Hello, it me again. If you’ve been hearing about this thing called word of mouth marketing then you may have asked yourself (or anyone within earshot) ... so, what’s the deal?
I know I did! I was at the bookstore in the marketing section and there was a book entitled Word of Mouth Marketing.
“Oh Great! Another trend someone’s trying to sell everyone.”
That’s what I thought fair and square and I’m not afraid to admit it.
I was there to research books on how to market to women, you know... those folks who make 85% of all the buying decisions in the US? Yeah, you and me, baby! So I moved on, and found a book called “JUST ASK A WOMAN” by Mary Lou Quinlan. GREAT BOOK by the way!!! If you are a woman or you engage with women in your work, do yourself a favour and read it.
Anyway, between her book and several others I inhaled right there at the store, that ‘trendy’ book I scoffed flashed before my eyes and I connected the dots in a big way. Here’s a clue-glue...
Women talk! They (we) share information like nobody’s business. We research on-line and gather as much information as we can (for free), and then we talk to each other to gather feedback and bounce our ideas off other minds. When we finally do call the store to ask questions we are paying close attention to the way we are treated when we do.
• Are they polite?
• Do they answer my questions patiently?
• Is it safe to ask a silly question?
• Would I recommend this place to my friends?
• Is it comfortable here and is the staff comfortable to be around?
• Do they care about what I want or are they just interested in the sale?
I know! We are ruthless aren’t we? But, these are the things that are important to us. Remember, we are predisposed to making certain that the world is a friendly place to live in, for our kids, as much as for ourselves and others we care about.
If you are a man reading this and you’ve gotten this far, then I suspect that your female market either already loves you or is going to love you very soon. If you are still reading this, then it can only mean one thing. You are brilliant! If you sincerely care about what keeps us up at night, and understand our constant quest for value and safety, we will make sure you not only stay in business, but we’ll tell all our friends about you too because we want you to be around for a very long time.
Your success is near.
Word of mouth marketing is undeniably powerful for countless reasons, but it is key to how women decide what they buy, and from whom. It’s as old a method of decision making for us as it is for safety-making and community-building. It is every bit part and parcel of the same because sharing information is how we begin, engage in, and monitor most everything.
Okay, I know I’ve focused here on marketing to women but here’s the catch... and it’s a good one so pay attention. In learn how to market to women, you will begin to notice that it also works for male consumers.
The not-so-good news is that if you stick to traditional male oriented marketing i.e. scare-tactics, and high-pressure, you may close a few guys and maybe even a woman here or there, but you are operating on borrowed time with those old modalities. What’s worse, your customers are not going to give you their trust or their loyalty. And why should they? Your service or product will suffice only if there isn’t another option available when they need it.
And, women will buy from someone else if they think they have a any choice at all. If they do buy from a scare and close business you can be sure she probably doesn’t think she has a choice. And that, to me, is a horrible thought.
Here’s the deal. Today, choices are abundant. With the internet making products and services available to us right in our homes consumers really can’t complain about scarcity anymore. If we can think it up, we can Google it, and come up with something. For entrepreneurs and business owners, standing-out from the competition is becoming more challenging as we move forward into a time of ever-evolving-internet sophistication. Particularly if you are shy about learning online methods of connecting to your market.
But all is not lost because the thing that the internet cannot give your market is the personal touch, the human factor, the warmth of connecting with others who care about their needs and not just about closing the deal impersonally. This is the opportunity you are looking for to stand out from the rest. Here is your lottery-ticket.
Get your toes wet with a Custom Audio Interview (with you as the interviewed expert) Attach the sound file or Mp3 to your website, emails, blog or social networking groups. Use it for PR or sell it on iTunes for Profit! It's easy and its way fun!!!
The internet will go on; ever increasing opportunities for consumers to consume will evolve. Your marketing edge is in adding the human-factor BACK into the ocean of internet options. It’s that simple and it’s a win-win, for you and for your market.
Oddly, old school values are particularly important today where the internet leans toward the impersonal.
Today’s consumer is desperately seeking:
1. Someone they can trust (to give them straight answers)
2. Someone to answer their questions when they have them
3. Safety (to ask questions, look at options, decide)
4. Loyalty (they want to give you their loyalty... it’s easier)
5. Innovation (give them the best, & the latest so they don’t have to think about it)
6. A unique experience (the new criteria)
7. Value (more important today not to hold back)
8. Comfort (make it as pleasant and as easy as possible)
Become your consumer’s safety net, become your market’s super-hero, and become -as it were- their soft place to fall! You cannot go wrong from there. Garner their undying trust and long-term loyalty show them that you are, at every moment, their champion. No matter how successful you are today, there is still no place to go from where ever you are but up!
Awesome!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Petalyn.