Guy Kawasaki pointed to a recent study that shows face-to-face is the most powerful means of influence in word of mouth marketing.

When asked how they make recommendations, 80% of consumers say they make them in-person, followed by 68% who say they make them over the telephone.

Why might this be? In my personal experience, the trusted relationships I have are with people I most frequently see in person, or regularly speak with on the phone. My local friend, family and loved ones. Yes we use email, but emotive discussions like a good restaurant often come up in face-to-face discussions or phone calls.

I just experienced the power of word of mouth. A new deli opened up in Boulder, Colo., and I went in to order a good bowl of matzo ball/chicken soup. Naturally I start talking to the owner, he says “This are going all right, once we get some more marketing and ads going we’ll get more traffic and be able to survive.” My first thought was to tell him to stop dumping money and get out now, because his deli will survive not on what ad he puts out there, but on what I’m going to tell my wife and the people I work with about how good the place is. So, I take the soup home, start eating it and it tastes like dirt. Absolutely terrible.

The next day I tell my wife, business partner and three other people that the food is marginal and soup is horrible. His problem is not marketing, it is his product. If he thinks marketing will sustain his bad product, he’s wrong.

Yes marketing can drive traffic – direct mail offering a free sandwich, etc. But once people get there and have a bad, or uneventful experience, and tell someone they know about – it’s game over. Conversely, if the experience is incredible, keep the marketing to get them there, and keep up the great service and word of mouth will be most valuable asset.

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