Small Business Marketing:
Get the Word Out!

All things being equal, most people are much more comfortable buying from a company that was recommended by someone they know and trust. If you are that company, how do you get your customers talking?

Word-of-mouth marketing carries weight because it's based on your prospect’s respect for your existing client - someone who is genuinely satisfied with your services and speaks from personal experience.

Word-of-mouth is the most powerful, effective form of small business marketing. Satisfied customers who enthusiastically tell others about you are incredibly persuasive, opening "backdoors" to pre-sold new clients who look forward to doing business with you.

It's not widely understood how this powerful medium operates, or how to put it to work. But with a little patience and a few tips, anyone can activate this often-overlooked and very effective marketing tool.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing 101: Client Motivation

The more of an investment that's involved, the more people tend to buy based on how they feel about a product or service provider. This is a key factor in marketing your small business - arguably the most important, especially considering that it's also what mainly motivates both good and bad word-of-mouth activity.

Profitable businesses are founded on positive relationships, which in turn are based on mutual good will between providers and customers. When your customers are satisfied, they're motivated to share their feelings with others about their positive experiences.

So the first step, then, is to understand what turns your clients into spontaneous spokespersons who are "natural partners" in your marketing efforts.

Michael Hofman, a partner with Janet Moyer Landscaping in San Francisco, says that when people feel good about doing business with you, they want to spread the word.

"Clients love to encourage their friends and relatives to use the same service they have, because it validates what they're doing. We see this a lot - it's very frequently the case."

Hofman says that 70-80 percent of his company's new business is from word-of-mouth referrals - enthusiastic customers who were excited to tell others about their experience and show off their new gardens. The enthusiasm is contagious. And it's the best marketing any small business can have!

Your best marketing resource ... is YOU!

If you go the extra distance to stand out from the crowd, offering genuinely personal service in a typically impersonal business world, your satisfied customers will be loyal and likely your best form of marketing for your small business.

In most business transactions, people are not buying a product or service. They're investing in a vision, and looking for someone to help them achieve it. If people see that you have values similar to their own, then they're more likely to invest in you.

Part of that investment - the one that most applies to generating effective word-of-mouth marketing - is sharing their good fortune with family and friends.

Treat people well and do a great job, and that fortune will be yours too.

Small Business Marketing: Benefits of Referred Clients

According to marketing expert Jay Abraham, referred clients:

Spend more money per purchase
Buy more frequently
Are less likely to negotiate price
Are more loyal
Refer even more clients
Place greater trust in you and your recommendations

Small Business Marketing:Get the Word Out!

Word-of-Mouth Marketing 101: Client Motivation

Your best marketing resource ... is YOU!

Small Business Marketing: Benefits of Referred Clients

Small Business Marketing:
Get the Word Out!