How Do Almost All Top Software Companies End Up Getting 20-50% Of Their New Customers From Their Existing Customers?

Are you ready for a Challenge?  Join me LIVE with other CEO’s, Founders and Revenue Leaders from August 2nd-6th at the Referrals for Revenue Challenge: https://www.referralsforrevenuechallenge.com/go

In looking at how many software companies are growing their base, I am finding that some of the more successful ones are really investing in referrals. Now, you know I love referrals as an easy way to grow revenue, so I thought it was worth diving into a bit more.

There are 3 ways to increase your WOM Metrics:
Measure
Mandate
Magnify

Measure:

A lot of companies don’t track what percentage of customers comes from word of mouth.

This is a key metric.

HubSpot is a ninja in marketing and content marketing and 33% of their revenue comes from word of mouth referrals.

Mandate:

It has to be a mandatory work flow to ask “Where did you hear about us?”. 

Ask at multiple points in the sales cycle – sales reps need to be asking and it needs to be built in the automation.

Magnify:

If you focus on it, it grows.

If you set a goal for the metric, it grows.

Bill.com just had an IPO and saw 50% of customers come from other customers.

If your percentage of WOM grows over time, that’s a good sign.

This is how I grew my business, starting from zero, with no marketing department or anything.

Accelerate It By:
Getting your customer the outcome they need with the solution you provide.
What is your mini-brand (niche)? Focus on that before you start expanding.
Systemize the referral process.
Don’t get distracted. Stay focused on where you have synergy.
Share social wins.

I’m such a fan of referrals because:

Referrals are the cheapest traffic you can get.

They cut the sales cycle in half.

They are 120-150% more profitable. 

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