Smart business operators have always understood the value of word-of-mouth advertising. And the advent of social media actually created word-of-mouth-on-steroids as messages went viral.
But many thought that simply creating a ‘satisfied customer’ would generate the word-of-mouth they cherished so much.
In reality, being ‘satisfied’ is what customers expect, and achieving that goal is taken for granted.
What generates buzz and word-of-mouth is when you go beyond the satisfaction benchmark, and actually delight your customers.
More often than not, it’s the surprises you deliver that delight your customers.
Holiday Inn’s old ‘No Surprises’ slogan meant you would not be disappointed when you stayed at a Holiday Inn.
But the memorable hotel experiences that generated word-of-mouth were the ones that surprised you with free freshly-baked chocolate cookies or perhaps a gift beyond the advertised promises.
Too many businesses promise so much in their advertising, that they leave no room to surprise or delight their customers.
