Client Referral Program, they get much more excited.”

Got your business card handy? Just flip it over and show it to your customer. There they will find details (and a QR Code) on how to begin submitting a referral!

4. If possible, get it in writing – YOUR writing.

“What I’ve found is that getting a reference letter is very powerful,” Sherry says.

Take it a step further and offer to write the letter and then have them read over it for approval. By doing this, you’ve taken the heavy lifting off their plate. They’ll sign off on it in a heartbeat if you’re being transparent on paper what you’ve done for them.

“Often, customers are only thinking about key aspects about their service experience with Datamax,” Sherry says. “They don’t realize everything we do for them, from the Connect Team to Delivery .. all the people who make this partnership a successful one.”

5. Follow up.

It takes 6 to 8 touches to generate a viable sales lead, according to Sales Force. It can take multiple touches for a referral, too.

This can be a bit delicate, as to not burden the client again and again. But Jeff has solid advice here:

“If I don’t get a response (after a referral request), I’ll wait for the next opportunity, often when a client is raving about something we’ve done again. It’ll present itself in different kinds of ways. I just have a feeling when it’s the right time.”

6. Maintain the relationship.

You never know where that relationship will venture in the months or years ahead.

Perfect example: Jeff had done business with an IT director at a non profit for years, until that individual left the organization. On a whim, Jeff looked him up on LinkedIn and connected. The two caught back up and continued to keep in touch. When it came time for a copier purchase, Jeff was in perfect position.

“I’ve already sold him eight machines at four different locations,” Jeff said.

Part of it is instinct. Part of it is making the most of a Raving Fan experience. But word of mouth – i.e. customer recommendation – is one of the most powerful tools in our sales repertoire.

How likely are our clients to recommend Datamax? Let’s find out.