Speak Up to Increase Your Word of Mouth Success

 You may recall I’ve written about word of mouth (WOM) as a source of business.

That discussion focused on the randomness of passive WOM as a marketing strategy. (See Up with Referrals! Down with Word of Mouth.)

In a conversation with David Leta of The Business Image, I recently learned that WOM can be intentionally exploited as well.

What makes WOM powerful? Three qualities work singly or together:

  • Unexpected
  • Memorable
  • Sharable

Unexpected is when someone you trust spontaneously tells you about a resource or shares an anecdote that relates to your present situation.

Memorable is a way to hold onto an idea, name or item, such as a tagline.

Shareable is a resource or a story that the listener could easily recall and pass on to another.

Don’t wait for someone to mention you. Make it happen. Induce others to start talking about you or add your name to the conversation that is underway.

Make yourself unique in an unexpected, memorable or sharable way.

This Month’s Tip

Consider how you can intentionally create more word of mouth.

  1. Unexpected: Be alert to opportunities to refer business to your contacts. One hand washes the other and soon that person may think of your practice or business.
  2. Memorable: Compose a tag line that creates impact. A visual image, such as a computer repair service’s We make house calls, suggests a tech will visit your home. Perhaps an acronym: ASAP can mean As Simple As Possible.
  3. Sharable: Have pithy anecdotes on the tip of your tongue that illustrate your services and the value you create for others.

Contact

Let’s give them something to talk about. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Together we’ll devise themes that you can disseminate to actively promote word of mouth about your business or practice.

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