How to move your business planning up a gear for 2011
December 6, 2010Customer service, flexibility and a disastrous situation
December 10, 2010Today’s post is a story about how little things can drive your word of mouth and referral marketing.
About ten days ago, I attended my first ever yoga class and a Bikram yoga class no less. Bikram Yoga, otherwise known as hot yoga, is reputedly one of the hardest forms of yoga as you go through 26 postures or (asanas) and two breathing exercises in a room that is heated to temperatures of around 42-45 degrees centigrade and about 40% humidity.
I’ve never been to a yoga class before so I went to Bikram Yoga Brighton with Hana (my other half). This is a usual haunt of Hana’s and I was treated to a great class by Carolyn Jikiemi-Roberts (see picture).
The reason that I went along was that I thought it’d be interesting to try, that it might benefit my rock-climbing (my main sporting pastime these days) and improve my flexibility. I must admit that I was a little nervous about doing the class, which I thought would be hard enough, but doing it in a ‘hot’ room. Well, I was ready for an ‘interesting’ experience.
What I found was that I did better than expected. Although I was completely soaked by the end, I found that having lived through summers in the Middle East in the 1990s (40-45 degree centigrade heat) really helped me deal with the heat and the fact that I was wet from head to toe during the class.
However, that’s not what I wanted to point out.
It’s what happened after the class that is worth noting. As I was a first-time visitor, after the class I was asked how I found it and then debriefed and told that I should drink lots of water throughout the day and that it’s quite normal for first-timers to feel a little weak or light-headed afterwards. After thanking them for that, I mentioned that I had enjoyed the class and had some climbing friends that might be interested in trying out the classes too. So, I was furnished with a few special offer ‘postcards’ to distribute to my friends as appropriate. Nice!
But, there’s more.
A couple of days after the class, I received a message on my mobile phone from Lucy at Bikram Yoga Brighton asking how I was after the class, if I had experienced any ill-effects and that they be glad to see me again.
It was this little touch: A quick phone call to see how I was and to say that they’d really like to see me again that was the catalyst for me to distribute and recommend the class and centre to 4 of my climbing friends. And, I’m pretty sure that I won’t stop there. Their actions mean that I will go again and will try and fit hot yoga into my routine. But, more importantly, it has meant that I have now put them on my ‘I like this company and these people and I’m going to recommend them’ list.
What this experience showed me was that building better relations, delivering a great customer experience, word of mouth marketing, referrals and the amount of repeat business that you do with your customers does not have to be hard or complicated. As Malcolm Gladwell says in his book The Tipping Point, it’s the little things that can make the big difference.
What little things do you do in your business that make the big difference?
Thanks to Carolyn Jikiemi-Roberts for the image.
7 Comments
Customer experience, bikram yoga and word of mouth marketing http://bit.ly/g5CQAK
RT @adrianswinscoe: Customer experience, bikram yoga and word of mouth marketing http://bit.ly/g5CQAK
Hi Adrian,
Bikram’s certainly got a life of its own! It’s become really popular in Milwaukee (where I live as well) – mostly due to a well timed Groupon – another champion of WoM marketing.
It’s amazing how much little things like that follow up call can make a huge difference. Ultimately, whether a business succeeds or fails is made up of so many of these little moments and gestures, which so often go overlooked.
Hi Matt,
That’s great to know. What I want to know, though, is: Have you tried it? 😉
But, you are right, business is like life….it’s made up of a series of moments. And, it’s when we forget that we lose the ability to ability to fine tune, wow, delight, surprise and other things that help us build better relationships with our customers and those around us.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting,
Adrian
What a nice touch by Carolyn, I have never been to Bikram Yoga Brighton. But I have heard about it as a friend of mine raves about it. I also really like her postcards which can be sent to perspective clients or even as an up and coming promotion this is also another nice touch. Can you remember the last time you got a postcard through the door from a business you have been to that says thank you!
The Tipping Point is a really great book after reading it I was so inspired that I started The Brighton TweetUps. I wanted to see how powerful word of mouth marketing could be when using modern day tools such as Twitter and I have not been disappointed.
Hi Wendy,
You should go. It really is very good. I need to work it into my routine but I am sure it is something that will get added to my routine.
I completely agree that it is the little things that make the difference whether it is the Butterfly Effect, The Tipping Point or whatever. It’s people like you that take the initiative and start things that make a difference and the Brighton TweetUp is an example of that. Keep making moves, Wendy, and you’ll move us and together we’ll move the world 🙂 maybe just a little bit but it’s a start.
Adrian
Thanks Adrian, Such great comments for a Saturday morning 🙂