Word of mouth marketing is essential to the success of any business. Why is it then, that so many marketers don’t have a specific word of mouth marketing strategy? Jay Baer, the author of the new book “Talk Triggers,” joins Anthony on this episode of In The Arena to answer that exact question. He’ll walk you through 4 criteria to keep in mind when creating a talk trigger for your business, as well as share stories of how talk triggers have led to immense success for some of the top businesses in the United States. It’s an episode not to be missed – listen now!

What are talk triggers and why are they important in word of mouth marketing?

Jay explains talk triggers as, “something that you choose to do differently that creates conversation.” They’re not to be confused with marketing tactics. Rather, they’re operational choices that are designed to specifically generate discussions about your business. The single greatest way to grow any business is for your customers to do the growing for you through storytelling. You story arises from your talk trigger – are you giving your audience a story to tell?

There is persuasive power in both online and offline conversations about your organization

Recent studies have shown that verbal marketing occurs equally online and offline. However, the persuasive power of offline word of mouth marketing is 43% higher than stand-alone posts on social media. The conversations that occur online and offline typically remain separate, and they are triggered by different things. Jay explains how a stellar talk trigger can be powerful both online and in person on this episode, and you don’t want to miss his insights.

Follow these 4 criteria to craft a great talk trigger

Creating a great talk trigger to incorporate into your word of mouth marketing strategy isn’t easy. Luckily, Jay shares his top 4 criteria to follow when brainstorming trigger ideas, and they’re all featured on this episode of In The Arena. But don’t miss the full story – be sure to check out his book on Amazon and wherever you buy books.

1. Remarkable – it needs to be worthy of remarks – people don’t share mediocre stories
2. Relevant – it cannot simply be about gathering attention, because chatter only lasts for a short period of time
3. Reasonable – different enough to attract attention, but not so “out there” that people are wary of the offer
4. Repeatable – a talk trigger isn’t just a one-time stunt

Learn from their success – both The Cheesecake Factory and Doubletree have stellar talk triggers

Two of the best examples of profitable talk triggers come from The Cheesecake Factory and Doubletree. At 5,940 words, the Factory’s menu is impressively long. But the menu is so much more than an expansive offering of entrees – it’s a specific marketing strategy. Their menu has become so infamous that when Jay and his team polled hundreds of Cheesecake Factory customers, they discovered that 38% had told someone else about the menu in the past 30 days, without being asked or prompted. This allows the Factory to spend $276 million less per year on marketing than the Olive Garden or Outback Steakhouse.

Consider also Doubletree’s goal to give hotel guests the warmest welcome in the hotel industry, complete with a fresh, warm chocolate chip cookie upon arrival. Their cookies fit within the context of what they do, and they’ve been doing it for over 30 years. They sustainably delight their customers time after time, and that’s the truest sign of a successful talk trigger.

Outline of this great episode

• [2:07] Jay Baer, digital marketing guru, on why he wrote a book on word of mouth marketing
• [5:52] The persuasive power of online and in-person word of mouth marketing
• [15:15] What are talk triggers and why are they important?
• [19:30] Your talk triggers don’t have to be huge gestures – follow these 4 criteria to craft a great talk trigger
• [27:00] Why is being relevant important in your talk trigger?
• [30:40] Reasonability is just as important when designing a talk trigger
• [33:00] Talk trigger success comes from repeatable strategies

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

• Talk Triggers website
• Convince and Convert website
• Jay’s website
• BOOK: “Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers”
• BOOK: “Talk Triggers: The Complete Guide to Creating Customers with Word of Mouth”
• BOOK: “Contagious: Why Things Catch On”
• Ep 53, “Jay Baer on Hugging Your Haters and the Real Value of Stellar Customer Service”
• SPONSOR: Mail Tag
• Dufl brand
• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn
• Follow Jay on Twitter
• Follow Jay on Facebook

The theme song “Into the Arena” is written and produced by Chris Sernel. You can find it on Soundcloud

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