I spend a lot of time talking about things like effective direct response sales letters, post cards, consumer guides, websites, social media, etc. Surely, all forms of communication focused on lead generation are critical “steps” in a successful marketing “recipe”.

Today I’m going to shift focus and talk about the steps you take after that lead becomes a client, what you can do after that initial sale…your “After Unit”.  I think way too many people and businesses (in all industries) tend to neglect this area and the reality is that what you do after a sale holds the most profits of any of your marketing.  So it’s crucial that you not just focus on it, but become a master of it.

Why is your “After Unit” so valuable? Without spending a whole lot of time right now discussing the cost of a sale and the lifetime value of a client…let’s just say there is an investment in acquiring each and every client. If you ignore the “after the sale” opportunities you have with each client, and are constantly “chasing the next sale” you are literally leaving thousands and thousands of dollars “on the table”.

There are several successful strategies in the “After Unit”, but for today I’m only going to focus on one, referrals.

Everybody in every business loves to get referrals.  Referrals are great because your “cost of a sale” has been dramatically reduced or eliminated.  Referred clients usually have an instant rapport or at least an elevated trust level with you because of the relationship they have with the person that referred them. Also, referred clients tend to refer people to you more often…as they (hopefully) enjoyed being referred so much they return the favor to another friend.

I could write volumes on referrals but for the sake of time, I’m just going to give you some really killer valuable “cliff notes” that you should be able to take and run with to make a whole lot of money.  (This is the “short version” of a really valuable conversation Dean Jackson and I had on an I Love Marketing™ Episode.)

Let me preface this by acknowledging that if you are a good company, then yes, you probably get some referrals organically.  However, for every organic referral you receive, you could be getting 3-5 times MORE with just a few easy “tweaks”.

5 Simple Steps To Skyrocketing Your Referrals

#1) Be Referral Worthy. Okay if you aren’t giving your clients the kind of service that leaves them with a big, huge smile on their face, (the kind of service that doesn’t just meet their expectations, but exceeds all expectations) then what are you waiting for?  Step it up and don’t just deliver stellar cleaning and service, go overboard on the value creation in every step of your client’s experience with your company.  From the minute you answer your phone, to the personal thank you note you send them, and everything in between…create a “5 Star” experience for your clients to make you company truly referral worthy.

#2) Overcome The Common Mindset That Could Be Holding You Back From Getting Tons Of Referrals.  Too many cleaners feel like they don’t want to “bug” their clients for referrals…  Like their clients are doing them a favor by referring business.  You need to flip that thinking because the truth is…people love referring friends and family to great companies. It makes them feel good. Think about the last time you told someone about a great company…didn’t you feel good?  It actually raises your status with friends and family to be the provider of a great solution.  Plus, if you put a “Referral Rewards Program” into place, (like I teach in my Rich Cleaner System) you position yourself as the company who not only says “thank you”, but rewards people for doing something they already feel good about.

#3) Get Past The Notion That Being Nice Is Enough. Lots of people are broadcasting nice messages to their clients by sending newsletters, holiday greetings, birthday wishes, and plastering “I Love Referrals” on their website and business cards, then wonder why the referrals just seem to trickle in.  These kinds of messages are important for keeping your repeat business up, (another critical aspect of your “after unit”) but if you want a healthy income stream from referrals, it just isn’t enough.

#4) Identify & Create Trigger Points For Your Clients That Get You Referrals.  Dean Jackson (after twenty years of researching the phycology of referrals) pinned the referral process down to 3 steps.  First, your client needs to be in a conversation with someone and notice that it’s relevant to your business.  Second, your client has to think of you as soon as that subject comes up. Third, your client has to introduce you into the conversation.  Those three things have to happen for a referral to be produced.

Maybe you can’t control when that conversation is going to happen, but you can create trigger points so your clients think of you and introduce you when it does.  For example, plant seeds in your clients minds so when subjects like having a new baby, allergies, getting a pet, moving, a pet’s accident, getting new furniture, having guests, throwing a party, spilling wine, having a child go off to college, seasons changing, etc. come up there is a trigger, and you pop up in your clients mind. Then, they introduce you to the conversation.

