REVIEWS OF MICHAEL E. CAFFERKY'S BOOK
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"Whereas most other books assume that a marketer's primary
mode of promotion is paid advertising, Let Your Customers Do
The Talking demonstrates that word-of-mouth marketing is
the best foundation upon which to build all other promotional
efforts. It clearly and unequivocally illustrates that word of
mouth is the most natural way to promote business...Word of mouth
is also revealed to be an excellent way to motivate both employees
and customers.
Cafferky clearly and forcefully demonstrates that word of
mouth fits every marketing contingency - obviously, word of mouth
is the type of promotion most business professionals hope
for...Cafferky [provides] more than 300 specific activities that
have produced satisfying and profitable results time and again.
These are practical, common-sense guidelines that any company, no
matter what the situation, industry, or business can use to
formulate and implement an effective word-of-mouth promotional plan
immediately.
For those of you who believe that word-of-mouth marketing
seems too simple or too good to be true or that it could not
possibly fit your unique situation or complex business strategy, we
insist that you begin with Chapter Sixteen: 53 Places Where
Word of Mouth Pays Immediate Dividends. If you are not
immediately convinced that there are several reasons why your
business needs to harness the power of word of mouth, then you need
read no further.
Readers who are already convinced and want to know the who,
what, when, where, how, and why should start at the beginning and
read the entire book in the order presented. Even if you think a
particular chapter or section does not apply or seems obvious,
don't skip it. There is much to be gained in the details, and
Cafferky provides a staggering amount of them - skipping and
skimming will cause you to overlook some valuable insight and
advice. . .You will definitely want to highlight many points and
make notes..."
Reviewed by Business Book Review magazine, Vol.
13, No. 3, 1996.
"Word-of-mouth and your reputation in the community may be the
key resources in building a successful business, according to
author Cafferky. This 215-page, softcover book covers the
importance of winning confidence, building trust, and instilling
gratitude in your clients and customers.
"Sixteen chapters discuss 300 specific activities for a wide
range of businesses, along with the secrets of how and why word-of-
mouth works in any situation. Read what it takes to succeed, ways
to take advantage of customer clusters, and how to introduce new
products and services. A simple survey of questions ... for your
customers is provided along with a comparison of the cost of
negative word-of-mouth versus positive word-of-mouth. Each chapter
ends with a profile of success that discusses real situations that
have benefitted from the word-of-mouth technique, which Cafferky
believes is the most compelling method of promotion for business
owners and entrepreneurs everywhere."
Reviewed by Meghan Murphy, Party & Paper
Retailer magazine, November, 1997
"Teacher, speaker and writer Michael Cafferky has organized a
whole book on dance school's best form of spreading the word -
word-of-mouth marketing. While some of the information is better
directed to other types of businesses, there is enough in here to
prompt you to read it. Cafferky formalizes and makes a system for
starting and perpetuating good talk-advertising. A special section
on bridging cultural differences comes from his experience as a
columnist for entrepreneurs in Eastern Europe..."
Reviewed by Merrill Leigh, Dance Teacher Now
magazine, April, 1996.
"The cost of winning new customers is four to five times the
cost of encouraging loyal customers to buy more or refer friends.
Profits, it's clear, belong to retailers who leverage their good
name at every opportunity and get their customers talking.
One who can show you how is Michael Cafferky: a speaker,
teacher and seminar leader. Says Cafferky, 'Word of mouth is the
most powerful marketing tool around. Studies show that satisfied
customers tell four or more people about their positive
experiences.'
He also warns that there is a flip side: 'If you disappoint
your customers,' he writes, 'word-of-mouth can devastate your
business because dissatisfied customers tell up to 11 other
people.'
The book's subtitle, '301+ Word-of-mouth Marketing Tactics
Guaranteed to Boost Profits,' tells you exactly what it is. The
ideas are practical, often inexpensive and proven successful by
businesses using them. Plus, there are instructions for developing
an action plan to put the ideas to work."
Reviewed by Niche magazine, Spring, 1996.
"People love to talk with their friends. New movies,
restaurants, books, and music are all fair game for candid review.
Because up to 80 percent of all new customers base their decisions
on the recommendations of others, you'll do well as a business
owner to tap into the tremendous marketing potential of friendly
chatter.
'Paid advertising is an important means to obtain customer
response, but your reputation is built primarily by the referrals
your champion customers make for you when they recommend your
products and services to others,' says Michael E. Cafferky, author
of
Let Your Customers Do The Talking: 301+ Word-of-mouth
Marketing Tactics Guaranteed to Boost Profits (Upstart
Publishing, $19.95, 800-829-7934). To integrate word-of-mouth into
your marketing plan, Cafferky suggests establishing a service or
product guarantee, thanking and rewarding regular customers for
referrals, and always resolving complaints quickly and
professionally to halt any negative word-of-mouth.
Then, once you've learned how to effectively harness the local
business buzz, your champion customers will surely tell their
friends, and their friends will tell their friends, and so on, and
so on . . . ."
Reviewed by Karin Moeller, Business Start-ups
magazine, June, 1996.
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