Getting a pizza the action
I took a week’s break recently and headed to the Amalfi Coast for some sunshine, pizza, and Prosecco - three of my favourite things.
As you can imagine, pretty much every restaurant, bar, and shop in the Naples area sells pizza. The Campania region is, after all, credited with inventing it.
So I set myself a mission: find the best of the best - the ultimate pizza slice in town.
An Italian friend recommended a place a little outside the town centre, somewhere I probably wouldn’t have stumbled across by chance. And really, what better recommendation could there be than one from a local Italian, pointing to a family-run pizzeria that’s been serving for over 60 years?
Fast forward 24 hours, and after queuing outside (you can’t book), I finally got a table at Pizzeria da Franco.
Wow, it did not disappoint. I made sure to thank my friend for the brilliant tip.
That experience got me thinking. It’s the same in business, for me, for you, and for every other small business trying to make a living.
When someone you don’t know is looking for what you offer, do the people who do know you recommend you without hesitation? Are you the first name on the tip of their tongue?
A good referral has three main benefits:
It shows you’re doing a great job and are likely to retain your client.
It generates a new lead to help you grow.
It’s free marketing.
But here’s the catch, there’s too much personal reputation at stake for someone to recommend you if there’s even a hint of doubt. They have to be absolutely convinced you’re the real deal, that you’ll deliver results, or it could backfire on them.
There are plenty of strategies to ensure you deliver exceptional results that drive referrals, far too many to list in one post.
Referrals and word of mouth (WOM) marketing should be a key part of your strategy. And if you’re not receiving them regularly, something needs to change.
Here are a few questions to ponder:
Do you know how much of your new business comes from referrals?
Do you proactively ask for referrals?
Do your contacts know what problem you solve, how you solve it, and why you’re the best option?
Do you thank your referrers for thinking of you?
While you mull that over, I’m off to find a gym to work off a week’s worth of pizza, Prosecco, and coffee.
Ciao for now.