#5) Ask For The Referrals And Be Specific.  To bring this full circle; now it’s time for Sales 101.  Ask for the sale!  Don’t just passively wait for someone to get the idea to refer to you.  Use those trigger points in your marketing with your clients.  You must be doing a monthly newsletter by now, (it is one of the quickest ways to insure your client loyalty and increase repeat business) so keep using that “vehicle” to drive referrals to you month after month.  Ask for the referrals and be specific.  Not just “We love referrals keep them coming!”  Here’s an example of what I mean:

“A Free Gift For Your Friends That Are Moving…”

“If you hear any of your friends talking about moving this month please refer them for a special move-out cleaning.  You can call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX or text me.  And I will give your friends a free room of carpet cleaning (worth $XX.XX) in your name.

Thanks,

XXXX

P.S.  And I have a little something for you too for every referral you send me that books a cleaning in March, I will send you ____________.

(Fill in the blank with whatever you choose to give.)

This format can be used for every one of those triggers listed above.

Now I know you have those happy people in your life…the ones that know you, love you, and trust you. These are your past clients, people in your social circle, people in your neighborhood, people in your sphere of influence…and those people are having conversations daily that can produce a referral for you.

You just have to make all those happy people aware…and awareness builds momentum…momentum of referrals.

Best,

JOE

P.S.  For more killer content on this subject go to www.iLoveMarketing.com and listen to Episode 28 “The One About Orchestrating Referrals”.

P.P.S.  If you aren’t sending out a Client Newsletter yet or if you aren’t “orchestrating referrals” check out my killer, done-for-you “Healthy Home Newsletter” you can send to your clients to, CLICK HERE

“To live through an impossible situation, you don’t need the reflexes of a Grand Prix driver, the muscles of a Hercules, or the mind of an Einstein. You simply need to know what to do.”  From the book “Survival” by Anthony Greenbank

Just simply knowing what to do can be a powerful life strategy.

But, one of the biggest problems for entrepreneurs like you and me is…overwhelm, which inevitably leads to NOT knowing what to do first…or next…or at all.

In fact, even at my high-level mastermind group, (Genius Network Mastermind a.k.a. 25K Group) the problem presented most often is that of a state of overwhelm.  It doesn’t matter where you are in your business; newbie, seasoned veteran, or somewhere in between, every business owner gets caught in the trap of overwhelm, more often than they would like to be.

Too often you can feel crushed by the daunting tasks of creating marketing systems, dealing with customers, hiring and managing employees, the list goes on and on.  The job of creating and maintaining your marketing systems alone can be enough to cause “paralysis by analysis” and force you into a state of doing nothing because there is just way too much to do.

But of course…that isn’t an option if you want to stay in business.

Ironically the antidote to a suffocating case of overwhelm is simply knowing what to do.  And doing it.  Then knowing what to do next.  And doing it…and so on.

Lucky for you and me, there are simple tools and strategies for breaking out of the “Catch 22” cycle of overwhelm.

First Things First:

Start by simply organizing your ideas and tasks.  It doesn’t take long; you can do it in under an hour.  When you have a new idea to implement but you are feeling overwhelmed.  Ask yourself, “Is this still going to be a good idea 30 days from now…6 months from now…a year from now?”

Because in reality, your ideas and tasks aren’t going anywhere.  They will always be there so pick the ones that you can tackle today and shelve the rest for a different time.  (You will find Dean Jackson’s “50 Minute Focus Finder” video an extremely valuable tool in helping you to identify what to really do next.  Found at www.ilovemarketing.com, search “Focus Finder”.)

Next:

You need to accept this fact: Nothing is ever going to be perfect.

Come to terms with the fact that sometimes it just takes imperfect progress to get things done.  After all, movement is always better than meditation.

