Three little words “Word of Mouth” describe the best sales friend of any small business. This is not a major business “secret” but many businesses don’t take the very simple and inexpensive steps to insure it is working for them.  Here are 6 things you should be doing in your business to maximize word of mouth.

1). Business Cards & Brochures - Help people remember your business so they can recommend it to their friends and others.  Help them with; business cards that have all your contact information.  Be sure to use both sides of your card.  Have an easy name/logo to remember and make sure it appears on everything you mail, produce or give away.

2). Under Promise and Over Deliver - Review the way you describe your product or service and make sure it doesn’t imply things that are beyond the scope.  Then figure out inexpensive “extras” that the customer receives when they purchases your product or service.  These can include improved delivery time, extra features, follow up, extra care, samples or other benefits.

3). Exceptional Customer Service - Customers will talk to their friends about an example of good customer service.  Good customer service will get talked about, especially in today’s climate where we see many signs of poor customer service.  Please note that they may also spread the word about a bad experience, therefore, you can look at this as a defense against bad “press”.  Remember, this requires training your employees so that your customers are greeted and are made to feel appreciated, what ever the circumstance. 

4). Ask Your Customers for Referrals – Your existing customers may know someone else looking for a similar service or product.  This is proactive word of mouth and may also give you good feedback on whether your customers are happy with your service.

5). Discounts for Customer Referrals - Offer your customers discounts if they refer customers to your business.  As an example, a pool service company might offer one free month of service for every customer a current customer refers to them.