Implementing a Referral Service: Send Thank You Cards and Offer Discounts to Clients that Refer New Customers

Let’s say you bought a new car last year. You were happy with the service you received, and when your friends were looking for a car, you passed on your satisfaction with the agency you used and the name of the sales representative. Your friends went to the dealership and bought a new car. A few days later you received a thank you card in the mail, along with a gift certificate for dinner for two at a local restaurant, as a way of saying “thank you, I appreciate you.” How will you feel about that salesman and his dealership? Probably very good. You’ll want to do business with them again in the future and send more referrals their way. The same is true in your aesthetics business.

The practice of expressing thanks to clients who send you referral business is simply good for business, as well as being polite. It can be as simple as sending out a handwritten note. If you have the budget, postcards can be printed with your company information. Many however simply go to the local discount store and find pre-printed thank you cards with envelopes at a reasonable price and use them.

Many spas will include a gift certificate for services, or a discount coupon along with the thank you card. If you think about it, while it does cost you a little bit to send a gift certificate, this is a tangible expression of appreciation to some one who has made you money, so using a small percentage of that money as a public relations measure is a good marketing move. This person has already indicated a willingness to pass along good word of mouth, advertising that you cannot buy, but that you can encourage and this is one of the best methods of encouragement. With the high cost of radio, TV and newspaper advertising, take advantage of the low cost of referrals by keeping clients happy.

Some business owners never acknowledge referrals, and that is a tragic mistake. Clients are people, and all people like to be acknowledged, and like to have someone else say “thank you.” This isn’t buying loyalty, but is simply using your promotional common sense. Sending out thank you notes, certificates of appreciation and discount coupons, along with your business card, to sources of referrals is just good business.