Too many people think that they have to do everything perfect, and that ideal keeps them from doing anything at all.  Now please don’t think I’m saying that you don’t need to execute your ideas with complete follow through.  Always take your ideas from start to finish. Remember… “One thing done equals money, five things half-done equal no money.” (MaryEllen Tribby)

But there is something else that holds people back and keeps them in a state of overwhelm…

Courage to Confidence

Do you ever find yourself afraid to try something new?  Maybe it’s a new way of marketing your business…you’re scared your idea might fail or you have a fear of what people will think of you when you go against the norm and try something totally different.

Dan Sullivan tells a story about how when he was in the army a Sergeant told his troop the difference between courage and fear.  It goes something like this, “Fear is peeing your pants; Courage is doing what you have to do with wet pants.”

The point is…fear is natural, it’s okay.  Just find your courage and do what you have to do in spite of the fear… and as you start to get those results from your efforts…a direct marketing website, social marketing, or a killer sales letter…you will find that courage transforms into real confidence.  And confidence will help you know what to do…and how to get it done.

Don’t Confuse Activity With Accomplishment

Just remember…activity and accomplishment can be two very different animals.  You can fill your day with many activities and not make one little step toward “getting things done.”

That’s why it is so important to have a clear cut “map”, a blueprint to your goals.  Create your own “code” to success and follow it…don’t let the tasks, activities and minutiae of your day keep you from accomplishing your goals.

Sometimes your “not-to-do list” is just as important as your “to-do list”.

How do you think people reach heights of success and wealth?  They just knew what to do to get where they are today.  And really, that is all you need to know everyday…is what to do.  How to get from point A to point B…how to get things done to move you toward your own “bigger future.”

So conquering that state of overwhelm and knowing what to do can be as simple as taking a few minutes to create your own roadmap to success.  It can be as easy as finding your courage and confidence, putting “one foot in front of the other” and taking steps towards change and progress.  It can be as straightforward as defining the difference between tasks that are trivial activities, and accomplishments that move you toward your goals.  If you make a habit to implement these simple practices, you will always know what to do.

Keep it E.L.F.!

JOE

For a more in depth discussion on this topic, listen to Joe Polish & Dean Jackson at www.ilovemarketing.com episode 58 “The One About Knowing What To Do.”

Do you ever sit and scratch your head and wonder why your last ad didn’t work? Well if you haven’t tried direct response marketing techniques yet, then 99% of your answer is right here.

So rest assured that if you are a student of direct response marketing, you are miles ahead of the pack.  But, even though direct response is the only form of advertising that really works, every once in a while, even a well-written ad hits a wall.

And That is When You Ask “What Happened…Why Aren’t They Buying From Me?”

There can be a number of factors why people don’t respond, even to a “good” ad, and some of these reasons are so basic that they might not jump right out at you…

First, it could be something as simple as “the weather,” or some other issue with timing.  For example, a campaign that goes out in the middle of a blizzard or hits your clients’ mailboxes on a holiday isn’t likely to be well received or responded to.  In fact, an ad that lands in front of your prospect on say a Monday, when people are busy getting their week in order, may have a different response than a message they receive on a nice, calm Tuesday.  Or an ad received on a Friday (when most people are ready to “play”) could have a different response than an ad received on Wednesday or Thursday. But take heart, a well-written direct response ad can still pull in results, weeks or even months after someone receives it.

Second, sometimes it’s just simply the “audience”.  The late Gary Halbert used to say, “If you want a better response, get a different list.”

When you send out your direct response ads, really examine “How is my ‘message to market match?’”  Maybe you are hand delivering to an area that gets over-run with ads… if this is the case, make sure your piece doesn’t look like an ad. Make it look very personal, like the “plain white envelope” approach.  Or, maybe it’s an area that just isn’t drawn to your high-end service.  Maybe you purchased a “list” and it’s simply outdated, or the majority of the people in that area don’t fit your “ideal client”.  Take a good, hard look at your “list” and see if that’s where you need to adjust.

