How to Get Word-of-Mouth Business
by Janet Attard
One of the best sources of new business is word-of-mouth advertising. A prospect who comes to you because they've been referred by a friend or because they've heard your name repeatedly, is one who expects to make a purchase and expects to be satisfied with that purchase. In fact, surveys of home and small businesses have repeatedly shown that word-of-mouth advertising is one of the leading sources of new customers for businesses who don't sell retail products.
Word-of-mouth advertising can take years to develop. You can speed up the process, however, by giving away your product or services to individuals who are in a position to recommend them to many other people. A New Jersey photo studio, for instance, gives holiday photos, photo cards and occasionally a complete wedding photography package to florists, travel agencies, caterers, restaurants and real estate agents in their area. The giveaways serve as samples of their work and as incentives to encourage those businesses to refer photography clients to them.
Web designers sometimes give away their services to friends and/or non-profit organizations. Doing so not only gets them word-of-mouth referrals, but also helps them build a portfolio when they are just starting out.
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