What a customer says about you is 1000 times more effective than anything you say. And I found out quite by accident that letting a potential customer talk with a happy customer is magic. A potential customer will call and see if you are worth the risk, and do a good job. That potential customer is wondering if they should let you and your employees into their home. And if they can get a first hand account from a satisfied customer, they will confident in your service. That is why references are more powerful than testimonials, if you use the right.

Early in my window cleaning business a potential customer asked for a couple of references. I didn’t have any references, but I didn’t want to lose the customer. So, I said sure let me run back to the office and call you with their phone numbers. I got back to the office and started calling the customers that I thought were thrilled with their window cleaning. When I got a list of 4 customers together I called the potential customer and gave her the references. A couple days later the potential customer called and set an appointment to get her windows cleaned. I found out later that she had called all four references to check me out. This new customer became a long term regular customer, and ended up referring just over 6% of my new business in her first year.

Letting a potential customer call a current customer works so well because of the honesty involved. As the business owner I’m naturally tell the potential customer what a wonderful guy I am. I’ll also tell the customer that I have excellent skills, and customer service. That is what the prospect expects me to say. However if the prospect calls a current customer and hears the same thing, then that is different. The customer has no financial gain, and no reason to be less than honest. It’s just one person talking to another. It also shows that I’m confident in my window cleaning business. The situation in not scripted, and the customer must be happy. They would not recommend a business that delivers a bad service.

How do I get customers to agree to being references? Simple really… I ask. the best time to ask is right after I finish a window cleaning job. The customer is telling me how nice the windows look. At that point I’ll ask if they would mind being a reference. If they are not enthusiastic, I’ll quickly back-off. You don’t want a less than enthusiastic customer as a reference. A lot of times people hesitate because they don’t like strangers calling, and I completely understand. Above all else I want to respect their privacy. Never, and I mean never use a customer as a reference without their permission.

Give this strategy a try in your window cleaning business. You will have customers closing jobs for you, and they will be better at it than you. References are a powerful marketing strategy that I don’t see used enough.