The PublicRelationsBlogger.com glossary defines word of mouth as: “The advertising of a product or brand that takes place between customers. This is promoted through ‘people networks’, referring to WOM as word of mouse as well. There is no outside influence or management from the company or brand.”

Normally, the last sentence in that definition is true. When it comes to astroturfing, companies are very much involved in creating that false WOM, though that is the extreme end of a company partaking in the WOM creation process. Companies can be involved in other ways that are not so bad and do not carry such a negative connotation as astrotrufing. That can include being actively aware of the WOM being generated about your company or client’s company, and responding when necessary. Doing these things can really help t alleviate the minimize the impact and repercussions of negative WOM. Negative WOM can include negative comments, false statements, and customer complaints. These things all need to be taken seriously and given the appropriate attention. Responding to these things can make or break your company’s success and online reputation and brand identity.

Companies do tend to respond to negative WOM, and according to a recent study done by by Econsultancy and bigmouthmedia, “direct engagement is the number one method of rectifying issues and addressing not-so-positive response.” (eMarketer)

Negative comments and false statements about brands can spread fast. Because consumers have the ability to create, publish and distribute their own content—as well as comment, debate, recommend and share their opinions—marketers and their brands are more vulnerable than ever. For instance, brands can be damaged by people who use Twitter to post false information. And they can just as easily be affected for the worse by employees who post prank videos on YouTube. (eMarketer)

Being a responsive PR professional takes tact and prompt action. Though the above tactics found in the study are all viable options to fight negative comments and WOM online, they may not work for your company, or there may may be one method that works better than others. Knowing which ones to use requires a great understanding of your target audiences, buyers, and your own company. Having that understanding can help you to ensure that you respond correctly and are able to respond in a manner that your customers/buyers will appreciate.

Do your homework, and be sure to allow yourself to find what works best by simply trying something; you won’t know if it works well for you unless you try it. Creating a PR or marketing plan is all about implementing tactics and strategies with educated reasoning and being able to evaluate how they are working for you and your company.

There’s the old joke about the two buzzards sitting in a tree overlooking a highway. One responds to the other, “Be patient? I’m hungry. Let’s kill something.” Just like that buzzard, it is not in the nature of most marketers to be patient for business to grow. They want to go out and “kill something,” too.

The trouble is that most marketers go after new business the wrong way. They want to “take down” the new piece of business using all the tools of the trade from advertising and direct mail to cold calling and event marketing. This is an expensive way to drum up business.

Your existing clients are just waiting to tell you about people they know who could use your services, and then help sell you in to these people they refer. Not only is this more cost effective, it practically guarantees the prospects will share the same characteristics of your best customers. And with the advent of social media and new technology, it is even easier to do.

“OK, Harry,” you’re asking, “but how do I do it?”

The first rule of getting referrals: ask. When should you ask? Let’s review.

- After your customer has purchased something from you is a great time to ask. The new customer is pumped up about your offering and you can harness that energy by asking for names of others who could benefit from doing business with you.

- Upon delivery of your product or service is the next time to ask. The benefits of your offering should be readily apparent now, so you can remind the customer of the importance of their referrals.

- Anytime you have personal contact with your customer is a good time to ask. You are continuing to build a relationship with them and can use the opportunity to ask for referrals. Don’t ask more than three times per year.

Many people hesitate to ask for referrals because they are not sure how to do it. Just be honest. Tell your customers that referrals are very important to the growth of your business, and that you want to grow it with people just like them. Remind them that the people they know will benefit from your service the way that they have. Then, ask.

Tell your prospect that you’d like for them to give you the names of three or four people who might benefit from your services. Pull out a sheet of paper and pen and look expectantly at them. If they can’t immediately give you names, ask some prompting questions. Such as:

Who are your three best friends? Who are the most successful business people you know? Can you think of anyone who would benefit from my services?

Write the names down and keep writing until the customer runs out of names. Then, go back and ask for contact information for each one. Get email addresses.

Thank the customer in the way you feel most comfortable. Some people like to send a gift, others will just drop a note of thanks. Some wait to see if the referral becomes a customer and then send a higher end gift. Do whatever works for you, but do thank them and keep them in the loop, letting them know about your follow up and the outcome of your prospecting.

So, don’t just sit there in your tree. Get out there and kill something.

Harry Hoover is a partner in My Creative Team. He has 30 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for Fortune 1000 businesses like Duke Energy, Irwin Tools, Levolor, North Carolina Tourism, National Gypsum, Nucor, Rubbermaid, VELUX, and Verbatim.

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Tags: PR, word of mouth, referrals, public relations