1. Word Of Mouth Marketing
How to Create Advocates
That Will Tell Others About Your Business
To the presenter: This presentation is meant to be used with some specific examples from real shop owners. There are many things shops owners can do to make their business worthy to talk about. An interesting exercise to begin the presentation with is to ask the group to share some things they’re excited to talk about unrelated to the automotive repair business. Another interesting thing to discuss with them is the “rule of 25” which is… if a shop owner could get just 25 of their customers to tell 25 other people about their business… that would mean an additional 625 people would hear about their business. That’s the size of a small neighborhood. And it’s free marketing.
Notes: Are from the book “Word of Mouth Marketing” “How to get customers talking about you.”
These notes are not intended for publication.
People love to talk. People talk about products and services people talk about cars, computers, restaurants, TV shows, movies, and yes, even automotive repair. Word-of-mouth has been around forever, there must be some reason why marketers have suddenly began talking about it. Here’s what’s new: we can finally do something about it. Word of mouth marketing has become the fastest growing form of marketing because we now have the tools and knowledge to work with it. Until a few years ago, we sort of wished that good word-of-mouth would just happen on its own. Now we can work with people who want to talk about us and help their ideas reach a new audience. We can provide a platform so more people hear what our fans are saying. We can use the Internet to give far more visibility to a conversation that has always been happening. We’ve also gain the ability to track and measure that conversation. Thanks in part to blogs and the web, we can see what is being said about us. We can listen to the conversations and understand it. We can figure out who is talking and why they are talking. It’s not such a mystery anymore. Traditional marketing is no longer the safe way to go. It may make you feel more comfortable, but it is becoming gradually less and less effective for more and more companies. It’s time to focus on making customers happy –earning their trust and respect and getting them talking about your business.
John N. Pierce
Regional Sales Manager

2. What Is Word Of Mouth Marketing?
Marketing Is What You Do; Not What You Say.
It’s all about the second “M”
Why now?
It’s more than just marketing
Rules for Word of Mouth Marketing
Be interesting
Make it easy for people to talk about you.
Make people happy.
Earn Trust and Respect.
So, what is word-of-mouth marketing? It’s giving people a reason to talk about your business, and making easier for that conversation to take place.
Word-of-mouth has been with us forever. What’s new is the second M – marketing. Word-of-mouth exist. Word-of-mouth marketing is working with it toward a marketing objective. Word-of-mouth marketing is a new specialty that is actionable, trackable, and plannable as any other form of marketing. Learn to make customers really, really happy. It doesn’t take much more than that. Understand this concept, devote yourself to it, and you will be successful word of mouth marketer. Earn the respect and recommendation of your customers, and they will do the rest. Treat people well; they will do your marketing for you, free. When people trust you, they are willing to put their words on the line for you. Please them, inspire them, and they will refer their friends to you. What are your other options? Annoyed them – and watch your customers walk away, taking their friends with them, forcing you to spend thousands in advertising. It just makes sense to start with quality. Put your money in making your business better and making customers happier and the rest will take care of itself.
Advertising is the
price of being boring.

