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Enthusiastic customers can often do more for a supplier than even the splashiest ad. When you factor in that they target the exact market you’re seeking and they come at a much lower cost, encouraging customers to talk is a no-brainer. “You know, you struggle sometimes getting the word out that your product has unique benefits to a particular market segment. You can get that through national advertising, but then your cost-per-image to these guys gets pretty expensive,” said Jim Gavin, vice president of key accounts for AccuTemp, foodservice equipment manufacturers based in Fort Wayne, Ind. Happy customers are the first step when it comes to word-of-mouth marketing, so Gavin focuses on customer service, quality products and overall satisfaction. Referral programs can provide incentives for existing customers who tell a friend about your services. Percentage discounts on future purchases or cash incentives may be just the catalyst a happy customer needs to spread the message about your business. Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start, recommends companies use caution when implementing referral programs so customers don’t lose the true motivation behind a good recommendation. To get customers talking, Andy Sernovitz, author of Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, encourages companies to be interesting. “Nobody talks about boring companies, boring products or boring ads,” he writes. “If you want people to talk about you, you’ve got to do something special.” That something special could be an interesting new product, industry information or an amazing customer service program. Sernovitz notes that Zappos.com, an online shoe store, boasts a one-year, no-questions-asked one-year return policy. In the next edition of Highway Business Matters, NATSO shares truckstops' top-selling products, in addition to the little things that keep suppliers on the mind. |
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{HBM} Highway Business Matters is a brief semi-monthly newsletter created exclusively for companies that provide products or services to the truckstop and travel plaza industry. Highway Business Matters will keep you informed on trends, tactics, and tips to help you connect to the $65 billion truckstop and travel plaza industry.
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