If a client refers you to a friend or colleague you’d expect to be contacted, right? Well actually, not necessarily. So why have things changed?
What you are almost guaranteed is that they’ll research you online, and it’s here that the decision of whether or not to call you is made.
Try this. Imagine you are a prospect. Google your business and take an objective view on how inviting and reassuring you are to a potential customer.
Here’s an example of what you might see, and the possible reaction to it:
Google search results are now effectively a combined advertisement and sales pitch for your business, with the results determining the number of enquiries you receive.
A few minutes work should get you a far more effective response.
Your action list
- If you haven’t already, claim and complete your Google Business Profile. It’s easy to complete and key to achieving your new business targets. As you create your profile think about the following:
- Who are you talking to (ideally someone with the profile of your ideal customer)
- What do you want them to think?
- What do you want them to do?
- Use the ‘Manage photos’ button on the dashboard to ensure that your key customer message image is designated ‘first photo’ and therefore prominently displayed. Add your telephone number as the immediate call to action.
- Contact ten or twelve customers who’d be happy to give you a positive testimonial and ask them to give you a Google Review. Use your version of this draft email to show them how to do this.
It’ll be worth the effort
All of this might sound like hard work, especially when you have a million and one other things to do, but the value of your time spent will be repaid multiple times as you convert more referrals, and substantially improve the effectiveness of the rest of your marketing.