Posted by: MaryEllen Tribby
March 6, 2008
Issue #368

Use Your Mouth

"Like it or not, people are talking about your business all the time."
– Jerry Wilson

I just finished a book my friend Rich Schefren recommended: Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking by Andy Sernovitz. And what I learned from this book can help you tackle the fastest-growing type of marketing.

Now I did not fall in love with this book. It has some flaws. But I applaud how it shows why customer service and marketing must go hand-in-hand. And how it explains that deceptive marketing is a very bad policy and that listening and talking to your customers are the best practices you can follow.

We have all heard of B-to-C (business-to-consumer) marketing. And we have all heard of B-to-B (business-to-business) marketing. We have even (more recently) heard of C-to-C (consumer-to-consumer) marketing. But what Word of Mouth Marketing explores is the new world of B-to-C-to-C marketing - business-to-consumer-to-consumer! It’s all about the second hop, the third hop, the fourth hop, and so on.

You may be thinking, "Word of mouth isn’t a new concept. It’s been going on forever. So what’s the big deal?"

What’s new is that word of mouth has evolved from anecdotal to actionable, from something that "just happens" to something you can influence. In fact, because we now have the tools and knowledge to work with it, word of mouth marketing has become the fastest-growing form of marketing.

Word of mouth is about authentic consumer conversation. That means marketers join in a conversation with their customers, participating in it but never manipulating, faking, or degrading its fundamental honesty in any way.

Mr. Sernovitz simplistically explains that there are five T’s to word of mouth marketing:

1. Talkers: Finding people who will talk about you

Talkers are any group of people who have enthusiasm and the connections to relay your message. Talkers are regular people, your best customers.

Recently, I attended a seminar in Atlanta - along with about 2,500 other people. Jim, the very first person I met, asked me what I did. When I told him I run an affiliate company for Agora, he said, "Oh, I know them. The only publication I read is Early to Rise." We spoke at length about how Early to Rise (ETR) has helped him grow his business, how he has told friends and industry colleagues about ETR, and how many of those folks are now ETR fans.

Jim is a great example of a talker for ETR.

You just don’t find talkers … you cultivate them. People talk about you for two reasons: They either had a very good experience with your company or they had a very bad experience. Either way, by responding to their comments you can turn them into big marketers for your company. Here’s how to do it:

• Acknowledge your mistakes. Charlie Byrne, ETR’s Editorial and Creative Director, recently wrote about a major screw-up we made last year and how we did not try to sweep it under the rug. Instead, we not only apologized to the 144 customers it affected, we corrected the problem and thanked them for staying with us. Since then, we have heard from several of those people. They not only thanked us for correcting our mistake, they told us that they have since recommended ETR to several people they know.
• Acknowledge compliments. Many people think that if someone pays you a compliment, a response is not necessary. This could not be further from the truth. That person took the first step by making a comment. Now you need to seize the opportunity to turn her into a talker. You do this by replying to your customers’ letters, e-mails, and forum postings.
• Acknowledge your fans. Sometimes you can turn a person into a talker just by talking to them first. Look for signs of extreme enthusiasm. Look for customers who frequently attend the events you sponsor or know the names of your employees or wear your logo.

For example, while visiting my husband’s family in Long Island last summer, I saw a man on the beach with an Early to Rise hat on. I was so excited that I went over to him and introduced myself. Noticing the confusion on his face, I said, "I run ETR … as in the hat you have on." Well, he told me it was his buddy’s hat, and he just liked the color.

I apologized for bothering him, and went back to building sand castles with my kid. An hour later, a different man came up to me and told me it was his hat … and that he has been reading ETR for years.

"Steve" and I talked for a while about his Internet business. And when I got back to the office, I asked Sharika Kellogg (ETR’s Customer Service Manager) to look up his address - and I sent him a personal note and a new hat. I’m pretty sure Steve is now a talker.

2. Topics: Giving people a reason to talk

All word of mouth starts with creating a message that spreads. In other words, with a good, clear idea that’s easy to repeat.

Whenever we hire a new team member, we stress business-building expert Michael Masterson’s Ready, Fire, Aim philosophy. We write about Ready, Fire, Aim in ETR and speak about it at the events we sponsor, so all of our customers can benefit from it. And, in fact, last April, when we were reviewing videos of the attendees who were coming to Michael Masterson’s business-building retreat, video after video showed them repeating this mantra.

