Word of mouth recommendations...

The Most Powerful Form Of Marketing.

The number one reason people pick one product over another — or even pick up a product in the first place — is due to recommendations from people they know.

 In other words, through word of mouth.

So how do you get positive word of mouth for your company?

Be Awesome!!!

A truly successful WOM campaign has its foundations in a business whose products, services, employees and leadership are awesome. Especially today, when online comments, reviews and posts can go viral in minutes, you can’t fake a good review. You can’t buy a genuine referral and you shouldn’t try.People will sniff out the fakery and you may find yourself farther behind than before you started.Your business has to be going above and beyond, your customers have to be really satisfied and have had positive experiences so that they speak genuinely.If you have any reason to believe your work or products aren’t up to snuff, take the time to investigate and learn exactly where you need to improve, before you get started.

Say Thank You.

We’re almost at the holidays, 

but there’s still time to pull up your customer database,

 identify your good customers and send them each a personalized thank you. Include a gift, if budget allows, but either way,

get a sincere “thank you” out the door to each and every one of them. It’s a perfect time to acknowledge your gratitude for the people who fuel your business success.

If your database of really good customers is so large that a personalized thank you is impractical, make sure to send out a sincere email message and a message of thanks on your website’s home page. Neither of those tactics have the impact that a gift and personalized card have, but, they’re better than nothing, and will be noted. Check with your employees. Do they have any good stories about your happy customers? How do they recommend you communicate with your happy customers?

Ask ?

Ask your customers what they think. Ask them to send you referrals. Ask them who they know that they can introduce you to. You won’t get as many positive responses, reviews, comments, shares in social media, likes or online and offline referrals if you don’t make a habit of asking for them from the outset. Having said that? Be mindful of the tone you use in asking. Make sure you don’t overdo it, be certain you and your employees are polite and respectful in requesting, and express your gratitude for your customers’ support.

Listen,

Pay attention to what your customers tell you. Also, listen closely to what your employees say. 

They’re on the front lines and are able to pick up valuable information from customers and prospects. 

Your employees often know the “back story” on what has made a customer feel really great,

 or as importantly, what has not worked and needs your attention. Start monitoring keywords related to your business and that of your competitors, so you can listen for online mentions of your company, products, customer service, 

and competitive information.

Make It 

Whatever form your WOM referral program takes, try to make it easy. Make it simple for your customers to share their comments with you and with others. This can mean adding a link to your online newsletter that allows a customer to click into a landing page where they can quickly give you a positive review. Or, giving them a postage paid postcard they write on and drop in the mail (antiquated, but it works). Think about what you are asking your customers to do for you, from their perspective, and then figure how to make it as effortless as possible for them to help you.

Make it easy for yourself, and for your employees, to get the program up and running and to monitor and maintain it.If you’ve never run a WOM referral program before, do a little research and see what other companies have done successfully that resonates for your market and customer base. Start small. You can always increase in both budget and activity.

Automate«««

Where possible, create systems and Automate the WOM campaign process. Once you’ve identified the range of your WOM referral program, the pieces and parts needed to promote it and the resources required to get it (and keep it) up and running, find a way to automate as much of it as possible. Whether you work with very simple tools like email and spread sheets or graduate to more sophisticated solutions like software developed specifically for WOM campaigns.

Track,

Monitor and track the results of your campaign and pay close attention to whether or not it’s working for you. You may need to fine tune your efforts, or go back to the drawing board and start anew. Tracking the results of your program, as well as the attendant costs and resources required, is an essential part of running a successful campaign; one that will help build business for you.

Promote!!!

As your WOM responses start to roll in, make sure you promote them. With your customers’ consent, share those positive comments in email, on your website, and in your social networks. Use those words, videos, or audio plaudits to keep your staff enthused and to build awareness of just how well your company provides for its customers.

Promote your customers too. Pay attention to what they do, where they spend time on and offline, and what they share. Help promote their efforts, introduce them to prospective customers of their own if you can, and help them by talking about their companies in favorable ways.

Rinse And Repeat,

As you work your way through the process, and through the months to come, you’ll start to see results. Those results will include an increase in new sales leads or sales themselves. You’ll notice increased mentions of your business name and top employees and you’ll even field calls directly from people who have been sent to you by your satisfied customers.

Pay close attention to what works, tweak what isn’t working, increase your budget and activity as you are able, and then rinse and repeat. Keep showing appreciation for the people who buy your products and services, for the people who work with you to make it all happen, and for the people they will be sending your way—the ones you haven’t even met yet.

How to create viral word of mouth?

The most impactful 17 minutes of your day!

winning and keeping customers...

 The importance of loyalty...

Here are some tips on, how you can keep your customers coming back to your business. Spreading the word about your offer

There are other associated benefits to fostering a lasting relationship with customers, including the fact that long-term customers are more likely to introduce your business to others via a verbal referral,

they're more likely to purchase other products from you

 and if they're completely happy with the service they're getting then why would they even think about switching to a competitor? If the business is maintaining good customer relations and keeping people loyal and satisfied, this also creates a happy workforce, with increased job satisfaction. Look at it this way: if the customer has been loyal to the company for some time, he or she will require less help and have fewer problems to deal with.

Clearly there are a great many benefits to keeping hold of current customers. But modern customers are smart - they're not happy to deal with you simply because they know you or your office is nearby or even because it's the easiest option. These days, people know how to get the best deal and will be happy to pop off to a competitor quicker than you can say "nice knowing you" if you don't give them what they need. So, short of locking the doors and refusing to let people go until they pledge to stay loyal to you for the rest of their days, how do you keep people coming back for more?

Make promises you can keep.

The bad news is that there doesn't seem to be one particular foolproof method. If there was, everyone would be doing it. Firms that can boast great success in their customer retention endeavours often have one thing in common though - great customer service. It's no good promising a customer the world at your initial meeting if three months down the line they discover you don't have the manpower, skills or knowledge to go about fulfiling your pledges. You have to make promises you can keep and be able to provide what the customer demands. And you must do it better than any of your competitors. 

As all great gurus will tell you, the first thing you need to do is look within. In this case, that means within your business. Employing staff who are enthusiastic and who actually know what they're talking about will do wonders for the reputation of the firm. How many times have you walked into a shop and asked for some advice, only to be met with a blank stare from the shop assistant? It's frustrating if the customer contact person has no clue about what they're actually selling - so staff training is key. In fact, staff are frequently listed as a company's biggest asset and, as such, they deserve a good chance to develop in their roles. Business representatives need to be taught to exercise good judgment and take the initiative when it comes to problem solving. 

Communication is a vital part of keeping customers satisfied. It's important to listen to your customers. Make sure you communicate well, too, with a customer magazine or newsletter to keep customers well-informed. An employee newsletter is also an effective way of keeping staff informed of new products, changes and good practice.

Rewarding loyalty

Tried and tested methods of customer retention also involve rewarding people for their loyalty and giving customers something tangible - a real reason to come back to your firm. Incentives to return could include add-ons, vouchers, loyalty discounts or cards, special pricing and bonuses and gifts for ordering through a website.

Above all, keeping customers happy should mean that actions speak louder than words. A proven rather than promised commitment will put you way ahead of the competition.

 The most impactful 17 minutes of your day!