Everyone knows that referrals and word of mouth generate the best prospects. Ones where the trust is already well established and the sale is easy.
Given that fact it is amazing how few companies have vigorous programs to increase referrals and generate “buzz” about their company, products or services.
Let’s carefully distinguish between these two things. “Referral” is a person telling another person about you and recommending you. I’ll talk more about this tomorrow.
“Word of Mouth” is people talking about you. It isn’t necessarily person-to-person. It isn’t necessarily a recommendation. But it spreads awareness and helps to build a reputation.
People talk about a “buzz”, they are referring to just that. There is NOTHING better than a buzz about one’s product or service. This is so true that it is almost impossible for an author to get his first best seller any other way. That’s why everyone wants their book mentioned by Oprah. Instant buzz, instant bestseller.
Not every business, product or service is amenable to creating a buzz. The fact is, many of them are just too ordinary to generate any excitement.
BUT you’d be surprised. Here’s a great example from “Groundswell” an excellent book on the use of Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other “new social technologies”.
Blendtec is a company that makes super-robust blenders. They did a series of videos using their blenders to grind up all sorts of things – an iPhone for example.
That spread across the Net like wildfire of course, and gave their sales a huge boost.
Of course, the most basic word of mouth is simply happy customers talking up your products or services. So you’d better make sure your customers ARE happy.
But it’s worth sitting down and trying to come up with something, a bright idea and a way to spread it.
Realize it has got to be GOOD or it’ll never get noticed. But it can be done. People are doing it every day.
Word of Mouth
