Word of Mouth
What we now call “word of mouth” marketing is known by non-marketers as “I’ll ask a friend who their mechanic is”. By any name, WOM (yes, it has its own acronym) has been around for centuries…heck, mabe even millennium. But I’ll tell you something, whatever you call it, it is alive and well.
We’re spending a week in Belize with my in-laws for a family vacation. We’re having a wonderful time. Our guide has recommended several amazing spots. The Blue Water Restaurant had great food, was decently priced and (best of all) had a swimming pool the kids could play in. Did he know the waiters? Of course. Was our service super? Of course. Did we care that there might be some kind of a quid pro quo? Absolutely not. Everyone benefited from this form of word of mouth.
Take this in a business context. If you have a great experience with a company’s product or service, and you recommend that product or service to a friend, does your friend care if you get a “refer a friend” discount? Not if they also have a great experience. The biggest challenge for business is to make sure the experience is worth recommending, it is consistent, and that your happiest customers have a way to recommend you.
There is a new company offering a great service for companies looking to enable their customer to do just this. Zuberance has a great platform for turning your customers into an authentic word of mouth sales force. Check them out. And be sure to tell them I sent you…
