Talk Triggers

The Complete Guide to Creating Customers

with Word of Mouth
by
Jay Baer and Daniel Lemin
What’s in it for me? Top tips to craft tantalizing talk
triggers.
Technology has changed the world around us, and few people have had to make
as many adjustments as marketing experts. The old-school approach of buying up
advertising slots between popular television shows just doesn’t cut it any more. If
you want to stay on top of the competition, you’d better be steering the
conversation and giving customers a reason to talk about your business.

After all, few things are as likely to make people reach for their wallets as a
personal recommendation from someone they know and trust. But that’s only
going to happen if you’re offering something memorable enough to bring up in
conversation in the first place. In other words, you need a talk trigger. Whether it’s
a unique menu, ultimate comfort or world-beating efficiency, talk triggers add
value to your product or service while avoiding gimmickry. Most importantly, they
communicate your business’s core values.

Crafting them might be an art, but it’s not impossible. All it takes is some careful
planning and an ability to read the market and respond to feedback from your
customers. That’s exactly what these blinks will show you how to do!

Read on to learn

how a simple cookie can communicate a hotel chain’s entire brand ethos;
why crafting talk triggers is a job best delegated to multiple departments in
your company; and
how to tell if a talk trigger is working on potential customers.
Word-of-mouth advertising is the most effective, and talk
triggers increase your chances of being mentioned.
Few things are more likely to convince consumers to buy something than a
friend’s recommendation. That’s something companies understand, which is why
they hire celebrity “influencers” to promote their brand. But what if there was
some way to spread the word about your business without having to shell out for
reality TV personalities?

Well, there is. It’s called word-of-mouth advertising, and it has the potential to
replace old-school marketing techniques. Take the Cheesecake Factory. The
restaurant chain’s yearly advertising bill comes in at a stunning $268 million less
than its competitor Darden Restaurants, the company behind Olive Garden. In
total, it spends just 0.2 percent of its revenue on advertising. Not bad for a
multibillion-dollar enterprise! So, what’s the secret?

Two words: talk triggers. The Cheesecake Factory has created a reason for
customers to effectively advertise its product to each other for free. That is, its
eye-catchingly enormous menus. These are 5,940 words long and feature 85
chicken dishes alone! This sets the company apart from the competition and
sticks in the mind of anyone who comes to the restaurant for dinner.

Talk triggers are all about sparking conversation between customers and potential
customers. Adding a feature to your product or service that gets people talking
and allows them to tell a story about their experience is a great way of boosting
your chances of being mentioned or recommended.

In the following blinks, we’ll take a closer look at specific talk triggers that helped
increase businesses’ public profile, mentions on social media, personal referrals
and turnover. As we’ll discover, word-of-mouth recommendations are so effective
because they’re regarded as more credible than advertising. In an age of greater
suspicion and savviness, that’s critical.

Let’s find out how you can start crafting unique talk triggers for your company!
 Studies show that a single word-of-
mouth recommendation by a new
customer can lead to almost $200 in
increased sales.
Talk triggers are remarkable, relevant, reasonable and
repeatable.
The million-dollar question is: How do you create talk triggers that actually work,
rather than random perks or, worst of all, gimmicks? There are four criteria you
should look out for. Fulfill those and you’re on the right track. Let’s take a closer
look at them.

First off, be remarkable. If your product or service isn’t interesting enough for a
customer to mention it, it’s not a talk trigger. The Cheesecake Factory’s menu
could overwhelm or even annoy customers, but it actually generates a huge
number of conversations and recommendations. When the authors conducted a
survey of the company’s customers, they found that 57 percent mention the size
of the menu when recommending the restaurant.

Next up, be relevant. Good talk triggers say something about your business’s core
values. Take the Hilton’s DoubleTree hotel chain. The first thing every guest
receives when she checks in is a warm cookie – the perfect symbol of the hotel’s
emphasis on cozy hospitality.

Third, be reasonable. You don’t need to go overboard to create effective talk

triggers. In fact, avoiding showy stunts and keeping it real actually makes your
brand seem trustworthy. What does that look like in practice? Well, how about
taking a cue from the fast food restaurant Five Guys, which gives every customer
an extra serving of fries with her order? It’s a popular policy that isn’t over the top.

