How-To: Making BtoB WOM Work
5 Tips from Slash Barshinger's Carol Jouzaitis
When it comes to the BtoB world, "The products and services we're buying on behalf of the companies we work for are sizeable purchases," says Carol Jouzaitis, Senior VP and Director of Public Relations for Slack Barshinger. "Not only is money at stake, but people's careers are on the line."
Word of mouth is of utmost importance because people in the situation of purchasing for a company are constantly asking others, "What were your needs? What were your challenges? How did that work for you?"
Here, Carol shared her five tips on making word of mouth work in the BtoB world:
Tip #1. Believe that customer opinions matter
Companies say they believe this, but often it's just lip service. Top brass needs to believe that a customer's input on a product or service is valuable and worth responding to. Too often, people think, "There's nothing my customers can tell me that I don't already know." Start with an education process for employees and decision-makers, or a consciousness-raising event.
Tip #2. Identify happy customers and industry influentials
Look for the people who influence the decision makers -- they're not always the obvious people. For example, visible movers and shakers who are active in peer networks are obvious influentials, but less visible influentials might be consultants and others who influence the RFP process.
Look to those who use your product, and those who don't. Include your biggest critics.
Tip #3. Give them a voice
This can be a formal process or an informal one. You may ask them to join a customer advisory board, or you may simply have an email conversation.
Tip #4. Use their input to make improvements
It's difficult to criticize a company when you're actively engaged in a dialogue with the company's employees. When influentials -- both happy customers and critics -- are in contact with you and you're responding to them, they're more likely to be in your court.
Tip #5. Communicate back about the changes
More than simply using the input from influentials, a company should let those people know that their voices are being heard. Again, this can be a formal or informal process. You might have quarterly meetings with advisory board members, or engage in email conversations, or use blogs.
SPECIAL NOTE
You can learn more from Carol and meet her in person at WOMBAT 2. She's set to moderate a panel during Day 2 about how to make BtoB word of mouth work.
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