I heard it through the grapevine

Published: 29 May 2014

Word of mouth - getting people talking about your company

We all love to talk. We talk about our experiences with products and services, from cars and technology, to the latest movies and our experience at the new restaurant on our block, and as you know, so much more.

People are talking about your organisation and what you are doing right now. It may be positive feedback, or it may be negative. Your customers could be saying things to their friends and family, posting a comment on social media platforms or dedicated sites such as Hellopeter.com. This article looks into the concept of word of mouth as a marketing tactic and how you can earn that good conversation with your customers.

Is word of mouth relevant to your organisation?

Regardless of the industry you are in and the product or service you offer, word of mouth needs to be part of your marketing strategy. People tend to ask other people they know about a product or service prior to them purchasing from you. We often turn to people we know for their recommendations - not to advertisements and brochures. Word of mouth acts as a third party recommendation for customers, and puts their mind at ease. If you are looking at purchasing a new product, do you speak with people that you know are also using the product? In many cases, I'm sure you do.

Word of mouth marketing can simply be defined as giving your customers a reason to talk about your product and ensuring that it is easy for that conversation to take place. If your customers have a good experience with your brand, and if they trust you, they will tell their contacts in their network about the positive experience they had and recommend they do business with you.

How to get people talking about you

Make your customers happy

The golden rule about word of mouth marketing is to make people happy, to exceed their expectations by treating them well. Customers that are happy are your greatest advertisers. Create an amazing product and give them excellent service. Go the extra mile and provide a truly remarkable service. Help solve your customers' problems. To do this, your organisation's employees need to be inspired and excited about the products you offer. Build quality into your organisation as an organisational wide focus. It is important to note that one negative interaction with an employee can ruin the hard work and commitment of all other employees. Only once your employees are happy can they make your customers happy.

When customers like what you do, they share it with their network of contacts. They want to support you and they want their friends, colleagues and family to enjoy what you offer. Achieve this by providing a great product that exceeds your customer's expectations and by treating them well by providing world-class service. Regenesys' superior service delivery and quality has been embedded in our organisation's culture. This has resulted in over 30% of our leads being generated by positive word of mouth.

Be interesting

Customers don't talk about boring organisations, products and services. Being mediocre won't get you anywhere and your customers definitely won't talk about a mediocre experience they had or average service they received. Give your customers a reason to talk about you.

Earn trust and respect

If your customers don't respect you, you won't get good word of mouth. You wouldn't talk about a product positively if you didn't trust or respect the organisation. Be an honorable company and ensure that ethics are a part of everything you do. This needs to be embedded in your organisational culture, and fulfilling customer needs must be central to your values.

Again, this needs to start with an organisation's employees. If employees don't trust and respect the organisation they work for, how can you expect them to deliver the kind of service that gets customers trusting and respecting the organisation enough to spread positive word of mouth?

Every organisation can be friendlier to their customers and every employee can work to make their company a little better for their customers. Strive to achieve this every day.

Motivations that drive word of mouth

As mentioned, individuals love to talk and share their product experiences with others. But what are the reasons people talk about you, that you can focus on?

Your product or service

Customers will talk about a product or service that they want to talk about. They love your product because you've done something that interests them and you've given them a reason to talk about your organisation. Obviously, the more interesting you are, the more people will talk about you. In order to give people something to talk about, you don't have to make your product complicated or expensive. In fact, it could be free! When Regenesys Business School launched its Free Business Education initiative in November 2012, this was a unique product offering and concept that people wanted to talk about. Who else is offering free business education to the world for full qualifications? The word spread quickly about this world-first initiative, by students and media alike. With some investment, over 15 000 students from over 195 countries had registered. Find out more and spread the word by visiting http://regenesysfoundation.org. This is truly changing the education landscape across the globe!

Talking makes customers feel good

Word of mouth often comes down to an emotional level. Individuals are driven to share their feelings, rather than by what an organisation is doing. Customers want to look smart by being an expert on their favorite subject. You probably know someone that everyone goes to for advice on a particular subject. We love to go to these individuals for advice and they love providing it. This has become easier through online vehicles such as blogs and online communities.

People also want to help other people. Some people are so passionate about what they know that they want everyone else to enjoy what they are enjoying. Another reason why customers feel good when talking about a brand is that it makes them feel important. They talk about a product or experience because they like being asked. The more people that ask for their advice, the more important they feel.

Feeling connected to the group

The desire to be a part of a group is one of the most powerful human emotions. We want that feeling of being connected. Talking about a brand is one of the ways individuals achieve this. We are emotionally rewarded when we share with a group that has a common interest. Make your customers feel special and like part of the family.

Conclusion

Word of mouth marketing is about being great to your customers, who will subsequently talk about you when they like your brand and the product you offer. Satisfied customers will help grow your business. And the best part is, it's free!

Remember that customer service drives word of mouth. This has a profound implication for your organisation. Recognise that customer service is not an expense but a way to generate positive word of mouth. Investing in customer service generates a positive return on investment.

As Oscar Wilde said, "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about".

So if you liked this article, share it with your friends and colleagues and spread the word.
- Regenesys

Tags: Regenesys,