Talk Triggers

1. Word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool, driving 19% of consumer purchases

Nineteen percent of all consumer purchases in the United States are directly caused by word of mouth.

Trust in businesses is declining. According to research, only 52% of citizens globally trust businesses. In contrast, 83% of Americans trust recommendations from friends and family, and 60% trust online reviews. This shift in trust dynamics makes word-of-mouth marketing more critical than ever.

Word of mouth influences both B2C and B2B. While consumer purchases are significantly impacted by word of mouth, its influence on B2B decisions is even greater. This is due to the considered nature of most B2B purchases, higher average prices, and limited customer base.

Word of mouth is cost-effective. Companies like The Cheesecake Factory demonstrate the power of word-of-mouth marketing by spending just 0.20% of their total sales on advertising, while competitors spend significantly more. This showcases how effective word-of-mouth strategies can reduce marketing costs while driving business growth.

2. Talk triggers are strategic, operational differentiators that create customer conversations

A talk trigger is a purposeful, operational differentiator that creates conversation among customers and recruits potential new customers in the process.

Talk triggers are not marketing gimmicks. Unlike traditional marketing campaigns or promotions, talk triggers are built into the core operations of a business. They are consistent, repeatable experiences that customers naturally want to share with others.

Examples of effective talk triggers:

• The Cheesecake Factory's extensive 5,940-word menu
• DoubleTree by Hilton's warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in
• Five Guys' extra fries in every order

Talk triggers clone customers. By giving customers something remarkable to talk about, businesses can turn their existing customers into volunteer marketers, effectively recruiting new customers through genuine, trusted recommendations.

3. Remarkable, relevant, reasonable, and repeatable: The four criteria of effective talk triggers

To do this, your operational differentiator needs to meet these four criteria. All talk triggers shall be: remarkable, relevant, reasonable, and repeatable.

Remarkable: The differentiator must be worthy of remark, something customers will naturally want to talk about. It should stand out from the ordinary and be noticeable.

Relevant: The talk trigger should be tied to your core business and support your brand positioning. It needs to make sense within the context of what you do and who you are.

Reasonable: While the differentiator should be surprising, it shouldn't be so over-the-top that it seems unbelievable or raises suspicion. It needs to be simple enough to explain in one sentence.

Repeatable: The talk trigger must be consistently available to all customers, not just a select few or a one-time event. This consistency builds trust and ensures ongoing word-of-mouth marketing.

4. Five types of talk triggers: Empathy, usefulness, generosity, speed, and attitude

There are five types of talk triggers: empathy, usefulness, generosity, speed, and attitude.

Empathy: Demonstrating unexpected care and understanding for customers. Example: Dr. Glenn Gorab calling patients before their appointments to address concerns.

Usefulness: Providing customers with more utility than anticipated. Example: Air New Zealand's Skycouch, transforming economy seats into a couch-like space.

Generosity: Giving customers more than expected. Example: Skip's Kitchen offering a free meal if customers draw a joker from a deck of cards.

Speed: Delivering service or products faster than the industry norm. Example: Paragon Direct's overnight car servicing and delivery.

Attitude: Adopting a unique tone or approach that stands out. Example: UberConference's humorous on-hold music.

5. Same is lame: Differentiation is key to creating word-of-mouth marketing

Same is lame. Give yourself permission to do something different. Something noteworthy. Something talkable.

Operational excellence is not enough. While providing good products or services is essential, it's not sufficient to generate word-of-mouth marketing. Customers rarely discuss perfectly adequate experiences.

Differentiation creates conversation. By offering something unique or unexpected, businesses give customers a reason to talk about them. This differentiation can be in product features, customer service, or overall experience.

Examples of differentiation:

• Umpqua Bank's direct phone line to the CEO in every branch
• Graduate Hotels' room keys featuring famous alumni from nearby universities
• Lockbusters donating all tips to an animal shelter

6. Offline conversations are equally important as online word of mouth

Online and offline word of mouth are each about 50 percent of the total conversations about businesses.

Don't neglect offline word of mouth. While social media and online reviews are important, face-to-face conversations still play a crucial role in influencing purchasing decisions. In fact, offline word of mouth can be more impactful due to its personal nature.

Measure both online and offline conversations. To fully understand the impact of your talk trigger, use a combination of:

• Social media analysis
• Online reviews and ratings
• Customer surveys
• Sales team anecdotes
• Call center logs

Create experiences worth sharing offline. Design talk triggers that are easy for customers to recount in person, giving them interesting stories to share with friends and family.

7. Implement a six-step process to create and sustain effective talk triggers

There are six steps to follow when creating your own talk trigger: Gather internal insights, get close to your customers, create candidate talk triggers, test and measure, expand and turn on, and amplify your talk trigger.

Step 1: Gather internal insights. Assemble a cross-functional team (marketing, sales, customer service) to collect existing data about customers, the business, and competitors.

Step 2: Get close to your customers. Conduct customer interviews, analyze product usage data, and experience your business firsthand to understand customer needs and wants.

Step 3: Create candidate talk triggers. Develop 4-6 potential ideas that meet the four criteria (remarkable, relevant, reasonable, repeatable) and align with one of the five types of talk triggers.

Step 4: Test and measure. Implement the talk trigger with a subset of customers and aim for at least 10% of conversations to mention it unprompted.

Step 5: Expand and turn on. Roll out the successful talk trigger company-wide, ensuring all stakeholders and employees understand and support it.

Step 6: Amplify your talk trigger. Incorporate the talk trigger into your marketing mix, including advertising, social media, and customer communications.

8. Measure and amplify your talk trigger to maximize its impact

Once taken full scale and amplified, your talk trigger should yield a 25 percent conversation rate to be viable for the long term.

Set clear metrics for success. Aim for your talk trigger to be mentioned in at least 25% of customer conversations about your brand. During the initial testing phase, a 10% conversation rate is a good starting point.

Measure both online and offline impact:

• Social media mentions and sentiment
• Customer surveys and feedback
• Sales data and customer acquisition rates
• Net Promoter Score changes

Amplify through multiple channels:

• Incorporate the talk trigger into advertising campaigns
• Highlight it on your website and in email marketing
• Train employees to emphasize the differentiator in customer interactions
• Encourage customers to share their experiences on social media

9. Evolve or replace your talk trigger when it loses effectiveness

When you see your talk trigger's conversation rate declining, or notice that competitors are mimicking what was once unique to you, go back to the beginning of the six-step process to find a new differentiator.

Monitor talk trigger performance. Regularly assess the conversation rate and impact of your talk trigger to identify when it begins to lose effectiveness.

Reasons talk triggers may decline:

• Competitors mimicking the differentiator
• Customers becoming accustomed to the experience
• Changes in technology or societal norms

Options for evolving talk triggers:

• Enhance the existing trigger (e.g., DoubleTree adding vegan cookie options)
• Add complementary talk triggers (e.g., Holiday World offering free sunscreen in addition to free drinks)
• Create an entirely new differentiator

Maintain a culture of innovation. Continuously seek new ways to surprise and delight customers, keeping your brand fresh and talkable in an ever-changing market.

Last updated: August 10, 2024