ABCs of word of mouth marketing

Word of mouth marketing efforts begin with the Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. Add to your credibility with these ABCs of word of mouth marketing:

Always tell the truth.
Be a giver instead of a salesperson when building online and face-to-face relationships.
Challenge yourself to ask “How can I help you?” instead of selling.
Discover what matters to prospects and customers and then make it your priority to offer solutions to their problems.
Encourage word-of-mouth publicity with affiliate or tell-a-friend programs, audios, CDs, classes or seminars, customer service stories, recommendations, referrals, social networking buttons on your Web site, testimonies, trade show comments, videos, volunteering for a cause, and workshops.
Find ways to be a contributor not an observer on blogs, community discussions, forums, and social networking sites like Twitter.
Guarantee that people feel great about working with you because they will remember that feeling long after your exact words and deeds fade from memory.
Have a plan for getting and acting on customer feedback.
Introduce people with needs to solution-providers you know at networking events, on Twitter, in forums, and at association meetings.
Just send your e-zines or e-mail blasts to those on your permission-based list so you don’t get the reputation of being a spammer.
Keep a list of people who will give you recommendations so you are prepared to share with prospects who ask for references.
Let others know how they can recommend or refer you.
Mention others, not just yourself and your business, when networking and become viewed as a valuable resource.
Never ignore a customer’s concerns.
Offer solutions to real problems and people will talk.
Pay attention to what clients are saying before you have a problem.
Quit while you are ahead. Some people will never give you a recommendation no matter how satisfactory your product or service.
Reach out to others and show you care by volunteering, calling, writing, or saying “I’m thinking of you.”
Speak kindly about others.
Take the initiative and go the extra mile to solve a problem, meet a deadline, or make a difference.
Understand because you listen more than you speak.
Veer away from gossip.
Watch how you express yourself in person, in print, and online. Be encouraging, positive, and helpful.
Xpress thanks to others yourself.
Yell in privacy not at customers.
Zealously guard your reputation so that you are remembered for your sterling character qualities.

What are your favorite word of mouth marketing techniques?

Make it easy

We live in a world where people want easy money, easy solutions, easy access, and easy lives. Your prospects and clients may be no different. Make it easy for them to

• Reach you. Put contact information on your business card, on your Web site, in press releases, in your social media profiles, and in your article resource box.
• Find the answers to their most pressing questions. Again, use your Web site, articles, press releases, and business card. Answer “What’s in it for me?”
• Understand exactly how your product or service improves people’s lives. Be clear, concise, and honest.
• Trust you. Be honest and do what you promise.
• Transact business. Use software to enable electronic file transfers, remote computer access, and acceptance of credit cards.
• Talk about your product or service. Offer free samples or a free trial period. Do a survey and publish the results in an article or press release. Use your blog and Twitter as well as customer referrals to spread the word. 

How do you make it easy for clients?

Celebrate National Ice Cream Day

Holidays like Valentine’s Day,  Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas play prominent roles in advertising here in the United States. Unusual holidays and celebrations also create opportunities for promoting your business. Consider the possibilities for Sundae Sunday and National Ice Cream Day, the third Sunday in July according to Chase’s Calendar of Events 2009.

● Host a networking event. Serve ice cream.
● Write press releases before and after you hold a drawing for an ice cream gift certificate.
● Say thank you with gifts of ice cream sundae toppings or sundae dishes.
● Set up a joint venture with your local ice cream shop.
● Reward your employees with an ice cream break.
● Hold a contest where others compare your products or services to different flavors of ice cream. Publish the results. Declare a winner.

Don’t stop with National Ice Cream Day. Create your own fun days and unique celebrations.

Five simple strategies for a smooth move and more

Over the last several months, I have watched one of the smartest, most organized people I know navigate her way through the home-buying process. She is now a successful homeowner. Here are five simple strategies that can work in a variety of pressure situations including buying a house.

Get help.
Search online for information.
Ask people who have gone through a similar situation for their input.
Post your dilemma on a forum or answer board.
Hire a competent professional.
Enlist your network of friends and acquaintances to do what needs to be done.

Never assume.
Converse.
Negotiate in good faith.
Ask questions, lots of questions, until you and others involved have a clear, identical understanding of a problem and its resolution.
Do your own inspection after another party assures you that everything is taken care of.

Don’t wait until the last minute.
Make and use a checklist so nothing gets forgotten as deadlines loom.
Create a timeline that includes both hard and soft milestones.
Expect the unexpected in the form of illness, miscommunication, last-minute changes, error, incompetence, sloth, and weather-related delays.

Use the best tools and people for the job.
Interview multiple candidates whether you are looking to complete a project team or select a realtor then, as the saying goes, pick the sharpest crayon in the crayon box.
Insist on great performance especially when you are paying for it.
Realize that in any given situation YOU may be the best person despite others’ credentials and act accordingly.

Know what really matters.
Set your priorities.
Identify what is truly important and what is of little consequence.
Learn and keep looking forward.

What is your favorite strategy for a smooth move?

Stop selling but continue marketing

Marketing means more than selling. It means interacting with prospects and customers in a way that provides them with value and solutions while promoting your brand, products, or services.

Use these DIY marketing ideas to engage people and encourage them to give you permission to contact them again.

Be generous.
● Share tips and tools.
● Offer useful information in exchange for an e-mail address or business card.

Use your words wisely.
● Let your headlines and content proclaim the benefits of your product or service.
● Speak to the needs and emotions of your target market.

Remember content is key.
● Make yours exceptional, informative, and interesting.
● Answer frequently asked questions.
● Give clear directions on how to accomplish a goal.
● Offer encouragement.
● Point out pitfalls that can be avoided.
● Provide real examples.
● Share your wisdom, tips and tools.
● Show how to do something better or more efficiently.
● Solve a problem.

Make sure your freebie has no strings attached.
● If you offer a free consultation, make sure this aids your prospective client instead of being a sales pitch.
● In addition to the consultation, offer a gift that will benefit the client’s business:
          audio CD
          checklist
          coupon
          evaluation
          guide
          handbook
          introductory offer
          samples
          special report
          teleseminar
          top ten list of cool tools.

Choose permission-based marketing.
● Ask permission before you add someone to your mailing list and always provide a way to opt-out. There are a variety of programs that will automatically do this for you.
● You can also personally ask permission at networking events, trade shows, and conferences.
● Donate a prize at an event and let people know they can enter your prize drawing by signing up for your mailing list.
● Give something of value in exchange for an e-mail address.

Be authentic instead of annoying.
Build relationships with people knowing that any one of them could be a future friend or customer.