We have identified four main strategies that make a business worth talking about.  They are product, service, value, and story.  The best businesses may be awesome in 2 or even 3 of these drivers.  Being exceptional at even just one of these can tip the scale and make them truly buzz-worthy.

Getting a significant amount of new business through word of mouth referrals is the gold standard in a healthy successful businesses.  Word of mouth makes the engine idle as the business sleeps.  But beware, bad word of mouth can just as easily tank a business.

Lets get back to the positive and show you how much of an impact these 4 key strategies can affect word of mouth.  When a business exceeds expectations by being best in class, people talk.  Your customers rave, they share on social media. they write awesome reviews, and they refer their friends!



How good is the product? Does the product do something unique or solve a need in a simpler or more intuitive way? Does the product delight the end user, save an immense amount of time, or take away pain? A business that rates highly on “Product” fulfills all one’s needs and even surprises the consumer by meeting the needs they didn’t even know they had.

Don’t you talk about products when they are blow your mind? 

Stories like Under Armour and Airtable are great examples of how word of mouth helped grow these businesses with a dominant product.

Read about more businesses where product is their main word of mouth strategy.

Customer Service

How are customers treated? What happens when something goes wrong? Does the business treat their customers kindly and respectfully? Great service can go a long way in filling in the gaps and softer experiences with a business. A business that rates highly on “Service” goes above and beyond a consumer’s expectations; treating them how they want to be treated

Great customer service can turn a bad product experience into a positive one with your business.  You can rescue an upset customer and turn them into your biggest fan.  

*We are largely talking about the soft services of your business like customer support, administrators, sales people. If the company is a pure service business we consider the work they do as the service in the “product” category



The consumer is paying something for this good or service by investing money and/or time. Some may call this ROI, but most consumers aren’t making an exact calculation. A business that rates highly on “Value” delivers an over-sized return to the user vs the cost; often leaving the consumer with the feeling that they would gladly pay more for the service.

Businesses like Target and Southwest thrive on word of mouth through value.  They may not be the premium product, but their value they deliver to the customer with their prices makes people talk.

Read about more businesses where value is their main word of mouth strategy.


Story, is often times intangible and boils down to the feeling consumers have about the business. Some call it brand, but a story is by far one of the hardest elements to quantify but everyone knows it when they see it. A business that rates highly on “Story” gives the business a personality that is based on something that resonates with their customers. Often times it is a set of strong values and beliefs that help differentiate the business from competitors along with a narrative that inspires.

Stories like In-N-Out Burger are a great example of how word of mouth helped grow these businesses with a great story

Read about more businesses where story is their main word of mouth strategy.



How strong is the word of mouth? Here’s our rating scale:

Nobody Knows

You’re too embarrassed to even acknowledge you’re a customer of this business

Level 1

Confirmed Customer

You would confirm that you were a customer no more, no less

Level 2

Recommend If Asked

You would tell someone about this business but only if they directly asked for a recommendation.

Level 3

In Conversation

You will tell friends about the product/business when it comes up in conversation.

Level 4

From The Rooftops

You’re a raving fan and go out of your way to tell your friends and anyone who will listen about it.

Level 5

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