Team Alpha 375

How to earn love from prospects and customers that add up to referrals, recommendations, and fantastic sales

by Andy Sernovitz

The more recommendations you earn, the more sales you'll close.

You need word of mouth because the moment you walk out of a prospects office, your reputation isn't what you say it is -- it's what other people say it is. People are going to check out your word of mouth before they buy.

You need to know how to earn the respect and recommendation of your customers so future prospects are ready to buy from you. In my one-on-one interview with Jeffrey Gitomer, he said there are three things you need to know:

1. When you leave, prospects are going to talk to 50 people

And when they do, they're going to say one of five things: Something great, something good, nothing, something bad, or something really bad. What you do, how you act, and how hard you work to earn their word of mouth will determine this.

2. Word of mouth is what sells

America's branded by advertising, but sold by something much more powerful: word of mouth. What are your customers saying about you behind your back? Because that will determine not only your fate with that relationship, but also what they say to your next prospect.

3. "Memorable" is everything

If you aren't memorable, you won't be spoken about in a positive way -- you'll be spoken about in an average way. But if you've done the extraordinary things, created a "wow" experience, and gone above and beyond what your competitors are doing -- they'll go out and talk about you in a way that breaks down barriers of resistance for future prospects.

Jeffrey's advice is right on -- and you can do it.

To get you started, here are the Four Rules of Word of Mouth Marketing from my book:

1. Be interesting or be invisible

Nobody talks about boring companies, boring products, boring ads, or boring sales pitches. Most of your competitors are boring -- but you don't have to be. It just takes effort, hustle, and a little creativity. A good rule of thumb is to check your sales proposal -- if you can replace your name and logo with a competitor's and it still works, it's time to start over.

2. Make people happy

Create amazing buying experiences. Provide excellent service. Go the extra mile. Make sure the work you do gets people energized, excited, and eager to tell a friend. Because if you don't -- even if you do make the sale -- buyers aren't going to recommend you. Nobody is going to suggest their friends go through an awkward, boring, or uncomfortable buying experience.

3. Earn trust and respect

Nobody talks about a company they don't trust or don't like. Earn the respect of your customers. Be good to them. Talk to them. Honor their intelligence. Fulfill their needs. Stay honest. Every company can be nicer, and every one of us can work to make our company a little better to its customers. This is where most salespeople blow it: The slightest sense of being bullied or lied to blows both the sale and the dozens of referrals.

4. Make it easy

Your job is to make it easy for happy customers to talk about you. Find a simple topic that is easy to repeat. It's not your formal brand statement, nor is it your product description. And forget the elevator pitch -- it's the pass-in-the-hall test. What can people tell a friend about you in one sentence? What will they pass on about you?

Real estate agents are the best at this. They leave you cards, rulers, coffee mugs -- they make it easy so you're not just making a generic referral, you actually know their name.

Whatever you do, remember this: Word of mouth is something you can be great at. It doesn't take big money or fancy promotions, it just takes heart and hustle -- and you've got that.