A Laser Targeted Referral Strategy
A funny thing happened in the Gym locker room today. I
became an expert on corrective laser eye surgery!
That in itself was strange enough, because we are an estate
sale company, but what makes this even stranger is that the person I learned
this from wasn’t even an eye surgeon. Let me explain.As I was putting in my contact lenses just before going into the gym, one of the members remarked that I was using contact lenses and that he had done away with his years ago. He then explained that he had decided to have corrective laser eye surgery and he has never looked back since.
So, off I went with my normal objections: Is it safe? What
if in 10 years’ time they discover that this type of procedure will lead to
instant blindness? It looks painful. What If I move when they are performing
the treatment – will the laser frazzle my cornea?
To my surprise, the guy was a walking encyclopedia on laser
eye surgery. Every objection I could raise he addressed. I even know that the
machines they use are made in Italy and that they use 2 lasers so no danger of
frazzled cornea as one is used to direct the other if you should move your eye!
He had obviously done his homework. In fact, the reason that
he knew so much was that he had contacted one of the world’s top eye surgeons.
This got me thinking about the power of referrals and what
makes a really powerful referral. In this case, the service in question is both
expensive and one which many people would have serious concerns about.
However, in this case, my new friend was a powerful advocate
for this particular eye surgeon and his practice. The reason for this was that
he was not only happy with the result, but he was educated too. For the eye
surgeon this is a powerful position to be in. If you like, we can think of it
as follows:
>>> Happy
Customer + Educated Customer = Raving Fan & Referrer <<<
OK, not all of us are in businesses with such a complex
service which involves surgery. But allaying people’s fears and educating them
about our market realities… hummmm? However, we can learn from this example. If
you can leave your customers happy that is great, but if you can educate them
too then they will be a more powerful advocate of your services.
But this even applies to less complex products or services.
I use a really great guy who is like a local Mr. Fix it. He is a plumber
mainly, but he has a really reliable set of partners who he can call on if
there is something that he cannot do himself. He is my trusted single point of
contact. If ever I have an issue then he takes time to explain the issue and he
always looks for a sensible fix, rather than immediately telling me I need to
replace this or that expensive units.
I have lost count of the number of people I have referred to
him. It is not just because he does a great job that I refer him. It is because
he takes the time to help me to understand why my boiler is not working and what
is the best way to fix it and then prevent any issues in the future.
So, we are here not only to provide you with a number of
services, but to foster your understanding of the market and help you through
what is undoubtedly an overwhelming set of circumstances. This is a sort of
harmony we strive for and that makes for the best possible professional
relationship…Now, where did I leave my glasses?
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