When your customers start spreading the word.....

It’s great when you turn a prospect into a customer or client.  But it gives you a great deal of satisfaction when that customer shows loyalty to you with an ongoing relationship.  Hopefully you will collect a few testimonials along the way, and the immense benefit that will follow is that you will get some referrals as he or she becomes an advocate for your business.

I was reminded recently of how powerful an influence that an advocate can have on a business.  Whilst we were on our Motorhome and Caravan safari in the South Island, there was a lady by the name of Grace who, like most of us on the tour, had ongoing ailments.  We were all, of course, in our senior years and some things do not work as well as they used to.

Grace used a product called Phiten patches, which look similar to small plasters, but purport to distribute titanium through the body to enable a natural healing process.  So enthusiastic was Grace about this product that she soon had most of the group trying them out – and with amazing success.  I was one who tried them, and a Doctor friend of mine was another.  He was skeptical at first but in the end had to admit that his particular ailment (like mine) was virtually non-existent after a couple of days.

So what happened the next time we passed through a town with a chemist?  There was a rush on Phiten patches as probably 15-20 people eagerly sought them out.  So Grace, as an advocate for the product was responsible for a big spike in that chemist’s sales for the day, and probably a significant lift in the supplier’s ongoing revenue, as the more than satisfied customers will return several times for replacement patches.

So now I, and 15-20 others are also advocates and will spread the word to each of our circles of friends.  Not forgetting the Doctor who, I am sure will have an immense influence on future sales of the product.

So, how do you turn your customers into advocates?  Just give them quality product, exceptional service, encourage referrals and testimonials, and they will do the rest.