Did you know that your current landscaping clients can help you to get new customers? When it comes to new client acquisition, word-of-mouth referrals are still one of the most powerful tools at a landscaping company’s disposal. That’s why it’s essential for landscaping businesses to include a referral program in their marketing strategies.
This article is for you if you’re ready to ask for referrals from your loyal customers, so you can build relationships with new customers. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about building a landscaping referral program and how you can get started today.
What is a Landscaping Customer Referral Program?
A landscaping customer referral program is a marketing strategy where new business is driven by current customers. It’s like a formal “word-of-mouth” program.
A referral program works by offering your current customer base referral rewards (i.e., coupons, gift cards, discounts, merchandise, etc.) in exchange for them referring a new customer to your lawn care business.
It’s essential to note that referral gifts and referral incentives should increase depending on the number of new and potential customers an individual brings your way.
How Do I Build A Landscaping Referral Program?
Every landscaping company and customer base is slightly different. For example, one lawn care company might target commercial contracts (i.e., local businesses, small business owners, apartment complexes, etc.). In contrast, another landscaping business may focus exclusively on offering lawn mowing services to homeowners.
Generally, you should consider the following steps when building a landscaping referral program.
1. Make a customer referral template.
You’ll need a customer referral template for all types of circumstances, including templates for email marketing, social media posts, direct mailers, and in-person encounters. Every template should include the same information.
2. Set your goals
Is revenue the priority? What about brand awareness, retention, or acquiring specific clientele? Explicitly define your goals for your referral campaign. Make them ambitious but achievable.
3. Assess how your current referral system is working
Where are the leads coming from? What is your average customer value? How many referrals do you need to break even? It’s important to remember that referred customers are more loyal and more profitable.
4. Define your ideal customer
An excellent method to incentive referrals for specific types of customers (i.e., commercial, large properties, realtors, etc.) is to offer outstanding referral rewards for ideal clients and ask for referrals from current customers with a similar profile.
5. Build a list of referral sources
Determining current and potential referral sources can give your marketing team direction when developing a referral program. A few of the best sources for referrals include:
- Local networking groups
- Coworking spaces
- Local chambers of commerce
- Community programs and events
- Social media groups
- And more
6. Establish your incentives
When it comes to referrals, your customers will first consider their satisfaction with your service. The second motivating factor is the incentives offered. For example, a “$5.00 off” referral incentive won’t be as motivational as a free lawn mowing certificate.
7. Track your success
There’s no point in setting up a customer referral program if you’re not going to track your successes and failures. With that in mind, tracking the metrics of every referral channel you have can be beneficial. That can include monitoring the following:
- The number of referrals per month from each channel
- The type of customers that are typically referred to you
- Average sales from referred customers vs. non-referred customers
Tracking all of this information can take time and effort. A CRM (customer relationship management) system for landscapers can help automate the process and generate custom reports.
8. Don’t forget to say “Thank You”!
Do you know what gives a happy customer an even more positive experience? A personalized thank you note. In addition to the incentives you promise clients that refer business, always remember to thank them for trusting you enough to spread the word about your lawn care business. Further, ensure that you follow up with referred clients as quickly as possible.
H3: 9. Keep refining and improving your program
The better you track your landscaping customer referral program, the more you can improve the process. The more you improve, the lower your marketing costs, and the faster your business can grow.
Building an efficient and successful landscaping referral program takes time, trial and error, and persistence. Taking the steps in this guide today will lay the foundation for your landscaping referral program of tomorrow.
Are you interested in exploring new possibilities for your landscaping or lawn care business? Find out how Green Group helps companies like yours work and prosper in a different way.