Next, ask yourself if your ad is truly a direct response style ad, or is it an attempt at direct response.  I’ve seen plenty of ads that marry some direct response principals with…well, I’m not quite sure what…and they end up with a bit of a “hot mess” on the page.  Yet, because the person included a headline or a guarantee they think it’s a “direct response ad” when it’s actually not.  So either use one of my proven ads, or access a proven ad on www.piranhacentral.com (members only).  Or, if you must write your own ad, check it against this list:

• Attention Getting Headline
• Compelling (Interesting) Copy
• Clear, Irresistible Offer
• Call To Action
• Expiration Date/Sense of Urgency
• Testimonials
• Money-Back Guarantee
• Your Contact Information

Here are some more tips:  Use fonts that are easy to read.  (Like this one.)  Don’t use cursive.  Don’t spell in all caps, because that is not only difficult to read, but comes across as “shouting” in print.  Use colors that are easy on the eyes, i.e. Don’t use light colors on dark backgrounds unless you don’t want your ad read.  And keep things in a nice, easy to read font size and format.  Remember to use sub-headlines for the “skimmers” out there.  Use appropriate, relevant pictures.  And finally, give your ad a “Cheese Audit.”  (If you don’t understand what I mean by this, click here to read my last blog post.)

And If Your Ad Passes All These Check Points and Still Flopped…

Then it’s time to pull out the stops.

A few years ago I was faced with this situation in selling people into my high-level Platinum Mastermind Group.  It’s a $1,000 per month program that helps successful entrepreneurs take their businesses to heights they never imagined through innovation and masterminding. Even though it is a bit of an investment, people make back at least double that money.  (Though most make back in the six figures as a direct result of their membership in the program.)  So with something that is so good to offer, I was having a hard time understanding why I wasn’t converting more people in some of my campaigns.

So I simply asked them.

I stapled a $100 bill to 100 letters and FedExed them to individuals I had hand picked as being some of my most likely prospects for this program.  (In a sense, I “ethically bribed them” to tell me why they weren’t buying.)  And the result?

It was worth every cent of the $10,000.00+ I spent on the mailing.  I got back the most detailed and comprehensive “report” on what the barriers were that kept my prospects from buying from me.  And I discovered some fundamental reasons why the majority of people let “psychological barriers”, not real barriers keep them from responding.

Then I took the information and compiled a killer audio recording entitled “Barriers to Success.”  It’s addresses all the psychological barriers that hold people back from success and how to conquer those fears and limiting beliefs.  (I highly recommend you listen to this audio that cost me over $10,000.00 to make and take notes. It will give you so much insight into the fundamental reasons behind why “people don’t buy” from you. It’s available down below.)

How can you apply this in your business?  Well it was worth $10K for me to do this survey because of the high price point, but what is one customer worth to you?  You could survey a “slice” of your demographic by sending out $5-$10 Starbucks cards.  Figure out what it’s worth to you and your business to find out what your clients barriers to buying from you are, and conduct your own “ethical bribe” and survey.  Then use the information you gather to craft a sales message that speaks directly to your market…make sure to send it to the people who you surveyed in the first place.  (That’s what I did and was able to convert many of these formerly resistant buyers.)

So as you can see, there are many reasons why a person may or may not be “buying” from you…but you have many resources that can help you break through these “barriers” and reach your prospects. Whether you find your answers through me or by simply asking your own prospects, you never have to throw your arms up in the air feeling helpless about how to get your ads to work…you have the power to control your business and have your clients buying from you on a regular basis.

Keep it E.L.F.!

JOE

Click here to listen to my audio “Barriers To Success…” (The one that cost me $10K to make.)

http://www.joepolish.com/barriers/

For more information about “Why People Don’t Buy From You” listen in on Joe Polish & Dean Jackson as they discuss this subject at www.ilovemarketing.com episode 56 “The One About Why People Don’t Buy.”