I totally agree with you, if I tell my relatives that a certain tech company aren't good, regardless of how much the company spends on advertising, my relas will always consult me first. And thanks, I have just gotten a marketing strategy for my business From: skunkworks-bounces@lists.my.co.ke [mailto:skunkworks-bounces@lists.my.co.ke] On Behalf Of Daudi Were Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2009 10:57 AM To: Skunkworks forum Subject: [Skunkworks] The value of a referral Good morning Skunks, Recently I have been inundated by calls from relatives/friends/acquaintances/clients about which ISP they should use for internet services at home/office etc. and I usually recommend the services I use as I can be honest about what they can expect based on my own experience (with the usual YMMV warnings). Then I got thinking, when I was in the UK each time I referred a customer to my ISP and they signed up I would get 1 months free bandwidth. Each time you referred a new customer to a satellite TV company once they signed up you would BOTH get 1 month free on the premium package. Mobile phone companies had the same incentives if you got them a new customer to sign up for a post-paid package.Even my web host gives me a free one month discount for referring a new customer to them! Peanuts for them but at least I feel appreciated! Basically these companies understand the very high value of a word of mouth referral. For example, when my mother asks me which ISP she should install in her house she is going to trust what I say and will happily sign the 12 month contract on that basis. You can send her 20 sales people but they will not be able to convince her as surely as I can in 10 minutes simply because of my relationship with her. The same goes for other family, friends etc. These referrals save ISPs money (they dont have to send someone out to make the sale) and it makes ISPs money (they get a new client locked into a 12 month contract). Now why don't Kenyan ISPs encourage us to make these referrals. I asked my ISP and I was told they "do not do that". Come on, I am bring you new clients and making you money and I am already a long term customer. Show some appreciation! One ISP even told me that it sounded like I wanted a bribe! Ala? They could not see the logic of reward current customers, especially when they are bringing in new ones! -- Pamoja e:daudi.were@gmail.com <mailto:e%3Adaudi.were@gmail.com> skype: d.were