“Get Customers to Sell for You”, a Fortune Small Business article, suggests a simple metric that measures referrals and helps boost profits. Here’s how it works. First, you ask your customers to rate you on a scale of 0-10 based on the question, How likely are you to recommend this company to a friend or colleague? The responses are sorted into: promoters (9’s & 10’s), passives (7’s & 8’s), and detractors (0’s through 6’s). The percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors equals your score.
The goal is to relentlessly drive up this score. This is achieved by asking a few additional questions, beginning with: May I follow up with you later? You want constructive criticism from willing customers. You contact those who agree to talk and ask one final question: Why did you give us this rating?
Detractors will often provide very useful feedback since unhappy customers are often very willing to talk. They will also potentially reveal shortcomings in your company. Taking the time to reach a detractor can be difficult for small businesses with limited resources. On the other hand, it may be a way to get information that leads to changes that makes a significant difference in the profitability of your business.
If you have a large enough company, consider having your sales people follow up with the promoters. This will help energize your sales people and help them tailor their pitch to potential customers. Have someone else in the office follow up with 7’s & 8’s, which often represent your “silent attrition group.” It’s likely that something is nagging them but they’re just satisfied enough not to complain. Have someone at the top of your company follow up with those who give the lowest scores. Many will appreciate the call from someone at the top and there may be a pattern that emerges.
Consider using promoters for marketing by giving them free samples & information packs or the equivalent to give out to others. Another idea is to create an online forum or exchange e-mails with detractors on your ideas for improvement. Many will be flattered that you asked and it helps open the door to them increasing their opinion of you.
Software is available to help you keep track of the responses but even a simple spreadsheet may suffice. To read the whole article go to: http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/21/smallbusiness/customers_sell_for_you.fsb/index.htm?postversion=2008052714.
