Let me ask you a simple question - do you want your customers to say positive things about your business to other people? I bet you do, because as we all know "word of mouth" is one of the most effective and low cost ways to find new customers. And the most effective way to generate "word of mouth" is to provide extraordinary customer service.

Remember - the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just that little bit "extra."

So what is that little bit extra?

I recently decided that I needed a new pair of training shoes. I was suffering from sore calves after exercising and put it down to the state of my shoes. (And before you say anything, there's no way I'm putting it down to old age).

A visit to a local sports shoe store resulted in me walking up and down the length of the store in my bare feet with my suit trousers rolled up to the knee. Two sales assistants were sitting on the floor watching my progress.

After much discussion between us they recommended two pairs of shoes that I should try. New shoes were purchased; no more sore calves and I told you it wasn't old age.

These sales assistants provided that little bit "extra." They made me feel important, they were warm and friendly, they responded to what I had to say, and they listened to my complaints about my aching muscles. I've now recommended that sports shoe shop to several people.

Research tells us that customers want two basic things from a supplier:

First, they want quality core service. In other words, they expect your product or service to work, to do what you say it'll do. (However, do this alone and you'll only provide "ordinary" service).

Second, they want friendly caring service. They want to be acknowledged, to feel that someone is interested in them as an individual, and that they're cared about. (This is what provides that little bit "extra").

Here are Six Steps to add that little bit extra and generate word of mouth:

1. First impressions are vital - It therefore makes good sense to consider what you look like and sound like. In a face-to-face situation it's important to make eye contact and smile. On the telephone, it's not what you say as an initial greeting that matters, but more important how you say it.
2. Be Warm and Friendly - This is what most people want and it makes your life easier too.
3. Use Names Appropriately - A person's name is one of the warmest sounds they hear. It says that you have recognized them as an individual.
4. Respond - If a customer says something, the intention was for you to hear it. And if you hear it, it's a good idea to acknowledge it.
5. Actively Listen - When you think about it, most people aren't very good listeners. We'd all rather be talking. You have to work hard at listening, particularly if you want to let the other person know that you care. Many people listen but don't show that they're listening. You've got to do all the nodding head stuff and look like you're interested. And remember over the phone, occasionally make some indication that you're still there.
6. Close Positively - At the end of an interaction it's a good idea to make a positive statement on a business level and a personal level. Say something like - "If you have any further problems then please phone me on this number and I'm sure you'll enjoy your holiday next week".

Make no mistake about it, providing friendly caring service creates that little bit extra and generates word of mouth for your business.

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If you're in a business relationship with someone (a client, vendor, or customer), how important is that relationship to you? Do you value the relationship? Do you want to nurture it?  

A business relationship, like any relationship, is a two-way street. The expectations of both parties need to be clear and easily understandable. Applying the Golden Rule is also a good idea: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That is a very powerful statement, and one I try to practice in my daily life, both in business and personal matters.  

Good communication is key for any business relationship to grow and thrive. Even when conflicts surface (and they will), keeping the lines of communication open at all times is extremely important. Meet conflicts head-on, no matter how frightening they may seem at the time. The sooner the issues are out on the table and dealt with, the sooner you can get back on track, and back to business-as-usual.  

Another thing to keep in mind is letting people know you appreciate them. Thank you notes, cards, and e-mails are always a good idea, and they never go out of style. People love to be appreciated. If you are receiving great business from someone, always be sure to let them know. You will feel better for it, and so will your contacts!  

Another great idea is to reach out and 'touch' your clients and customers on a regular basis by sending them monthly newsletters. This is a wonderful way to keep in touch, both to let them know you are thinking about them, and to remind them about you as well.  

  Remember, you get out of a great relationship what you put into it. Value those with whom you do business. Nurture your relationships, so they are always growing and prospering. Keep this up and you will always have a garden full of healthy, happy business contacts.

Testimonials play an important part in advertising - especially for small businesses.  

Big businesses with well-known names don't have to worry about it, but small companies can use testimonials as marketing tools to build credibility.  

Think about it ... how else can we gain credibility other than by creating a group of satisfied customers and shouting what they have to say? Let's look at some ways we can make testimonials an effective part of our marketing campaigns.  

Collect Them  

It would be nice if customers just wrote out wonderful testimonials on their own, walked into your business, and slapped them on the counter. That would be too easy ... it just doesn't happen that way. So what you need to do is pay attention to your everyday conversations with customers. Set up a file of the positive comments you hear - both in person and on the phone.  

Why not fish for compliments? Send your customers an email or postcard that asks them what they think about your product or service. You'll be pleased at the positive comments that are out there just waiting to be netted!  

Mix It Up  

Different things appeal to different people - it's different strokes for different folks. If you want to catch the attention of a varied audience, use a variety of testimonials. You'll be showcasing a spectrum of benefits that your business generates while putting different "flavors" out to attract a wide range of customer tastes.  

Get Specific  

"I liked this product a lot" ... is a nice thank you, but tells absolutely nothing to the readers you're trying to capture. You will want to be a little picky about the testimonials you use. Choose testimonials that are specific ... "I used your product for 2 weeks and now I'm acne free" ... or "I used your weight loss product for 30 days and I'm 14 pounds lighter and feel sexy again". You want to pick testimonials that will motivate the readers to pick up the phone or get in the car!  

Identify Customers Giving the Testimonial  

How do you feel when you see your name across a newspaper advertisement or across a web page? Most of us puff up a little bit ... you know, the ego thing. Your customers will be happy to let you use their name and comments as part of your advertising campaign and will be only too happy to show it off to friends and family.  

Don't forget that when you are gathering permission that the city, state, and occupation of the customer adds interest.  

Businesses like to find themselves in print just as much as an individual ... a bit of free advertising, right? If you sell to a business don't be afraid to include their testimonial in your advertisements along with the type of industry and location or anything else that might be of interest to your readers.  

Testimonials Should Stand Out

 Once you've gone through all of the effort to gather up interesting testimonials, you might as well make them shine. Highlight, use bold text or italics, quotation marks ... whatever it takes to make them outstanding.  

Web pages are great for highlighting testimonials. It's easy put attention on them by using colored boxes or accenting them with clip art. You might want to even spread them out in groups to add interest to your page.  

Think about this ... testimonials are like pure gold for marketers. The time you spend digging them up definitely pays off. Marketing research has shown that testimonials can increase sales by as much as 250%! Testimonials really are worth their weight in gold!