Creating a referral partnership program for your moving company can generate a constant stream of new customers for your business.
What makes this type of lead generation unique is that it combines word-of-mouth advertising with digital marketing technology to capture leads and track referrals. Here are some ideas for how to establish mutually beneficial referral partnerships with other professionals and businesses.
Real estate agents will be your best source for referrals, and we’ll talk more about how to work with them in a minute. That said, by no means are they your only source of leads. Think about all of the businesses that regularly interact with people who are moving:
Real estate agents are ideal for referral partnerships with moving companies. People look to their realtors for advice on everything related to moving. Most people trust their agents’ recommendations for title insurance, real estate attorneys, home inspectors, and even mortgage lenders—so their recommendations for moving companies are also valuable. Most people don't want to have to spend hours researching movers on top of everything else on their to-do list when they're buying or selling a home.
How do you go about forming referral relationships with real estate agents and other local businesses? Before you do anything else, you’ll need to have a good system in place for keeping track of your partnerships and leads. You'll have all the tools you need to launch a successful referral program when you utilize SmartMoving for your moving company. Your partners will be able to personalize their own referral sites, allowing you (and them) to track the leads they send your way. This shows that you're running a professional operation and gives partners confidence in your program.
Next, you’ll need to start introducing yourself to potential partners. Simple emails that talk about the benefits of joining your referral program will suffice if you're on a tight marketing budget. Outreach should be an ongoing process; start with real estate agents and other businesses that you feel you have the best prospects with, then work your way down to smaller businesses that may not send as many leads your way.
If you have money in your marketing budget to devote to building your referral program, print some marketing materials that include information about your moving company and referral program and send them to local realtors and businesses. If there’s a particular real estate agency you’d really like to partner with, consider sending brochures and business cards with a box of cookies or bagels from a favorite local bakery. Offer an incentive to sign up, like a gift card or entry in a drawing.
Once you've gotten real estate agents and other professionals interested in your referral program, provide them personalized referral cards that include their direct URL so they will receive credit for their referrals. You might want to include a discount offer on these cards, as well as important information about your moving company like how long you’ve been in business, your ratings on Google or Yelp, and advantages of choosing your company over others.
Start increasing your referral partnerships with SmartMoving’s affiliate portal. Click here for your free demo to learn more.