"You've Got to Try This Product!"

by Kori Rodley Irons | More from this Blogger

28 Sep 2007 10:43 AM

Have you ever been at a party or chatting with some friends and the topic of some new product or business comes up and it seems everyone has tried it but you? Can you remember that feeling of being just a bit left out and wondering what all the fuss was about? Chances are, you probably went out and tried it for yourself (or ate at that new restaurant or saw that movie)--this is one of the most successful marketing techniques ever: word of mouth and peer pressure.

Often, that whole snowball "you've just got to see this movie!" happens without business people having anything to do with it. But there are things you can do to encourage word-of-mouth and fan the flames of chatter about your product or service. It helps to get your product into the right hands--those people who know a lot of people and are apt to chat your business up. This can be friends and family members, of course, but it can also be complete strangers or satisfied clients or customers. This is basically the root of what networking and "buzz" is all about--get people talking about your business and put "pressure" on those who haven't tried it, to try it.

Try starting small and set as a goal to saturate a particular segment of your market. This way you can get a feel for how word-of-mouth works. Perhaps you offer samples or do a little pro bono work for people who you know are connected, then you offer coupons or some sort of discount for referrals. This might be all it takes to get people talking about your services. Of course, you've got to give good service and do a good job--otherwise that chatter can work to your disadvantage. If you know of truly satisfied and happy clients and customers, encourage them to start talking and tell people about what you do. Soon, you just may have more business than you can handle!

Also: Watch Out for Double Messages in Your Marketing

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