Referral Networks Effectively Grow Your Residential Cleaning Business

Word of mouth works, period. How many countless conversations have you had with friends and relatives about certain products or services you currently use and how you are head over heels about it? Or in some cases, mad as hell! Sure, you can read all the reviews you want and they can be very helpful but it's nothing like a referral from someone close to you, who's endorsement you trust.

It's your referral network of friends and family that freely share information about the products and services THEY use that you pay the most attention to. What about the new smart phone your “bestie” just got? The pet lodge your parents just brought Daisy to? If you find a great hairdresser, don't you freely offer where you got the great color and cut from? People love to share positive information, hoping their friends and family experience the same satisfaction and gratification.

One of the best ways to grow your residential cleaning business is to get referrals!

Referral Networks to Grow Your Cleaning Business

The same is true when it comes to business referrals. People take colleagues, coworkers, and associates at their word and feel they are trustworthy. If they refer a company, they must be happy with that company. After all, they surely wouldn't put their reputation on the line by referring a company they were less than thrilled about.

One of the best ways to grow your residential cleaning business is to get referrals. And while most cleaning business owners are tickled to receive a referral, they aren't actively pursuing them. That is definitely the slow route to business growth. To really get your clients to work for you, it's important to encourage referrals. You do this by developing and implementing a business referral strategy.

This business-generating strategy may sound complicated, but it's really quite simple. All you need to do is set up a system to track where referrals come from, and then reward the individuals (including your own employees) that have sent new business your way.

What to do before seeking client referrals

But before you begin actively seeking referrals, take a look at your clients and make sure that they are happy with your services. If you're not sure how they feel about your cleaning services, send out a customer survey to see what areas they are happy with and where you might need improvement. There are also a few simple, but often neglected rules of courtesy that you should adhere to:

• Be on time. Make sure that you show up on time to clean the homes. If you are delayed for some reason, explain why you were late to your client.
• Respond quickly. If a client calls with a concern, make sure you or a key person in your company is available to talk and then take care of it as quickly as possible.
• Do what you say you are going to do. If you promised to perform extra detail work for the homeowner, do it! Don't make up excuses as to why it wasn't done.
• Make sure you and your staff are courteous at all times. Remind your cleaning staff to be polite, smile, and to say please and thank you around home owners and co-workers.

You may provide the best cleaning service in town, but what your client will remember is that one time you or a staff member dropped the ball by not taking care of a problem or was rather impolite on the phone or during a home cleaning.

Set up your Referral Machine

Once you are happy with the level of service you are providing your customers, it's time to set up your "referral machine". Think of it as a 2-step process. The first step is to reward any referral you receive, whether a good referral or not.

Sometimes we receive referrals from clients or networking buddies that are not exactly what we were looking for. I know that in our business, we didn't like move-in/move-out cleanings because they were often a one-time cleaning. Like many of you, we wanted more recurring clients. So when we received a referral for a move-out cleaning, it was a nice feeling knowing that our client made the effort to refer us, but it was also a let-down that it was not our ideal client. 

2-Step Referral Process

We always take a 2-step approach when receiving referrals. 

1. After talking to the prospect that was referred to us, we immediately send the person who made the referral a personalized thank you letter or card - regardless of whether or not it results in a new client. This acknowledges that we are grateful they took the time to refer our company. If the referral was not ideal for us and we know that they will not become a client, we will let the referrer know that it did not result in a new client but we still appreciate the gesture. 
2. If the referral DOES result in a new client, we recommend including a gift card as appreciation to the referrer. The amount of the gift card can be in the $10-$25 range. It really depends on the new client and your personal preference. Starbucks, Amazon, and local restaurants are a few favorites for many people.

The gift itself doesn't matter as much as the fact that you're acknowledging your clients, employees and networking buddies for their generosity in referring your business. And if they are giving you not-so-ideal referrals, do yourself (and them) a favor by letting them know what an ideal client looks like for your business.

More ideas for getting referrals

How do you get more referrals? Ask! Think of the different ways you communicate with your clients and others who could refer your business.

1. GIVE referrals! When people receive referrals from you, they are much more likely to try and reciprocate. So the more referrals you give to other business owners (hair salons, restaurants, massage therapy), the more referrals you will receive. 
2. Do you send out a newsletter? That's the perfect place to let your clients know you appreciate their business and that you are accepting new cleaning customers. It's also a great way to educate them on what type of clients you're looking for, and who is NOT ideal. The other option is to draft a referral letter to mail to your clients explaining the program.
3. Call or schedule an appointment with your current clients to discuss how things are going. Assuming they're thrilled with your service, ask if you can give them a referral form that they can keep on hand. Make sure you have a tracking number on the form or a place where your client can write their name so they get the credit for the referral. 
4. Put together a list of the individuals and businesses that could send referrals to you. This includes not only current customers, but employees, networking buddies, suppliers and professional service providers (your accountant, lawyer, insurance agent, etc.). Send information to all the individuals on your list letting them know you are building your business and are looking for referrals. Let them know who is a good referral for your business.
5. Ask clients for online reviews. A great review is also a great referral! Since more people are relying on online reviews to make buying decisions, having lots of satisfied clients writing rave reviews will make a big difference for your business – not to mention it can help boost search ranking on Google!

Creating a referral strategy and getting that referral machine up and running smoothly is without a doubt one of the best ways to kick your cleaning business into high gear. Referrals are out there, we just forget to ask for them. Keep providing exceptional service and get the word out to your satisfied clients and also your network of friends that you would love for them to help you out by referring your business. And start tapping into a new source of customers you never thought possible.

In addition to your referral strategy, isn't it time you create a plan for getting more website testimonials and online reviews? More Reviews Now is an automated system for getting more online reviews and testimonials. Simply send clients your email request after cleaning their home and the system takes care of the rest! More Reviews Now also monitors feedback from various review sites like Google, Yelp, Facebook and more! Whenever someone leaves you a review (good or bad), you'll be alerted so you can respond quickly Sign up today and start getting More Reviews NOW!