Business Success Center
If you
were to go on the net and enter "Word-of-Mouth Marketing " in a search engine, a
multitude of sites that sing the praises of this method would
emerge. If your company offers good service with a smile, it’s
pretty easy to become convinced that success will follow. Naturally,
your satisfied customer will run out and tell the world to
use your products and services, right? Is this true, or are
businesses relying on an outdated marketing method?
Let's face it: the culture we
live in has changed dramatically in the past few decades. Then,
most American cities were comprised of long-term residents
and their families. They knew their neighbors and created networks
over which word-of-mouth messages literally raced. Selection
for services and products was more limited and loyalty ran
deep. This phenomenon is quickly fading.
As Harry Beckwith wrote in his
recent best seller, What Clients Love/A Field Guide to
Growing Your Business, our mobility propels us away from
these old networks. He emphasizes that the complexity of our
lives reduces the role of word-of-mouth. We are overloaded
with information and have little time for reflection. People
are working long hours, making many transactions throughout
the day, and are often eager to put the day behind them once
it’s over. Think about it, when you get home do you really
want to talk about work? Even when you have a good customer
service experience during your day, how likely are you to share
this with your family/friends over dinner?
If word-of-mouth
is going to be relied upon in today’s world, we need to realize it
doesn’t just happen the way it once did. Word-of-mouth
doesn’t just occur in today’s world; effective
word-of-mouth campaigns must be generated.
To put
it simply, you’ve
got to toot your own horn. How is anyone going to know about
what is great about your company, products, and services unless
you are sharing this information?
The bottom line is that word-of-mouth
can be a wonderful method, but should not be relied upon as
the primary method of maintaining or growing your business.
Word-of-mouth marketing should be looked at as one part of
an overall marketing plan. This plan should focus upon what
sets you apart from the rest and how the customer will benefit
from using your company, your product, and/or your service(s).
It should be used in conjunction with focused action that will
allow you to reach your specific target market in the most
efficient and effective way.
While
we can’t place as
much emphasis on word-of-mouth as we once could, don’t
lose heart. It’s a casualty of progress; we have more
choices and more opportunities than we have ever had in the
past. Take this opportunity to reevaluate your emphasis on
word-of-mouth marketing and remember that you have to make
it work for you. And, if you don’t mind…share
this information with a friend, family member, or co-worker…just
for old times-sake!
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