How to Ask Your Customers for a Letter of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation, also known as referral letters, can give your business an edge over competition. Rather than just taking your word that you do a good job or provide great customer service, letters of recommendation are from actual clients who are satisfied with your product or level of service. They can be effective sales tools to attract new customers and generate revenue for your organization. There are many ways to go about asking for a referral letter from your current clients.

Instructions

1. Ask for the letter of recommendation at the proper time. One of the ideal times for requesting a letter of referral is when you've just wrapped up a project. Satisfied clients still have the sales experience fresh on their minds and will be able to include details and specifics in their letter. You may not want to ask for the letter on the actual sales day -- wait a week and then call the client to follow up with him. Ask him how everything is and if there's anything else you can do for him. When he expresses satisfaction, ask if he will give you a letter of recommendation.

2. Explain how the letter of recommendation will be used. Most clients will want to know how you plan to use and where you plan to display their name and reputation. For example, you may want to send the letter to prospective clients in a media kit that includes a general sales letter, pricing sheets and other sales materials. You may want to include excerpts of the letter of recommendation on your company website as a customer testimonial. No matter how you plan to use it, communicate your plans to your customer.

3. Offer to write the letter yourself if the customer is wants to provide one, but simply doesn't have the time to do so. Many clients are too busy to write referrals. However, they do believe in your product and had a great customer service experience. In this case, you can simply write the letter and they will sign it.

4. Ask for permission to give the client's contact information to prospective customers who may want to do a reference check before doing business with your company. This way, your client won't be caught off guard if someone calls him.

5. Thank your customer for not only being an excellent client, but for helping you grow your business. Let him know how much you appreciate your working relationship. You may even want to offer him a discount on future services for doing you this favor.

References

• Tech Republic' Cultivating Great Client Recommendations; Meredith Little; September 2001
• Great Business Letters; Requesting a Reference From Your Client; Garry Crystal; August 2010
• Entrepreneur; Getting Referrals That Count; Ivan Misner; November 2005