In 2016, a National Harris Poll surveyed 2000 Americans to measure sentiment on the power of referrals and recommendations from friends, family members, and business colleagues. While it is no surprise that the poll found that the opinion of others heavily influences our decisions, it was astounding to see that 82 percent of respondents said they actively sought advice before making a purchase. We also learned that some type of incentive structure plays a significant role in obtaining referrals.
We have enjoyed lengthy and happy relationships with PathGuide customers and, as a result, we have occasionally received unsolicited referrals to other companies needing warehouse management solutions. In 2017, we took casual referrals to the next level by offering a bonus to any current customer that introduced us to a new prospect that resulted in a sale of our Latitude WMS. We soft-launched the program via our Facebook page and used our regular communication channels to inform current customers of the referral offer.
Red-L Distributors, a Canadian customer since 2007, introduced us to Industrial Rubber Ltd. (IRP). IRP is a family-owned business with branches in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Mississauga and is a wholesale distributor of industrial hose, couplings, clamps, rubber, and matting. At the time of our first site visit, IRP was handling up to 200 orders pulled from 600-700 lines per day…all without a standard barcode and inventory system.
We knew that PathGuide’s Latitude WMS could make a tremendous difference in the IRP warehouse, from an efficiency and cost standpoint. Happily, IRP agreed – and the company is now one of the newest customers in the PathGuide family. As a result, Red-L is the first recipient of a $2,500 bonus in our referral program.
Congratulations and thanks to Red-L!