You did an excellent job of describing why my business is successful. Any good salesperson will likely receive leads from satisfied customers. Those leads are like gold, as the testimony of a satisfied customer can generate a much higher ratio in converting prospects to buyers.
When I call on prospect who doesn't know of me, my likelihood of reaching a receptive audience is much greater if I can say "John" sent me to see you. The buyer's good will towards John opens the door for better communication.
I really learned the power and value of customer referrals when I joined a provessional networking group. The concept has been around for years. The group is limited to one person per business category, so each member becomes a sales person for everyone else in the group.
Since everyone in the group has different contacts and different "circles of influence", each member of the group benefits from an expanded sphere of influence.
If you have a product or service that is in demand, the networking allows you to reach more people outside your own person contacts.
I presently network through 3 Chambers of Commerce located in different parishes (counties for those of you outside Louisiana), and 3 different associations and organizations.
The prospects of networking online are even greater. I had one customer in Minneapolis who travelled to a trade show in Las Vegas. She was so pleased with my service that she took my contact info along and passed it out at the big electronics expo her company was participating in.
One of the people she passed my name to, contacted me some time later with a special need. He was impressed what I had done for her with a simple yardstick, and felt maybe I could find a source for something he had searched for and given up after 3 unproductive years. The result was an order for 10,000 custom 10' tape measures.
For someone with a home-based business and no employees, networking can create much more awareness than one person on their own.
Dennis Bevers
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