Generating referrals

Overview: Generating massage referrals

Referrals and word of mouth are the bread and butter of any massage practice’s client base. Building upon existing success by optimizing referral opportunities is a quick way to build a thriving practice.

Existing referrals and word of mouth occur largely as happenstance conversations in small group or one-on-one settings. Its Suzy telling her friend Dawn about this killer massage she just got. While effective, this misses out on people who just don’t talk much about massage with their friends and requires that the same conversation occur with multiple people at multiple times.

Online tools can be used to enhance the number of conversations taking place as well as recording them for future reference. This opens up new possibilities to increase the number, and quality, of referrals especially over time.

Goals

Increase the number of referrals generated by a single happy client
• Conversations with friends and family
• Targeted emails to those who may be interested
• Broadcast of referral that may interest those in client’s circle
• Repository of referrals that can be found by client’s friends

Toolkit

• Automated request: Referral requested from every happy customer
• Amplifier: Referral easy to transmit to multiple people at once, both directly and indirectly
• Accessible Record: Referral linked to customer over time (e.g., stored online and searchable)
• Sendable material: Updates or other information pieces that can be forwarded on with positive comments

Example Resources

• “Share with friends” tool
• Automated referral request after a visit
• Informative newsletter
• Searchable reviews tied to client names