The reason Ready, Fire, Aim works is because it is short and sweet. It was developed around a single idea that is easy to repeat. And it’s a concept that not only resonates with entrepreneurs but has been proven to work time after time.

Good topics are organic. They are based on the exceptional qualities that make your products stand out. They flow naturally from the products’ attributes, without needing to be pushed by marketing.

3. Tools: Helping the message spread faster and further

Non info-publishing, info-marketing companies have been doing this for years. Dining establishments spread the word by handing out 2 for 1 coupons. Cosmetics companies give away free samples. Apartment complexes offer one month’s free rent. Phone companies give you a $50 credit for referring a friend. And so on.

But with the Internet, it has never been faster, easier, or cheaper. Just think about it. How many times have you read something online and forwarded it to not just one or two friends, colleagues, or relatives but five or 10? And that’s without any marketing push. If you have a "Forward to a Friend" or "Tell a Friend" button at the bottom of your e-mailed publication, you’re adding exponential marketing power to it.

At Early to Rise, we are big fans of forums and message boards. We have the Speak Out forum for all of our subscribers. And immediately after an ETR event (like our fall Information Marketing Bootcamp or our July Internet marketing conference), we post an attendees-only password-protected forum. This encourages like-minded people to share ideas, problems, and solutions. Plus, it allows us to "listen in on" and participate in their conversations.

We love to find out what our customers are saying, because it helps us better understand their needs. If you ask me, any company that believes in their products and employees will have forums. Forums not only facilitate communication, they increase accountability.

ETR gets an "A" for forum usage. But, right now, we get a "C" for "Forward to a Friend."

I’d been asking our corporate Web guys for a "Forward to a Friend" tool for months. Like everything else, it’s had to go on a long list of things we want. But I finally got so fed up with waiting, I asked some internal team members to test the "Forward to a Friend" option (without our corporate Web guys) on ETR’s sister publication, Total Health Breakthroughs. As a result, you can expect to see this feature in ETR soon.

4. Taking Part: Joining the conversation

Once you have reached out to real people and encouraged them to talk, there is no turning back. You must join the conversation. You must reply to e-mails, accept comments on your blog, participate in the discussion board, answer the phone.

Joining the conversation is even more powerful when it is public. For years, we have been publishing readers’ comments and questions in ETR. We understand that if one of our readers is struggling and takes the time to ask for help, we need to (1) acknowledge that and (2) share our advice with others who may be in the same situation.

Again, if your customers are complimenting you, thank them. If customers are saying negative things, find out why and fix the problem.

There is no better focus group than your customers. Yes, you will get crazies every once in a while - and you may need to hire outside resources to communicate with them on your company’s behalf. But, at the same time, you are earning the respect and recommendations of your customers and building long-term lasting relationships with them … as long as you are helpful, truthful, thankful, and nice.

5. Tracking: Measuring and understanding what people are saying

Because of the popularity of blogs and online communities, people are writing down nearly every thought they have about your company. And because these B-to-C-to-C conversations are written down, they are easy to find and easy to track. You can find every comment about you and your company moments after it is written. And monitoring that online communication allows you to understand what your customers really think about you, your marketing, and your products.

There are wonderful online tools - such as Google Alert and Technorati - that can help you monitor your word of mouth. They are at your fingertips, and they are instant and free.

Start right now. Don’t make any marketing decisions without considering the potential for word of mouth. Ad agencies, media executives, and reporters no longer control the message. Real consumers with real communication power have added their voices to the mix. And their voices are drowning out traditional media. A single consumer voice, in the end, has a huge impact on your company’s future.

Word of mouth will become more and more important to our business at ETR as the Internet continues to expand. But I am still a firm believer in the importance of direct-response marketing. The best thing you can do for your company is to successfully incorporate multiple methods into your overall marketing strategy. You’ll maximize your efforts, build your customer base, and reap the profits.

