Gaining a prospect's trust is the essential first step when you are transforming a prospect into a client. A prospect will only become a client when they trust you.
This is absolutely critical with any service businesses but also applies to every business. No Trust, No Business.
The greater trust your prospects place in the specific marketing media that "delivers your advertising message", the higher their initial trust will be of you. When prospects have a high level of initial trust, the less trust building you need to do to raise their trust in you to a point where they will consider becoming a client.
This shortens your sales cycle, saving you time, effort and money.
Ideally you want to use a marketing method that is both inexpensive and generates targeted prospects who already have a high degree of trust in you before you even speak with them. In the top 5 marketing media there are two advertising methods that do just that.
Take a look at the recent "consumer trust in advertising" survey below.
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Ad format % Trust level Trust index Source: "Consumer Trust in Advertising: Spam, Pop-Ups and ROI"/PlanetFeedback
% Trust/Trust Level Index (100 norm)
61%/251 Word-of-mouth recommendations 47%/194 Print ads
42%/173 TV ads
39%/161 E-mail subscriptions 35%/144 Radio ads
21%/86 Direct mail
20%/82 Outdoor ads
14%/58 Paid search-engine listings 9%/37 Infomercials
8%/33 Web-site banner ads 4%/16 Door-to-door Solicitation 3%/12 Spam
2%/8 Pop-up ads
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Word-of-Mouth Marketing and E-mail Subscriptions are two methods that you can use to affordably reach your market.
Best of all you can easily and inexpensively put an automated marketing system in place to leverage both of these powerful business building methods.
Here is a simple technique to improve the number of word-of-mouth referrals.
Give a referral card to every customer upon completion of your service.
One of best times to ask for a referral or a recommendation is when you have just completed the work for your client. You could include the card with the report that you just delivered or it could be handed to the customer upon completion of a job. This referral card is an especially effective technique.
There are many variations to this technique, but here are the elements:
A) Thank your customers for the opportunity to serve them.
B) Ask them to give this card to a friend or colleague.
C) The card entitles their friend or colleague to a free consultation or another introductory offer. Include contact phone, website and email.
D) Your clients receive a discount, special offer, etc. when the card is redeemed by their friend or colleague.
Your request card might say something like this:
We greatly appreciate the opportunity to serve you! Many of our new clients are referred to us by satisfied clients like yourself.
We would be grateful if you would give this card to a friend or colleague who would benefit from our service. This will entitle them to a (your offer).
When they take advantage of (your offer), we will give you (X gift, discount) off your next (product/service), as an expression of our appreciation."
This is something that you can easily do for the cost of printing the card. You can also direct the referral to your website where they sign-in to take advantage of your offer, thus building your opt-in email list at the same time.
This technique will not only boost your word-of-mouth referrals but will increase your customer retention.
About the Author
Jeffrey Jordan, publisher of Net Marketing Results. Find out how you can easily put profit strategies like this and others into practice. Visit http://instantprofitpower.com/ Contact Jeff at mailto:jdj@netmarketingresults.com Subscribe free at http://netmarketingresults.com