Finally, be repeatable. Talk triggers should apply to every customer, rather than a
random sampling of clients. The Californian burger restaurant Skip’s Kitchen puts
this into practice every day. Every customer is asked to a pick a playing card. If it’s
a joker, the meal is on the house. Proprietor Skip Wahl first tried the scheme out
on a busy day to keep customers entertained in line. Today, the restaurant offers
every customer the chance to get a free meal. It’s a nifty trick – even customers
who end up paying for their orders mention the talk trigger to friends and in their
reviews!
 “No differentiator will be loved by 100
percent of customers; if that were the
case, it wouldn’t be different enough to
create conversations.”
Three of the five types of talk triggers appeal to emotions
in an unexpected way.
Talk triggers give customers an experience that sticks in their memories so they
want to tell their friends and family about it. One of the most effective ways of
creating this is to demonstrate empathy, generosity and fun. After all, those aren’t
values we usually associate with profit-driven companies. Show that your business
is different and you’re guaranteed to give your clients something to talk about.

Let’s start with empathy. Take doctor Glenn Gorab, a New Jersey-based oral
surgeon. He goes out of his way to empathize with first-time patients, calling them
a week before their appointment to introduce himself and answer any questions
they might have. It’s a simple gesture, but it goes a long way. The result? Patients
regularly recommend Gorab’s services to their friends.

Generosity can make an impression on customers, too. No wonder – we’re so

used to companies offering less for the same price that a little generosity is bound
to get us talking. That’s something Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari, a theme
park in Santa Claus, Indiana, has taken to heart. The company gives away unlimited
free, non-alcoholic drinks to its customers. That might mean a loss in profits, CEO
Matt Eckert notes. But it’s more than made up for by the fact that it gets visitors
talking to their families and friends, thus generating new customers. Better still,
the number of complaints immediately declined after the policy was introduced!

Then there’s attitude. Firms that ditch the boring jargon and communicate in an
easy-going, fun-loving way with their clients always get people talking. Canadian
software company Uberflip put that into practice at the South by Southwest tech
event. The business ordered 100 headbands in its signature color, a vivid pink, to
give to attendees. After only 90 people showed up to the event, Uberflip sent out
a follow-up email. Rather than using a dull boilerplate like “We’re sorry you
couldn’t attend, this is what our company does,” it simply read, “You forgot your
headband at the party.” Within 75 minutes, over 150 people had contacted
Uberflip to request one! The talk trigger was so effective that people still refer to
Uberflip as “the headband company.”
The other two types of talk trigger focus on efficiency.
Emotion-based talk triggers can be extremely useful, but they don’t make sense
for every company. That doesn’t mean these companies should forego the
opportunity to set themselves apart from the crowd, however. In fact,
emphasizing efficiency can be just as effective.

What does that look like in practice? Well, you’ll want to underscore two things
here – usefulness and speed.

Usefulness worth talking about refers to whatever makes a product or service so

convenient and user-friendly that it becomes a talk trigger on its own. Take Air
New Zealand, for example. The airline introduced the so-called Skycouch in their
economy cabin in 2011. That’s essentially a regular seat with removable armrests
and extra-large footrests that folds down into a futon after takeoff. It’s a real boon
for passengers who want to lie down to get some sleep, and parents can use the
extra space to let their children play. Even better, the company provides bedding
on request!

We’re so used to the idea that uncomfortable seats are something we have to
endure on long-haul flights. So improving seats instantly gets passengers talking,
especially when their friends ask the inevitable question: “How was your flight?”

Speed is another talk trigger. It’s useful when you’re competing with rivals whose
service is inconvenient or inefficient. That’s especially true in an age when most of
us are growing increasingly impatient and expect instant service. Take it from
Paragon Direct, a Honda and Acura dealership in New York City. The service that
really gets their customers talking is extremely convenient. They pick up your car,
service it and drop it off anywhere in New York City, often overnight, so it’s ready
for you in the morning. That cuts out those time-consuming trips to and from the
car dealership. It’s also pretty unique, helping the company stand out from its
rivals. In fact, since it introduced this policy, the company has grown by over 20
percent.
 41 percent of consumers in a 2014
customer service survey by Parature
rated quick resolution of an issue as the
top priority of good customer
experience.
To plan your talk trigger, gather insights from across your
business, and from customers.
Although there are some rare exceptions, like the joker used by Skip’s Kitchen,
most talk triggers don’t translate into immediate profit boosts. Crafting the
perfect talk trigger is all about developing and sustaining a carefully designed
strategy. That requires the attention of more than just one department.

In fact, you’re best off involving your whole company in the process of creating
talk triggers.

