The Lesson

Giving customers an experience that is unexpected is an effective mechanism for creating word of mouth. 

I wrote a whole book about these "Talk Triggers" - operational choices that are designed to create customer conversations. They are impactful because the customer does NOT expect them.

La Boucherie steakhouse occupies the top floor of the The Intercontinental hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The views from up there are astonishing. In a region not known for skyscrapers, a cloud-height vantage stretching from mountains to ocean is something special.

The steaks at La Boucherie are also quite excellent, befitting the location (and the considerable price point). 

But the conversations that customers create about La Boucherie are not usually about the view or the food. They're about the knives.

La Boucherie has a steak knife sommelier. 

When you order a steak at La Boucherie, this captain of cutlery approaches your table with a sleek walnut box, inlaid with black velvet. It is not a Rolex. It does not contain opals. Or the ashes of a deceased politician.

It is the steak knife menu.

Guests select from among 10 knives, each from a different region of the world, and with its own properties of weight, balance, cutting edge, and form.

You always wanted to try a Japanese carbon knife? Done. Fancy an Australian knife as big as a chainsaw? It shall be yours. 

The steak knife menu is not an accident. And it isn't just "good customer service." It is an engineered differentiator, designed to create conversations. 

And because the presentation is so aesthetically luscious, those conversations often occur via photos on social media, further spreading awareness and envy. 

Quite literally, any business in any category can create and implement a Talk Trigger. Many subscriber to The Baer Facts have seen me at an event, showcasing various examples. 

But I want to emphasize a point in this issue that I don't discuss much on stage....you should NOT just brainstorm a fun word of mouth idea, and then implement it.

1️⃣ Learn what your customers DO expect (so that you can give them what they do not expect). That may require some research. 

2️⃣ Determine what the key inflection points are in your customer journey, to decide where/when to launch the Talk Trigger. La Boucherie's conversation starter is experienced after purchase, but before payment. That may (or may not) be optimal for you. 

3️⃣ Invent three or more word of mouth generators that you can legitimately execute consistently, and then TEST one to see if it works.

Launch it in beta and then measure how much conversation it creates (that may require some customer research as well). If the "talkability rate" is ~ 15% or higher, you've got gold in the river! Time to refine and roll out across your business.

I've spent years building and teaching and coaching this model for word of mouth creation. It will work for you. But, it has to be a surprise to the majority of your customers, and it has to be something you strategize and test. Don't just wing this!  

Last edition's winner was Nic Gibson, who sent in a great example of honesty in marketing. Thanks Nic! 

I'm always seeking new examples, so please reply to this email with the best Talk Trigger you've seen. Best answer wins a $20 Amazon gift card.

THE BOOKS REPORT

My very smart and empathetic friend Jeanette Bronée just published a book that everyone who is even a little bit stressed out, sick and tired, fed up, and/or uncertain needs to read. 

The Self-Care Mindset is a self-help book for people who hate self-help books.

As marketing deity Seth Godin wrote on the cover: "This is a generous and profound book, a book worth sharing. It will stick with you for years to come."

Agreed! 

Jay's Faves

Speaking of things that make you feel good (or at least better), my wife and I just love the show Acapulco. 

It flies under the radar because it's on Apple TV+, but it's a funny, smart, warm, coming of age workplace sitcom set in a 1980s resort in...Acapulco.

The cast is terrific, and while I often prefer comedy that's more acerbic, it's delightful to watch a show that's just nice. 

Season 2 just started. Short episodes too, and easy to binge. 

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