Nerd Rule #5

[Tile Nerd]

A good referral program should include benefits to both the referring individual and the individual who was referred to call you.

We give a 15% discount to both for carpet cleaning and a 10% discount to both for hard surface work.

 

[Mikey P]

Desperation does not install confidence.

 

[Tile Nerd]

No, but a referral based on a quality performance does.

 

[Doug Cox]

AMEN!

 

[Mikey P]

I use to offer 10% ala Howard Partridge.

The few that took advantage of it were for the most part pains in the asses that would only spread the word a few weeks prior to needing their own stuff done.


The good ones will cheer you on because you do a killer job and are polite and trustworthy.



Simple as that.

 

[diamond brian]

Trevor, you beat me to it. A sincere thank you will do a lot more for referrals than a few bucks--especially if your customers respect you.

 

[Billy]

A good referral program should include benefits to both the referring individual and the individual who was referred to call you.

We give a 15% discount to both for carpet cleaning and a 10% discount to both for hard surface work.

I actually have been doing 10% for many years before I ever hear of Howard but have recently been thinking it might be good to do what you are doing. Give something to the referral as well. My thought is that it will take some of the they are referring you to get the referral bonus mentality away from both sides.

 

[Doug Cox]

Some people will refer you based on what you offer them, not their friends and customers. I don't pay for a referral. If I'm not good enough to refer for free, then KMA!

 

[Trevor Truitt]

Please don't get me mixed up with Brevik. PLEASE!

 

[Billy]

We give a referral bonus as an appreciation. For every referral we get that is less marketing dollars we have to spend. Our client base isn't getting rich on referrals by any means. We do have a few clients that couldn't afford us if we gave nothing but a thank you. They refer us gladly & it helps them get cleaning done instead of having to use the cheaper cleaners or worse yet DIY.

One note the largest residential job we have ever done was a referral. The job paid $10,000.00 & took 4 days to complete. We was ready to give over $1000.00 in a referral & the client that refereed them wouldn't accept it. She said yall do great work that is the only referral bonus we need. We decided it wasn't fair to keep it. We then decided the client was a chair person over a charity function & asked her if we could donate the referral in to her charity. She said yes as long as we show up at the dinner/auction. We had to ask her how much the tickets cost thinking can we afford to go she said the tickets are high to go but we would be her guest. We ended up going & donating to the charity & auction. It was great for us we met some very influential people that night all because we decided it wasn't fair to keep the referral.

 

[Jim Martin]

Bad advice (again)

you already gave the referring individual something.......

you gave them something that they thought was good enough to refer you in the first place........

People just don't hand out a name that easy now days.......

That shows lack of confidence in you abilities if you need to offer to pay someone to hand out your name....your work should speak for itself.


I am all for the new client percentage off get your foot in the door.....

but if I am reading your right.you just gave away 20 to 30 % on 2 clients..

your cutting your own neck on that one...........

 

[Mikey P]

I'm still waiting for Jim to pay me for the referral I gave him.

 

[Tile Nerd]

Maybe it's my referral program that let's me afford to give the families of overseas military folks free cleaning.

Wasn't it you MikeyP, who said "I wish I could afford to do that?"

Don't knock it til you try it. Remember if you know your cost and you give a $50 certificate or discount, it's only costing you about $7 to $10.

Ah the cost of business...... sounds like another Nerd Rule is brewing.

 

[Jim Martin]

you used the word "maybe".so are you unsure.

"maybe".giving away free cleanings is getting you free referrals......

I have tried this and can tell you from experience and number fact that in the long run you flushed more money then you needed to by paying someone to hand out your name....your service should speak for its self...........



I will give you $15 dollars to give out my name

I'll give you $20 to let me clean for you

so I can go do a $80 to $100 dollar cleaning for free....

 

[KevinD]

The good ones will cheer you on because you do a killer job and are polite and trustworthy.

Simple as that.

EXACTLY CORRECT

 

[GRHeacock]

I built my entire business on a referral basis. I never gave anybody except a couple of interior designers anything. These designers sent me a small but steady stream of their customers.

That was well worth the 10% they got.

Worked for me.

Gary

 

[-JB-]

I use to offer 10% ala Howard Partridge.

The few that took advantage of it were for the most part pains in the asses that would only spread the word a few weeks prior to needing their own stuff done.


The good ones will cheer you on because you do a killer job and are polite and trustworthy.



Simple as that.