Word of Mouth Strategy

Updated: Apr 14, 2021

Which One Is It?

When I first heard the words Word of Mouth Strategy, I thought the concept seemed rather oxymoronic. My thinking went along these lines – it's either word of mouth or it's strategic – could it possibly be both? Yep, it turns out the answer is it certainly can.

Of course, my way-back-then recall of “how things are done” has a picture of my mom sitting at the kitchen table and telling her friends about the great new cafe she and Dad had found. Word of mouth, yes. Strategic? I don’t know. But probably.

You may have a picture of gentlemen sharing information while being barbered or waiting their turn. Certainly, word of mouth and likely quite strategic.

The Question and the Answer

It’s 2021 and we’re all still reeling a bit from the reaction to COVID-19. I don’t have to point out that things have changed. But.

But things are very much like they’ve been since folks began selling their products or services to their fellow earth-dwellers. They knew then and we know now that word of mouth is the top-of-the-line best tool in any marketer’s toolbox. The question becomes, “What must we do to get people talking about us?”

In a good way, of course, because you and I both know people gonna talk!

That’s where the answer, strategy, comes in.

Strategy? Tell Me More

In short, a strategy is how people should make decisions, allocate resources, and determine budgets in order to accomplish key objectives.

I really like this explanation from Ann Latham owner of Uncommon Clarity® “A strategy is a framework for making decisions about how you will play the game of business. These decisions, which occur daily throughout the organization, include everything from capital investments to operational priorities to marketing to hiring to sales approaches to branding efforts to how each individual shuffles his To Do list every single morning. Without a strategic framework to guide these decisions, the organization will run in too many different directions, accomplish little, squander profits, and suffer enormous confusion and discord.”

In our family strategy is important outside of business. Some (like my 11-year-old grandson) would say Way Important! That is because we play games – card games, video games, board games, even physical games like charades. And having a good strategy as opposed to playing willy-nilly is taught and encouraged.

Different games (and different businesses) require different strategies. What is even more intriguing is that different opponents may be cause for different strategies. Going in a different direction, some opponents can be beaten by using the same strategy but with a varied tactic.

Yeah, it’s complicated. Like life and the construction business.

Word of Mouth Strategy for Construction Contractors

This can be sticky. Different trades, different niches, different business models, heck, different owners all affect the strategy that can be chosen and implemented for any given construction business.

So no, no I won’t spell out a method you should use for your company’s word of mouth strategy. But I will give you examples, options, tips, and whatever else I come up with to make it easier for you in an upcoming blog series.

It’s Confession Time

A few weeks ago, Tonya Schulte, Construction Profitability Advisor, and owner of The Profit Constructors mentioned that our firm should implement a word of mouth strategy.

I volunteered to do the research and jumped in. Then I realized what I was learning would also be valuable for construction contractors (like you) who hang around with us.

Because I’m a firm believer in sorting and grouping then developing categories my plan for the upcoming posts is to present the practical aspects of word of mouth strategy as it applies to five different groups of people associated with and affected by you and your construction contracting business. The categories are:

· Neighbors, Friends, and Family

· Professional and Personal Groups or Associations

· Vendors and Service Providers

· Employees and Subcontractors

· Clients and Customers

Come along with us. Learn more. Up your word of mouth strategy game. Have fun!

Construction Contractors look to The Profit Constructors to provide advocacy in dealing with:

· Clients and customers

· Employees and subcontractors

· Vendors and service providers

· Governmental entities

Working with The Profit Constructors gives Construction Contractors the means to organize their operations in ways that help them: