Out of the many recommendations I received, 14 (all from people that I trust) were for the same company. I immediately messaged that company and arranged an introductory call. When my client is ready to press the button on the project, they'll be getting the instruction. The others didn't get a look in.
Word-of-mouth recommendations are marketing gold dust ✨
They're particularly important when you're delivering a service where relationship plays such a vital role. So, how can you maximise recommendations for your business?
Exceed expectations - consistently delight your customers by giving them more than they expect. Exceeding expectations could be something as simple as delivering ahead of a deadline or providing excellent communication during a transaction.
Be helpful - have a content marketing strategy that focuses on sharing useful information and advice. Show up on your social media channels - be useful and engage with your community.
Reward - encourage your customers to recommend you to others by giving them a thank you for doing so. You could formalise the process with a referral scheme or send them a thank you gift/message after a recommendation.
Share the love - give recommendations yourself. Reward those that impress you with fantastic service by recommending them when you can. What goes around, comes around!