Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is quite likely the least expensive and most effective way for companies to get their product into consumers' hands. However, consumers are more likely to tell friends and family about their bad experiences than their good ones. How can you be sure that they are talking about your business in a positive way? Providing a welcoming and caring experience can really effect your future business. It can determine whether or not they tell friends as well as whether or not they will return as a repeat customer. In today's world, social media such as Twitter & Facebook have made word of mouth even more important. These networking sites provide an open forum for consumers to discuss and share information in "real time". With more than half of Canadian consumers using these tools, there's big incentive for business owners to get on board. These same tools allow business owners to be innovative, better anticipate customer needs and track feedback on their own business as well as that of their competitors. It's important to monitor how you're interacting with your customers. Are you giving them reasons to recommend you to others? Is there something that you could do differently that would make their life easier? Will they choose your business the next time they shop for the same product? Do you know when people are talking about your business on-line. The only way to measure improvements going forward is to assess and measure the current state.