Word of Mouth Ideas (Part Four)
Ask And Ye Shall Receive There are three key reasons that happy customers don't regularly spread positive word of mouth about businesses.
They get caught up in other things and just don't think to mention it. Related to this, no-one specifically asks them so they forget to mention your company and how happy they are in dealing with you. Every time they ask you how business is you seem to be flat out so they assume that the last thing you need is more customers! Particularly with professional businesses, this third point holds true...especially if it has taken a while to get an appointment to see you. Let people know that you have the capacity to expand your business and are always interested in gaining more clients like them. They will be shocked, assuming that more clients would just mean more stress for you. So, be careful that you are getting the right message across to your potential ambassadors.
Have a simple system in place to encourage word-of-mouth. For example, Carol McGavisk, a Cake Decorator in Broken Hill, includes a brochure and her business card in with each order. The brochure shows all the different types of products she makes, plus a bit of information about Carol and her business. If the customer is a repeat customer, she specifically asks them to pass the brochure on to someone (at the party) who shows interest. Carol says that this usually gets a very positive response from the customer and generates more business for her.
Acts of Thoughtfulness A couple of years ago I was presenting a Customer Care course in regional Western Australia for veterinary clinics and hospitals. One of the participants, Alma Taylor of Mt. Barker Veterinary Hospital, shared how they send out a sympathy card with a handwritten message whenever they are aware of the death of a client's pet. In it they also enclose a small packet of Everlasting Seeds with the message 'In loving memory of your pet' on the side. Its small acts of thoughtfulness like this that really do make a difference.
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