Referrals - Pretty Sweet!

Who doesn’t like a good referral?!  Whether you are being referred to a good restaurant, movie, doctor, dentist, or musical act, there is nothing better than getting advice from a friend or family member on something you are going to purchase or spend money on. Let me share a personal story on getting a type of referral.  I generally don’t go to the movie theatre nor do I consider myself a “sci-fi” genre type of guy.  So that being said, when the movie “Avatar” was released it didn’t peak my interest all that much.  In fact, I didn’t plan to see it at all!  That was until my brother called me and said he saw “Avatar” in IMAX 3D and thought the special effects were “like nothing he had ever seen before.”  He also explained the cost of the movie was a little more than regular admission but said it was well worth it. Now here is the payoff of a referral.  Because of this good review I am standing in line, at a movie theatre, by myself (how sad is that!) for a sci-fi film and paying more than I normally would!  All things I would never have done unless I was told the payoff was worth it.  Not a bad deal for James Cameron.  I have to note that the special effects were amazing and it was worth the time and money spent! Referrals can be just as good for small businesses.  When a business gets a referral they are extremely powerful because they have already been pre-sold on your business, products and services.  Along with this, referrals cost little or no money to obtain.  The prospects or customers generally have more trust in your company and are often ready to buy from you without as much work. So as you can see, referrals are your friend!  Whether you are a billion dollar production company getting a referral for a movie or a small business getting a referral for a new customer, just enjoy it and thank the good old referral gods!