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These days, a referral is as good as gold. In our monthly Peer2Peer, we surveyed our readers to find out how their customers are finding them, and the majority (68%) are coming from referrals. It's normal for people to spread the word when they've found a bargain, gotten a great deal, or been extremely pleased with a purchase or service. It's just as common for folks to let even more people know when they're dissatisfied or outraged.
Do you treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself? Not only your clients, but those around you? "I can't emphasize enough how important it is to surround yourself with a crew you trust," says Brian Kuhlmann, this month's commercial photographer PROfile. A referral may not just come from your customers, but also from your staff, vendors, art directors, or guests at an affair you're shooting. Politicians and celebrities know firsthand how easy it is to have comments taken out of context or how a lapse in judgment can ruin years of goodwill.
In our digital world, it's easier than ever to spread the word. Many websites allow users to rate stories so others will know how popular they are. Networking sites like LinkedIn allow professionals to link with one another and join groups of like-minded individuals; MySpace and Facebook are more social forms of social-networking websites. Plus blogs are sprouting on the web faster than weeds grow in a garden. Most of these outlets are beneficial to others—and they allow folks to spread the word faster and further than ever before.
In fact, we're now allowing visitors to post comments at the bottom of each article on our own website, www.imaginginfo.com. We welcome your comments.
Best,
diane.berkenfeld@cygnusb2b.com
author: BY DIANE BERKENFELD