3. Everyone Is Talking About You Already!
Customers Are In Control.
We are reviewing everything we buy.
People are talking to people just like you.
What we say goes everywhere; mass dissemination of information.
Traditional Media and “Word of Mouth” are forever intertwined.
The Permanent Record.
It’s not just the Internet.
Word of Mouth Marketing makes us more honest.
Your customers want you to join in and be part of the conversation.
Word Of Mouth Marketing Has Always Been Your Best Marketing; You Just Didn’t Know It.
We just never called it by its real name.
Word of Mouth Marketing is your best Marketing value.
So here’s the deal; you’re being talked about whether you like it or not. The conversation started, so you might as well get involved. A lot of the talk is happening online. Millions of people blog, millions more post online reviews, and everyone Googles you. But even more is happening off-line – as it always has. Each and every one of us talked to a friend or family member before we buy something. We listen to our friends before going to a store or restaurant or an automotive repair shop. And we don’t just ask for advice – we also make recommendations about what we like and what we hated. So what about the negative? What if people say bad things about you? Too late – if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. Unless you’re the perfect company, it probably already has. So you only have two choices; let people talk about you spread rumors, and get it wrong; or join in, participate, and make it work for you. Yes, it can be uncomfortable. The first time you search Google for your business, it’s usually a real surprise – sort of like walking into a crowded party when the laughter suddenly stops and everyone looks at you. But it can be different. Because everyone is waiting for you to join the conversation. The door is open, everyone is listening, and they want you to be part of it. And, the best part is, the more you participate, the more the conversation grows, and the more it is about you. Feed it, put the good stuff out there, and the conversation will be dynamic and positive. But that’s only part of it – only about 20% of word-of-mouth happens online. Whenever it does play a role, it usually sparks the 80% of word of mouth conversations that actually happened face-to-face.
Customers are in control – get used to it. Now you know; people are already talking about you and they’re doing it right now. You can get involved in what they’re saying, or you can let their conversations happen without you? From here on out, no advertising decision should be made again without a new person at the table; the customer. No longer do ad agencies control the message. Real customers with real communication power have added their voices to the mix. And their voices are drowning out traditional media. A single customer’s voice, in the end, has far more impact than any ad can ever have. Just consider what one person can do with their opinion of your business on Google.
Everything that is posted on the Internet is a permanent record. So, word-of-mouth marketing only works if you have good products and services. It only works if people like you and trust you. If your product or services are inferior, no PR campaign, clever TV ad, or announcement on your website will make consumers believe that it isn’t. Not anymore. The speed of word-of-mouth on the Internet spreads the truth almost instantly. When word-of-mouth works, good companies are rewarded with loads of free advertising and attention, and they make more money as in the case of my friend in Knoxville Tennessee. When word-of-mouth works, bad products, and services are punished with negative buzz, and they lose customers. Think about what this means. It means we have a new social force that rewards companies with free marketing, sales, and profits when they treat people well and produce good products and service. The same force stops companies from treating people badly by killing their sales. For the first time in history of modern business, we have a force for good that is also driven by the all powerful profit motive. In other words, word of mouth marketing makes us more honest. It’s better for all of us.
Word-of-mouth has had a far greater impact on your business then you think. Unfortunately, most businesses do a bad job of measuring it, so they don’t always recognize it when they see it. In fact, most marketing reports bury it altogether
Because word-of-mouth usually doesn’t cost anything, there is usually not a budget for it and no one is assigned to it, and it is not taken in consideration as a source for new customers. Take another look, and you’ll see something surprising; you’re probably getting far more customers for free through word-of-mouth than from all those other types of marketing. Word-of-mouth marketing has always been your most important source of new business. It’s always been your least expensive source of new customers. It’s time to create a space for word-of-mouth marketing and your budget and business plans, set clear objectives, and measure the results.

4. Talkers; Who Will Tell Their Friends About You
Three Reasons Why People Talk About You.
They like you and your service.
Talking makes them feel good.
They feel connected to a group.
How To Stop Word Of Mouth.
Prizes and Rewards
Forgetting why people talk about you.
Who Are The Talkers?
Talkers are people just like us.
Talkers aren’t always big spenders
Finding Your Talkers
Happy customers On-line Talkers
Logo Lovers Eager Employees
Listeners Fans and Hobbyists
Professionals
You won’t get good at word of mouth marketing until you really understand what motivates people to talk about your services.
There are three basic motivations that drive word-of-mouth conversations. Reason number one – they like you and your services. People talk because you’re doing something they want to talk about. They love your services. They like how you treat them. And, you’ve done something interesting. It’s all about giving them a reason to talk about you. The more interesting you get, the more motivated the talkers are. Bottom line; you got to arouse compassion before your advocates will begin talking about your company. Giving people something to talk about means being creative with how you present your products, services, and company. Reason number two; word-of-mouth often comes down to emotion. We are driven to share by feelings that are far more about us as individuals than about what a business is doing. The emotions that drive us to talk aren’t complicated. A lot of people get their kicks out of being an expert on their favorite subject. When we tell people about what to buy, they are showing off what we know. Some people do this really well, and everyone goes to them for advice. We love to talk to these people who before making a purchase, and they love to tell us what they think. Help these people look smarter. Give them newsletters, inside information, or technical detail. More is better. They’ll love you for it. Also, people want to help other people. The desire to look smart is often paired with a higher-level motivation; to help other people. Some people are so passionate about what they know they want everyone else to enjoy what they are enjoying. It bugs them to see someone have an inferior experience. People want to feel important. Some people talk because they like being asked. They get a kick out of being the expert. The more people ask for their advice, the more important they feel. It feels good to be an authority figure. Find ways to recognize these customers and give them a higher status simply by acknowledging them, keeping them in the loop, and asking for their input. Reason number three. People like to feel connected to a group. The desire to be part of a group is one of the most powerful human emotions. We want very badly to be connected. Talking about products and services is one way people achieve that connection. Our cars, where we get them serviced, and where we shop are all ways we show who we are.
Prizes and rewards is a sure way to stop word-of-mouth. Offering customers incentives to spread the word about your business is often a mistake. Here’s why; you make them feel dirty if they’re paid for it. Some things just shouldn’t be for sale – friendship, certain kinds of favors, and your recommendation. People are engaging in word-of-mouth because they love you and it makes them feel good. When you offer a monetary reward for a referral, you make it awkward and creepy. Just at the moment someone is about to recommend you, they think, “if my friend finds out I’m being paid for this, they are not going to trust me. I better not say anything. Forgetting why people talk about you is another way of killing word-of-mouth. Just remember people talk about quality service and how they’re treated.

5. Word of Mouth Marketing What is it Worth to You?
ManagerSE Referral Report… From the Customer Screen “Referral Friend”