Before Facebook and Internet, most small businesses were built on word-of-mouth advertising. Today, lightning fast social media can reach hundreds even thousands in an instant, and slick websites can tell your story with beautiful photos and articles. But it’s YOU that you’re marketing, and YOU that’s getting new business or not. You are your product, your service, your brand. You are the one who gets hired or fired, re-hired or referred.
They say “good news travels fast, but bad news travels faster,” “do a good job and she’ll tell a friend, do a bad job and she’ll tell 5 friends.” To me, a referral is the ultimate compliment. It means you not only like what I did for you, but also that you trust me to take care of your friend.
Today I got a call from a woman who needs some help with the daunting task of choosing paint colors for her open-floor-plan home. Her name is Jill. Jill was referred by her friend April, who was referred by her mother Lois, who was referred by her daughter-in-law Kate, who was referred by her mother Susan, who was referred by her friend Linda, who is my neighbor. I’ve helped all of these ladies decorate their homes. That’s 6 degrees of decorating referrals, a new milestone for me!
So, thank you for visiting my website and reading my blog, but unless you’re inclined to pick up the phone and call me to help you decorate your home, I still believe referrals are the best advertising. Maybe you’ll tell a friend?
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