Knock? Knock? ... Who's there? The 5 T's of Word of Mouth Marketing

The Sales Cycle has changed considerably over the years.The Fuller Brush Company started out in 1906, and salesman walked miles each day going Door-to-Door to meet and great the lady of the house and share with them beauty, household and day to day products that would revolutionize the way they look, feel and manage their households and by using Alfred C. Fullers famous words, "...the best products of their kind in the world." Fuller's philosophy was simple: From the beginning Fuller established three basic rules: Make it work Make it last Guarantee it no matter what. As the years went by Mr. Fuller became a model to many sales organizations by upholding quality and customer service. How the years have changed though, now you can get arrested for knocking on someone's door and offering them a service, and if you happen to be in the wrong neighborhood or wrong state in some cases and someone perceives you to be attempting to steal or harm them, they even have the right to shoot to kill. So you might be able to see why many Door-to Door sales organizations are having problems with sales, who wants to get shot at because it got dark early? Trust me, I did Door to Door sales for over a year and having a gun pulled on you is not my idea of a productive environment for selling! And then there are all those lovely Do Not Call and Spam laws! The restrictions are getting tougher and tougher every year on these. So what are we to do? Educating yourself is the best way to find creative and new ways to market to your prospects but by far one of the best ways is to still follow Mr. Fullers philosophy( in a sense) and build relationships with people where you can obtain sales through word of mouth marketing. Andy Sernovitz wrote a brilliant book called Word of Mouth Marketing, and in it he highlights the five Ts of Word of Mouth. 1. Talkers: Who will tell their friends about you? 2. Topics: What will they talk about? 3. Tools: How can you help the message travel? 4. Taking Part: When should you join the conversation? 5. Tracking: What are people saying about you? He highlights the best of all of these. Find people that talk, A LOT! Many women are great at this, think of your one friend that never shuts up and always know where the Hot spots are or always know the best new place to graba drink or a bite to eat....this is word of mouth marketing at it's finest! What topics? Think of the Geiko lizard, people know the name just by the funny commercial. How are you going to spread the word? Anyway you can, give out free samples, flyer's, coupons, sales, online communities are incredible! And for goodness sake people, when people ask, Talk Back!!!! Yes, you will get some bad press that goes along with success, address it and move on. Most importantly though, track what is happening so you know how to manage a smarter marketing plan and build a better company. And if all else fails take a look at what Mr. Fuller does,(yes, he's still in business today)and your off to a fantastic start! The Fuller Quest for Excellence To offer Customers Unique Products of the Highest Quality... That Last That Work To Offer Associates and Representatives Real Opportunity... To Grow To Learn To Earn To Accept the Responsibility of Leadership... In Service In Our Community In Our Environment A QUEST TRUE OVER 100 YEARS AGO, STILL HOLDS TRUE TODAY... TO BE...AND TO GIVE OUR VERY BEST. not bad words to abide by, even after 100 years!