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G A I N S in Word of Mouth Marketing
| Guest post by: Ivan R. Misner |
Article Overview: For success in generating referrals, it's crucial to know your sources -- the members of your word-of-mouth team. To that end, there are five things that are critical that word-of-mouth marketing teams should know about each other.
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Free Download - Sorting Out Who's Who By Ivan R. Misner |
G A I N S in Word of Mouth Marketing
For success in generating referrals, it's crucial to know your sources -- the members of your word-of-mouth team. To that end, there are five things that are critical that word-of-mouth marketing teams should know about each other.
These five things are not mysterious secrets; they are facts we are exposed to every day, but often pay little attention to because we are not aware of the benefits we can accrue by sharing them. I call this sharing the GAINS Exchange:
*Goals
*Accomplishments
*Interests
*Networks
*Skills
If you know the GAINS categories and use them effectively, you can strengthen your relationships, create strong organizations, and live a more rewarding, productive, and enjoyable life. This is also a two-way street. Not only should you know these things about others, you should share with them the same information about yourself.
Goals
Goals are the financial, business, educational, and personal objectives you want or need to meet for yourself and for people who are important to you. They could be problems you want to resolve or decisions you need to make, either immediately or down the road.
Whatever they are, you need to define your own goals clearly and specifically and you need to have a clear picture of the other person's goals. Indeed, the best way to develop a relationship is by helping someone achieve something that's important to her. If you do, she'll remember you when you need help achieving your goals. You'll become valuable sources for each other, and your relationships will endure.
Accomplishments
Some of your best insight into others comes from knowing what goals they have achieved, what projects they've completed, what they have accomplished both for themselves and for others. Accomplishments, whether as student, employee, organization member, parent, friend, sports fan, or neighbor, tell you more about a person than any number of intentions or attitudes.
People like to talk about the things they're proud of. Engage your referral sources in casual conversation; encourage them to talk about their accomplishments. Sharing your accomplishments may lead to fortuitous surprises, such as a mutual interest, or connection that can be beneficial for both of you.
Interests
Your interests can help you connect with others. People are more willing to spend time with those who share their interests or know something about them; if you and your referral source share many of the same interests, it will strengthen your relationship.
Passions are your most important interests. A passion is something you love to do, something you could do all day long without encouragement or compliments from others.
Networks
A network starts with any group (formal or informal), organization, institution, company, or individual you associate with for either business or personal reasons. You have many networks, both formal and informal.
As the saying goes, "It's not what you know but whom you know" -- and to that you can add, "whom the people in your network know.” As you share your networks with others, you will build relationships faster--relationships that lead to business opportunities.
Skills
The more you know about the talents, abilities, and assets of the people in your referral base, the better equipped you are to find competent, affordable service when you or someone you know needs help. Think about what you do and identify the special skills you have; exchanging this information will help business relationships grow as well.
To summarize, getting to know the people you want to help you generate word of mouth for your business will result in your ability to reciprocate. This, in turn, will create a synergy of giving that won’t ever stop! What a great way to build your business. Using the GAINS Exchange is a fun and valuable way to take your word-of-mouth marketing to an all-new level.
Called the father of modern networking, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author and Founder of BNI (www.bni.com), the world’s largest business networking organization. His latest book, Truth or Delusion can be viewed at www.TruthorDelusion.com. Dr. Misner is also the Sr. Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company (www.referralinstitute.com). He can be reached at misner@bni.com .
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About the Author: Ivan R. Misner RSS for Ivan's articles - Visit Ivan's website Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. BNI was founded in 1985. The organization has over 5,800 chapters throughout every populated continent of the world. Last year alone, BNI generated 6.5 million referrals resulting in $2.8 billion dollars worth of business for its members. Called the "Father of Modern Networking" by CNN and the "Networking Guru" by Entrepreneur magazine, Dr. Misner is considered one of the world's leading experts on business networking and has been a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations throughout the world. He has been featured in the L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times, as well as numerous TV and radio shows including CNN, CNBC, and the BBC in London. Dr. Misner is on the Board of Trustees for the University of La Verne. He is also the Founder of the BNI-Misner Foundation and was recently named "Humanitarian of the Year" by a Southern California newspaper. He is married and lives with his wife Elisabeth and their three children in Claremont, CA. In his spare time!!! he is also an amateur magician and a black belt in karate. Click here to visit Ivan's website   Making WordofMouth Marketing Work for You Great Referrals Arent Accidents Making WordofMouth Marketing Work How to Network With a Large Group The Dos and Donts of Social Networking |
Related Forum Posts
Measuring Word of mouth
- [quote="jvprosperity":2l2ujat4]I couldn't find the Part 1 Doctrine on the site but I believe from reading the blog posts it had to do with the distractions entrepreneurs and their customers face daily. He may have also talked about Word of Mouth and the true way of measuring it.[/quote:2l2ujat4]
Hi Andy,
So how can one measure "Word of Mouth" marketing then?
Re: What's Up With Word Clouds?
- I would like to see Word Clouds used in conjunction with a Survey. I've been experimenting with Word Clouds within Google Docs forms using the advanced Word Cloud Widget.
Word of Mouth
- Word of Mouth marketing by its very nature takes time. You need to develop relationships before people will refer you.
Why not boost it a little by making a few partnerships? You could partner with a gym or put on seminars. Think who else targets the same people and how you can work with them and help them.
You can also write articles and become and expert in your field - put them online, write a column for a community paper on health, etc.
Even a door to door flyer drop with a simple one pager can help drive some clients.
Good luck!
Re: What is your Business?
- We are running a Online Marketing Firm and we have some good clients to which we are offering a complete Digital Marketing strategy like Search, Mobile Marketing, Branding and Design. I think in Online Marketing company online presence can be a wining factor for the success of the company.
Re: Let’s talk about the ways of marketing your products, servic
- I agree with some of the others who responded it depends on what your selling... but to answer your questions here are some of the methods I use.
Forum Marketing
Yahoo Answers (I need to use more of)
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Bum Marketing or Article marketing
P-P-C (Pay Per Click) Marketing
Online Directories
Hope this helps.
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