We are all familiar with the concept of the “sales funnel” – the progression through which we cultivate and distill our broad audience of prospects to coveted revenue-generating customers. There is another tool available to support our sales development efforts that gets far less attention and is typically under-utilized – the “sales megaphone.” The megaphone analogy has been widely referenced in the sales industry, but here I am talking about the concept in terms of unleashing the power of our current customers to “broadcast” their positive experiences via referrals and testimonials. Just as we work to bring leads in closer through the sales funnel, we must work to generate positive outbound publicity regarding the benefits of us/our organization/our solutions. How do we do that? By delivering results, exceeding expectations, going far beyond “selling” to develop meaningful relationships and function as a valued partner.

Cultivating raving fans in your customer base is often about your actions after the sale has closed and the product/service has been delivered. We must never stop looking for opportunities to engage, add value, offer input and demonstrate a long-term commitment to our customers’ success. We should model the behavior we seek in customers – never missing an opportunity to recommend individuals and organizations on social media or make referrals and connections among our business contacts.

Referrals produce the strongest leads. Fortunately, it’s in our nature as social beings to share exceptional experiences and recommend valuable resources to friends and colleagues. We just need to give customers an experience worth talking about!