[Welcome back to the You Can Be a Word of Mouth Marketing Supergenius! newsletter. This is text from the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.]
All those customers that come in and out of your store or visit your website every day represent a huge word of mouth opportunity. It’s all about turning these passing shoppers into active talkers. A few ideas to get you started:
1. Get their contact information
2. Give them a reason to come back
3. Make it all worth talking about
1. Get their contact information
It’s a lot easier to build a relationship with a one-time customer if you have their permission to contact them again. Email is still the best way to do this, and a great newsletter can keep them thinking about (and talking about) you long after the original sale. Some brands are figuring out how to do this with Facebook and Twitter, and that’s fine too. Whatever tool you use, find a great way to ask everyone who comes in the door.
2. Give them a reason to come back
A customer you can get back into your store is exponentially more likely to talk than a one-time shopper. Try inviting your customers back with an invite to a private sale, a training class, or a special event. Whenever you meet a new customer, always have a reason ready for them to come again — and to bring a friend when they do.
3. Make it all worth talking about
All the tools and tactics you use to get people talking should be in addition to a fundamentally remarkable shopping experience. Think about everything the customer experiences from the moment they meet you and ask yourself, “Would anyone tell a friend about this?” If not, it needs more work. New customers are more than a potential transaction, they’re an audition.