MaryEllen Tribby
Guest Contributor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE™

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6 Comments »

1. Comment by Melody Wigdahl — March 6, 2008 @ 11:51 am

   Couldn’t agree with you more on your approach - but it is not always easy for people to approach others the way you and I apparently do! I think a lot of it is personality but a good portion of this is based on the somewhat lost art of ‘conversation’, that is getting others to talk about what is on THEIR mind, listening closely - and responding not only appropriately - but in a way that encourages the other person to continue the dialogue.Unfortunately, especially with the small business owner online, if this skill is not present in their basic personality - it is often hard for them to ‘create’ this communication channel for their business. The internet by it’s very nature, is isolating and often impersonal, and too many online businesses are forgetting that their customer is NOT an ethereal web based entity - but a real live person.And I have to say that I have been ‘collecting’ Agora sales letters for years - they are among the very best out there, and have been a happy reader for years now. And yes, I have sent many friends your way as well ;-)Melody

2. Comment by Dave Pipitone — March 6, 2008 @ 12:02 pm

   Great post, Mary Ellen! I read ETR every morning before work. Talking to people and having an authentic conversation is all about building trust to serve others. Rewards do follow.

   Keep up the good work,

   - Dave Pipitone

3. Comment by Askar Mark Albanov — March 6, 2008 @ 12:25 pm

   Dear MaryEllen Tribby,
   I’m very sorry my computor is broke after four or five day I hope will be Ok.  Thank you very much for recommendetion. I have some problems must finished and very sorry.
   Sincerely Askar

4. Comment by Gary Raimo — March 6, 2008 @ 2:20 pm

   I have not been impresed with Rich Schefren’s addition to the ETR stable as I am equally as unmoved by most of all the Interenet Marketing Gurus.

   Why?  This blog and the Total Package are an excellent example why.  ETR is even an example.  I see my relationship to the Total Package like a romance.  Clayton and the TP family have established a personal relationship with me.  I never even got an offer from them until a month or more after I started receiving the ezine.  By then I knew the value of what I was getting for free and appreciated the relationship that Clayton established.  I felt like I was dealing with someone who had an interest in me.

   Mr. Schefren no doubt is generating huge dollars but that is actually a statement on society, group think.  I got on his list about a year before he joined the AWAI team.  To date I have never received a non-marketing message from Mr. Schefren and so dropping his name and his reading list list offers me nothing.  You have in your own right given to me more and have so much more to offer.  I wish you had rather than pump the tomato on the salad.

5. Comment by John Newtson — March 6, 2008 @ 3:32 pm

   Hey Gary,
   Thanks for the kind words about The Total Package. I love you’re description of the relationship as a romance. That’s a concrete way for all of us to think about customer relationships. And I think there are plenty of things we can still do to deepen that so we really appreciate your support. I have to say I’m a fan of Rich’s though, the free information he gives away during his marketing is killer. His 80+ page free reports, his mindmaps, audio interviews (did here the one he did with Gary Vaynerchuk? Great stuff) and all the other stuff is, for me, very worth while. Too each own though, right? On a side note, if you (or anyone else reading this) have any ideas for improving things here at The Total Package email me at care@makepeacetotalpackage.com with the subject line: TTP Ideas. We’re always looking for ways to make the experience better. We’re really working to find more ways to deliver more actionable content and we really love to hear suggestions from all of you folks in the trenches.
    
   John Newtson    

6. Comment by Sharon B. — March 6, 2008 @ 7:21 pm

   Hi Mary Ellen–
        I couldn’t agree more about word of mouth! I use it as the primary way to grow my business, and it has worked extremely well. In 3 years my business has grown from no clients to 35 clients, and I have never had to advertise. My clients have done all the advertising for me.     I do not believe in hoarding my knowledge. My goal with all my clients is to give them all the knowledge they need to complete a project themselves if they need to. (My business is landscape construction, by the way.) Since 90% of my area is low income, this happens about 25% of the time. But most of my referrals come from these same clients.     The things that I hear from new (referred) clients the most are: "So-and-so was really impressed with your work." , or: "I was visiting so-and-so and I loved her yard so I asked for your phone #." This comes from about 80% of them. The other 20% comment on my punctuality and my promptness. Since my clients are my primary source of advertising for me, I make sure I give them something they are proud to advertise. I thank them immediately for any referrals as well, both verbally and with a gift (usually a free hour of landscaping). Without my clients I would not have a business, so I make sure they know how important they are.