Sales Toolbox:  Word of Mouth
Tool:  Dental Floss

Are your customers talking about the spinach in your teeth or how great you are? 

“Word of mouth” is BY FAR your most effective, most powerful, and least expensive way to advertise your business.  I’ll address my thoughts on advertising later in the series; but your best bet is to get people talking about you – in a good way. 

All of your marketing is worthless if you can’t get people talking about how great you are.  Yeah, that sounds harsh, but it’s 100% true. 

Put yourself in the position of your potential customer.  You need a photographer or a florist or a roofing contractor.  Where do you start your research? 

You ask your friends. 

You ask people you trust what they think.  You ask your friend who just had a new roof installed or your other friend who got married last summer.  You ask your friends about their experience with a particular business.  When your friend shares their experience, they just became a salesperson without realizing it.  If they had a great experience with a business, that’s the business you call first.  If they had a bad experience, you’re not picking up the phone and you and your friend are probably telling even more people about how lousy that business is. 

Just having a business doesn’t mean you’ll get business.  Business has to be earned.  You earn it by “wow-ing” your customers.  You earn it by giving your customers a “wow” experience naturally creates word of mouth advertising.  It’s a great advantage being in the wedding industry, too – women are talkers, aren’t we?

Think about your last five customers.  How did they initially hear about you?  Was it your great print advertising or radio spot - or did they hear from a friend?

You’ve experienced this before, right?  If you think people aren’t talking, you’re crazy.  If you’re not sure what they’re saying when they’re talking, you’re in a very dangerous position. 

So, how do you get people talking positively and find out what they’re saying?

Testimonials – more on that next time.
~ Kerri Smith

Kerri Smith has a background in sales/marketing and is an owner of Nittany Weddings.  She and her husband also own Idea-Machine Consulting , which helps businesses use the internet to increase their bottom line.