DALLAS, May 28 (UPI) -- "Sixty-three percent of marketing managers plan to incorporate word-of-mouth" was the headline of a recent survey of several hundred marketing managers around the country. It's about time.
Person-to-person communication is the neglected step-child of communication. It's ignored by virtually every corporate function: human resources, legal, marketing, investor relations-even public relations. It's not hard to figure out why. No flashy displays. No Super Bowl spots. No glossy brochures. In addition, person-to-person appears to be uncontrollable. Actually, it's quite predictable, and companies like Mary Kay and Amway have built a successful business model on understanding, anticipating, harnessing and aligning person-to-person communication with their business strategies.
Everyone knows that word-of-mouth communications, sometimes misunderstood or given the limited characterization of "buzz," is the most powerful form of communication. "Let's face it. People will talk," says Tammy Galvin, editor-in-chief of Training Magazine. Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice, offers this example: You plan to buy a book to read on a trip. You study reviews, and then, as you leave for the bookstore, a friend says, "Buy this one instead. I thought it was really good." Schwartz says this is an example of how the person-to-person comment, with its personal endorsement, "trumps" thoughtful research and facts. Naturally, social scientists have gotten in on the act and produced a name for the phenomenon, "availability heuristic," which is meaningless and hinders understanding.
Start by asking 1.) who you are talking to, 2.) who that person will talk to, and then 3.) who that person will talk to. What do you want them to pass on and why? What are you already spending money on to communicate to whom?
Here's an example: A hospital has a new cardiac care building and program. The challenge is to enlist the hospital staff and employees to help spread the word. But how?
The most common mistake organizations make is not providing information to their own employees, followed by providing too much information in a manner that is difficult to absorb and pass on verbally. Organizations that think they are communicating with their own people are usually just creating the illusion of communication. That is, the material is not embraced, internalized and passed on. A brochure or memo on the new Heart Hospital does not equip, empower or motivate employees to pass on information.
Effective "ambassador" communication has several characteristics. It has very simple key phrases -- like a headline or bumper sticker. (Think of FedEx and "absolutely positively" or today, "The Purple Promise.") These phrases are energetically articulated by everyone starting with the CEO, and they are heard in every venue, not just a sales or marketing venue. (And they must be true and not undercut, but those are future columns.)
These phrases are followed by anecdotes, quotes or personal endorsement, like the friend who recommends another book by saying, "I found it useful." William Rothwell, professor in charge of workforce education and development at Penn State-University Park, says that we share experiences "through storytelling."
The genius of the direct marketing companies is that they understood that people can tell each other's stories. Thus, "The Heart Hospital saved the life of the husband of Nurse Smith" can be a story told by an employee who doesn't know Nurse Smith personally.
Employees and others associated with an organization -- like customers or vendors -- need very frequent snippets of information. It has to be compelling, and written or conveyed in a way that the listener or viewer can turn away and repeat it.
In a marketing venue, companies are trying many ways to enlist word-of-mouth. Bank of America hands out simple forms that say "Recommend us to a friend, and you get a $25 Visa gift card." KLIF, a Dallas talk radio station, promotes calling in with a friend and then listening at certain times. If they call your name or your friend's, and you call in five minutes, they give you a $1000. They add, "Get a bunch of friends to sign up, and then listen for each other."
An effective word-of-mouth campaign can boost sales, but it's much more powerful if the concept starts with a passion for conveying the mission of the organization and telling every employee that he or she represents the reputation and future of the company. Companies that do this will find that their people embrace the opportunity and create, over time, a richer understanding of the company, its people, services and products. Over time, these opportunities build a competitive edge.
Merrie Spaeth, the president of a Dallas-based consulting firm, is a regular commentator and writer on communication issues. She was the director of media relations for President Reagan.