So, how do you do that? Well, let’s take a look at the Triangle of Awesome. That’s
essentially a way of bringing together representatives from your marketing, sales
and service departments to look at your customers’ needs from three different
angles. Marketing gives you insight into your market position and starts the
conversation about your trigger by looking at your customer base, employees and
stakeholders. That’s where the sales department comes in. This department has
the lowdown on your unique selling proposition, or USP, and knows what
customers lack in the current marketplace. Finally, there’s customer service, the
department that interacts with customers every day and knows their specific
concerns – a great starting point for developing a durable talk trigger.

Start your first interdepartmental talk trigger meeting by having each corner of
the triangle present data on who uses your products and what customers are
saying about your company and market segment. Then, write out any patterns in
bullet points. That might look like: “X percent of our customers cycle to work,” or
“Customers want a bigger size range” or “People don’t find our packaging very
practical.”

The next part of the process is all about creating a “because” statement to explain
your talk trigger. For this, you should ask yourself what kind of story you want
your customers to tell each other and how this connects with your company’s
core values. Remember the examples we looked at earlier: DoubleTree chose a
cookie because it communicated its desire to make guests feel welcome.
Meanwhile, Air New Zealand adopted the adjustable Skycouch because it wanted
to offer passengers greater comfort. Complete this statement for your business:
“We’re introducing this because…,” and you’ll be well on your way to crafting an
effective talk trigger.
Monitor the influence of your talk trigger to measure if it
is (still) creating conversation.
So, you’ve come up with a talk trigger that you think will take your business to the
next level – what’s next? You’ll want to find out if your customers agree, or if you
can convince them.

The key thing to remember is that your talk trigger should be easy to
communicate. The best way to confirm that is to test it out as much you can. Try
explaining it to a child, for example. If he gets it, it’s pretty likely your customers
will, too. Another good indication that you’re on the right track is that your trigger
doesn’t have any “ifs” and “buts.” After all, no one in his right mind is going to tell
his friend about a great restaurant that gives its customers an extra portion of
fries subject to availability in selected locations only!

The next step is to quantitatively analyze conversations about your talk trigger.
That means taking a look at online conversations and sifting through data on
social media topics, tagged customer uploads and mentions in reviews. You can
also monitor offline conversations by using surveys, comment cards and
anecdotes from your sales team. At least ten percent of all conversations about
your business should focus on your talk trigger during the test phase. Once you’ve
permanently rolled it out, that should rise to at least 25 percent. DoubleTree’s
warm cookie policy, for example, is mentioned in around 35 percent of all
conversations about the company.

But what do you do if you’re not hitting those numbers? Well, if your talk trigger
isn’t getting people talking, ditch it. Set a deadline of at least a few weeks to meet
your ten percent target, and then another couple of weeks for the 25 percent
target. If you miss it, scrap the original idea and go back to the drawing board.

Even if it does stick, you’ll need to be flexible as the market around you changes.
Think of how quickly brand new talking points like Google Street View can
become passé as everyday perceptions catch up with the latest tech, and
yesterday’s innovations are taken for granted.
Remember, your ultimate aim is to get the word about your product or service
out there. Once customers start talking to one another about your business,
you’ve hit the jackpot – nothing boosts sales like personal recommendations. And
the best way to do that is to be proactive. Get out there and start the
conversation with your own unique talk trigger!
Final summary
The key message in these blinks:

Word-of-mouth recommendation is the best way to grow your business. And

here’s the good news – if you plan thoughtfully, it’s free! Crafting a talk trigger that
fits your brand’s core values and inspires customers to talk about you can help
you stand out in a crowd. And that can make all the difference.

Actionable advice:

Take a cue from your competitors.

Analyzing social media is key to success. However, a lot of businesses forget that
it’s just as important to look at customers’ opinions of other companies as it is to
find out how they view their own company. So, here’s a useful tip: look at what
people are saying about rival brands you admire. You’ll quickly get a sense of what
works and can apply those lessons to crafting your own unique talk triggers.

What to read next: Hug Your Haters, by Jay Baer

If you’ve followed the advice in these blinks, you should be well on your way to
expanding your customer base. But that’s not the end of the story – you’ll also
need to keep them.

Luckily enough, that’s also something Jay Baer knows a thing or two about. So if
you’re ready for the next stage of your adventure, and would like to find how to
turn even the crabbiest of customers into your biggest fans, why not take a look at
the blinks for Hug Your Haters?

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