«[…] At this point, everyone ran in every direction.
Even the women, demonstrating the difference between idea and action […]»
If you haven’t recognized the song, I recommend listening to the funny (and instructive) song Il Gorilla in De André’s version.
If you feel more engaged, you can also listen to Brassens’ original version, but we’re not here to talk about music, are we?
It’s just that this quote from Faber came to mind in Amsterdam during the recent Mets. Here’s why.
I spoke with many companies producing fascinating and mostly professional-oriented products.
When, excited by their creativity, I asked, “How do you communicate and promote your products?” I kept hearing the same mantra: “We mainly rely on word-of-mouth.”
Beautiful, right. A satisfied customer is the best testimonial. Better than any advertisement.
But only if people know that they are satisfied customers. Otherwise, what kind of word-of-mouth is it?
Because when I checked the websites of these companies (I swear I did this for every business card I collected), I found only ONE that mentioned their clients by name, not how the clients responded, and ONE that published customer reviews.
None of the others leveraged what they claim is their main promotional tool: word-of-mouth.
This clearly shows the difference between the idea (“word-of-mouth gets me clients”) and the action: doing nothing to leverage word-of-mouth.
And to think, many of these websites were well-crafted, thoughtful, and supported by advanced concepts.
So I wonder: how many truly exploit all the potential they have within their company to showcase how unique they are and how they are the best solution for their customers?
And why don’t they use this, knowing it’s practically free?
Add a review module to your website, and you’re done.
Of course, the reviews must be genuine; misleading customers is never a good idea.
It’s even better if you include a first name, last name, and perhaps even a photo—this makes them even more credible.
And the reviews should talk about real things, like: “I had this issue, and XYZ company resolved it in half a day. Truly a partner you can count on.”
The generic “You’re fantastic and amazing” doesn’t really make much of a difference.
With minimal effort, you’ve added a tool that works for you every time someone visits your website.
That said: how much do you nurture your clients, reach out to them, and make them feel important to you?
Are you sure you’re making the most of everything you already have in hand to sell your products or services?
If you think a conversation with us could help you figure out what you can start doing immediately to improve your communication, send an email to info@lliquida.com.
The alternative is to keep hoping something will happen, even if you do nothing to make it happen.
