referrals: are they your responsibility?
Where do we draw the line on referral responsibility? If I make a recommendation to a client for a graphic designer, a web coder, a videographer…at what point does the client take ownership for working with that referral?
I’m not sure there’s a clear line.
If you think about it from the perspective of a successful referral, there’s no problem – it’s essentially the gift that keeps on giving. A client will forever hail you as the one that found them the web designer of all web designers who captured and created their look and launched them into the webosphere and ultimate success.
But if it goes wrong, you get emails complaining about the bad work that was done or the unreturned phone calls or the cost or the…
I’ve created some guidelines to handle the unpleasant side of this referral world:
1. Know your referrals. Feel really good about the people you refer and that’s half the battle right there.
2. Be honest in your referral. You don’t have to say, ‘they are the absolute best’ – you can say, “I love his work, but he’s really busy, so he isn’t always easy to get in touch with.” This way, you have presented the facts and the client is left to make a good decision.
3. A variation on #2 is to offer a few referrals, such as 2-3 designers, saying this is what I like about each person – and then encourage your client to make the choice.
4. Encourage your client to do their own homework. Ask them to call your referrals, look at their websites, request additional references. Let them know that you are making suggestions, but they need to make sure it will be a good fit.
5. Make sure that you say things such as, “This was my experience.” You would never want to present something as universal.
This issue is rife with pitfalls…I’d love to hear from your brilliant minds.
Filed under The Business | Tags: client relationships, client support, copywriting, Julie Roads, referrals, Writing Roads | Comments (4)clean copywriting: the difference between a referral and a guarantee
So last night I was barbecuing shrimp. I wasn’t wearing an apron, and I sloshed raw shrimp juice all over myself. And it got me thinking about keeping things where they are supposed to be: marinade in bowl, shrimp on grill, my work in my office, my responsibility in my writing.
Oftentimes, I take on the role of project manager for my clients – pulling together graphic designers, data base creation, web designers, web techs, researchers, printers, mailing services and the like. Over the years, I’ve created some wonderful partnerships with individuals and companies in these fields, and I recommend them to my clients because I believe in their work.
But, I have to be careful. I can not in any way guarantee any work but my own. My advice to all copywriters, and service providers in general, is that you establish this fact in both your proposal and your contract. This way, if it comes up, you’re covered. If it doesn’t, you aren’t the freak that says, “I highly recommend this printer, but if they make any mistakes it isn’t my fault…” and then starts tripping over yourself, “not that they would make any mistakes, they’re great but, just in case…” OY.
Keep it clean:
1. Pick good, dependable, trustworthy partners.
2. Do not guarantee any work but your own.
3. State clear boundaries in your proposals and contracts.
4. Wear an apron…the last thing you need to deal with is raw shrimp juice – believe me, it smells.
DISCLAIMER- this is NOT a picture of anyone I know – for goodness sake, people. The apron pictures available on the web are so terrible, I decided to showcase the absolute worst that I could find. Forgive me.
Permission Marketing or Avoiding SPAM
Many of my clients don’t like marketing. They like increased sales and exposure, but they cringe at the thought of self-promotion, cold calls, selling - and the cheesey father of all of these – SPAM.
This is why I love permission marketing…and the internet…and blogging. Referrals from trusted sources are the most qualified prospects, and blogging and blog marketing allow you to circumnavigate the ‘cringe’ part of marketing and capitalize (literally) on the permissed, referral aspect.
It’s simple and based on the following concepts and action plan:
1. I sell my product/service online.
2. I have a list that I blog to regularly – they love me and trust me.
3. I am always looking for quality content to post on my blog for my list.
4. I find a ‘tangent’ site selling to my demographic, but selling a different product/service – we are not competitors.
5. We connect – I email or comment on their blog.
6. #1,2, & 3 are also true for this ‘tangent’ site.
7. We realize that we can help each other out.
8. I post something about this ‘tangent’ site on my blog, with a quality link, and a strong referral (that I wholeheartedly believe in). The ‘tangent’ site does the same for me.
9. We are both offering our lists something of value AND we have just received a quality referral from a trust source to a new group within our demographic.
10. Everyone wins…no SPAM, no cold calls, value to list, increased traffic, sales, happiness.
Filed under How To, Marketing | Tags: blog, blog marketing, permission marketing, referrals, spam | Comment (0)
