The most reliable revenue growth comes in two forms: repeat sales and referral business. The better your skills for generating referral business, the faster your customer base will grow. The best strategy for building referrals is simply to get your customers talking about you. As your clients talk to potential new customers, more and more business will come right back to you.

The following three skills will get your customers talking about you-and building your business for you. Turn your client base into a network of enthusiastic sales representatives (who work for free!) eager to pass along your message and reputation.

Here are the three "B's" that will get your customers talking about you and your business:

1. Be Memorable

No matter your business type, competition for consumer dollars has never been tougher. Don't make the mistake of looking, acting or sounding exactly like the crowd. Think of a forest of evergreen trees. The bright red fruit of an apple tree stands out in that forest, saying, "Pick me!"

There are many ways to be memorable. For example:

* Incorporate marketing strategies that are different from your competition

* Dress to be remembered-wear an interesting tie or unique accessories

* Ask thought-provoking, insightful questions

2. Be Personable

In today's ever more impersonal world, people crave being heard and understood. Differentiate yourself from the crowd by making an effort to know your customers and to let them know you. Take time to find out what is important to them in their buying decision. Cultivate a genuine care for the satisfaction level of those you serve. Always remember that friends recommend friends to their friends-so be friendly!

Taking a personable approach is easy when you:

* Work at remembering names

* Let them hear you smile by your positive attitude

* Ask open-ended questions that get your clients talking about themselves

3. Be Excellent

Bottom line, your clients need expert information, advice and guidance in their buying decisions. To earn the reputation as the "go-to guy" in your field, learn more about your product or service than anyone else in your market. Stay ahead of the curve for your industry's trends. Add credibility to your expertise by obtaining the appropriate credentials and certifications. If you take the time to build your reputation as an expert in your field, new clients won't need to be convinced; they'll already be sold.

Being excellent is also about delivery of promises and quality of performance. Your customers will recommend you to others with confidence when they know you will live up to their praise. The reputation for excellence is hard to earn, but easy to lose. Let one referred client down, and your original client will never refer new business to you again.

You'll earn "excellent" customer ratings when you:

* Continue to improve your product or service

* Consistently provide on-time deliverables

* Never make promises you can't keep

Once you have put into practice these strategies for being memorable, personable and excellent in all you do, your clients will begin talking about you and your business. With time and consistent effort, your referred business will outgrow new sales from any other marketing source. The added bonus is that referred clients will also refer other new clients-and all of them will remain your loyal customers.