There’s something known as the perfect customer life cycle. It starts from acquiring a prospect, nurturing them and then making them a customer. However, it goes even further: It includes turning that customer is your sales person. Any business that does this successfully will never lack for quality prospects because they are being referred by the best sales force available on the planet — People who have bought your product/service and love it.
Now the question is: How do you turn those customers into a strong sales force? Here are tips that will help…
1. Start From The Very Beginning
If you start thinking about making your customers your sales persons after they’ve made a purchase, then you are already too late. It starts from the very moment you are trying to acquire them as prospects. This will determine how you design your sales funnel. You will treat them with delicate care because you are NOT just interested in making a quick buck. You intend to build a partnership that will go on for a long time. You will make sure that you connect with your prospect at a level that other businesses in your niche don’t even bother about. You will ensure that you develop products that meet their real desires. You will ensure that any issues or challenges they may have are resolved in a very timely and professional manner. In fact, you’ll simply do everything within your power to sweep them off their feet.
2. You Will Make Them Feel Special Selling For You
How do you think a customer would feel if they know that their friends can buy your product at a special discount just because they referred them? Walk in through the door like every other person and you’ll pay 15% more but come with a coupon or discount code from this special customer and you’ll pay a lot less.
Remember, they already love your product and now you are showing them they are really special by offering their friends a discount. This will motivate them to promote your product.
3. Make Them Your Affiliates
How about paying them even after you’ve given their friends that special treatment all because of them? How about paying them a commission for referring their friends? You can easily start an affiliate program and make all your existing customers automatic members. How do you think your customers will feel if they got a check in the mail? They open it and discover that they’ve just earned commissions for referring some of their friends to your business? Do you think this will make them send over even more of their friends and acquaintances?
Don’t forget this: You are NOT trying to make them promote a product or service they don’t care about. They already love what you offer. You are only giving them an incentive to talk about it the more.
4. Make It Easier For Them To Share In Your Wealth
Affiliate commissions can motivate your customers to spread the word around. However, you can do something special to compel them to go the extra mile: Offer them lifetime commissions on every referral that comes to your business through them. Think about it: All you need is just one encounter with your target prospect if you have a great product. That’s where you spend a lot of money.
If your customers know that they’ll keep earning something (albeit little) for people they refer, they’ll be encouraged to do so. Have you ever been “waylaid” by network marketers? Do you see the enthusiasm with which they promote products from the parent company? It’s because they now share in the wealth. Can you make your existing customers go all out to promote your business this way?
