Hey marketers out there: How many times have you had this kind of conversation…?
At a party or other social event, you’re introduced to someone who’s opening a new business. “That’s great,” you say politely. “How are you going to market it?”
Their response? “Oh, I don’t believe in that kind of stuff. I think word of mouth is the best kind of marketing.”
Sigh. As a matter of fact, genuine WOM …. the kind that generates referrals …. is terrific. But unfortunately, 99% of the people who say “word of mouth” really mean, “I’m not going to do anything.” They use WOM as a rationalization for passivity. And in the real word of business, passivity equals death.
“Word-of-mouth” does not mean “sitting-on-behind” (SOB). Real WOM demands careful planning, hard work and persistence. It means crafting a memorable message, developing an engaging business persona, identifying appropriate media or social networks, targeting key influencers/talkers and, perhaps, creating a rewards program for your most active spokespeople. It’s a major investment, but one that can be well worth doing. It’s a very active program.
When we advocate WOM, we have to take pains to articulate exactly what we mean …. and all the activity and investment WOM really involves. Otherwise, we’ll face a sea of prospects who’ll use WOM as an excuse to slash their marketing budgets, content to let their customers magically come to them. And in fact they will sit and wait. And wait. And wait–
Well said. Businesses need to understand that WOM is simply one tool in a Marketer’s tool kit. An important one to be sure but like any tool it needs to be pulled from the kit and wielded by a professional to yield results. Waiting for it to happen on its own is a death knell.
LOL… SOB is funny. Good stuff.
Some good points and, unfortunately, something I have heard far too many times. Often this is followed up by a similar dinner party conversation a year later with the person commenting on how they tried, but most businesses fail anyway. But, alas, they have another idea. Ugh.
The only thing I might add to the list of things you need to do to generate true WOM is giving your “influencers/talkers” something to talk about. Sure, they know your product, but imagine if you could help them craft that message when they deliver it so that it almost comes directly from you. You want them to be genuine, but you also want them to be accurate and highlight some key points. This is really a win-win. The win for the business is clear, you get the perfect message across. The win for the talker is less clear, but is simple. Your talker is more likely to spread your story if it is simple. The reason being is that a simple story is less likely to be messed up. Your talker doesn’t want to embarrass himself by misquoting an important piece of information. Save the humiliation. If you can make it simple for them, they’ll spread it more quickly and to more people.
JMR
Alignment is critical – sustainable excellence is only possible with a concerted effort from the whole organisations. Creating buzz is great, but needs to fit with the strategy of the organisation as a whole.
Knowing that WOM is a part of the picture is a great piece – great article for being so clearly expressed.
WOM really depends on the quality of the experience of using the product (or the service).
I’m sure you’ve heard that negative experiences result in 10 time more WOM than 1 position experience.
But if the experience is good or great, then WOM can work wonders.
WOM can’t really be forced, then it’s fake, and consumers can tell fake.
But this post and the comments point out a very good result. Survival of the fittest.
If the new business creator is just going to SOB, then they’re gonna fail, and the world will be a better place without them.
But if you’re lamenting because you can’t get a consulting gig out of them, then you need to try harder.
You might just show them the light, save their business and their life, bring happiness to others and create a few jobs in the process.
Don’t give up, reach and teach. Or grab and stab. Champagne and cocktail weenies for everybody!
In the photography business,word of mouth is the key source of clients. Some spend 1000s of $$ on ads,failing to get anything and some don’t spend anything and are booked years ahead
Good article!
Thank you!