The Word of Mouth Secret
11th of October, 2020
The Word of Mouth Secret
Everyone in business knows that the best business comes from word of mouth recommendations. Indeed, various studies have shown that over 90% of people trust a word of mouth recommendation, and over 80% of business comes from them. So how do you generate more of these for your business?
Networking!
The answer is simple. If you want more word of mouth business, you need to be talking to people – and people need to be talking about you with their networks. For this reason, there is a plethora of networking opportunities available to us all and the recent move to online working means it is easier than ever to network.
Yet, for most of us, networking doesn’t lead to a lot of business. So here are my top tips for making your networking more productive.
The Secret
First thing I am going to share is also the most powerful:
It’s not about what you do – it’s the difference you make.
When we go networking, the standard question is, “So what do you do?”. If I answer this with, “I’m a Business Coach”, that doesn’t say anything about me that is helpful. If I go on to tell people about my coaching, are they really going learn about my skills and experience and then share it with their contacts?
If we seek word of mouth introductions, we need to think about the people our networking partners are going to talk to. They are also our potential clients and customers. When we answer ‘the networking question’, we can share some information that is useful about the customers we help. For example, I might say,
“I help small businesses find more clients and customers.”
Or my favourite:
“I help local and regional charities develop sustainable incomes from their activities.”
Network Engagement
If the person I am talking to is curious to find out more, they will ask me to tell them more. At this point, I can share a story of how I have helped a client recently to find more clients and customers, or I can tell them how I helped a local charity generate income from their activities. As I am telling the relevant story, they will think of people they know who might want the same outcomes. And this will generate a possible introduction.
Make Conversations Interesting
If you find that you spend time listening to others telling you what they do, stop asking people to tell you! Instead, here is a simple conversation structure that will help you help your network partners:
- Tell me a story of how you helped someone recently;
- What difference did that make for them?
When we share stories, we reveal rich information about ourselves, our core values, and the things that motivate us to help our clients and customers. And we naturally share stories. Anthropologists reckon we have had language skills for 700,000 years, yet the oldest form of writing yet discovered is only 7,000 years old. Every culture has a story-telling tradition, so sharing stories is quite literally in our blood.
When you ask these questions, you are gathering stories about others, about the customer and the difference made for them. These are useful stories, and when you spot someone who has a similar need, you will be able to make an introduction reinforced with a credible story.
The reverse is also true. If you are sharing useful stories, your network will share them on your behalf. The more amazing the difference, the more likely the story will be shared.
Building Relationships
A crucial part of the word of mouth introduction process is that we will only ever introduce people we know and trust. The short exchange above is just an initial engagement conversation. If you find you can introduce someone you have just met, have a coffee with them (face to face or on-line) and get to know them a little more. If you think they are a good match, make the introduction. Remember, your reputation goes with every recommendation you make, so this extra step will help you make and receive great introductions.
Networking Plan
So when you go networking, don’t talk about what you do, and ask people to tell you stories of how they have helped others. When you are asked what you do, tell a story of how you helped someone. And as you meet people with interesting stories, get to know them. It’s a great way to make more of your networking activity, and a great way to grow your business through word of mouth recommendations.