Know: ‘timing is everything.’

184
Marketing Insights from A to Z

---

ord of Mouth
185
No ad or salesperson can convince you about the virtues of a product
as persuasively as can a friend, acquaintance, past customer, or inde-
pendent expert. Suppose you are planning to buy a PDA (personal
digital assistant) and you have seen all the ads for Palm, HP, and
Sony. You even go to examine them at Circuit City and listen to the
salesperson. You’re still undecided and don’t buy. Then a friend tells
you how Palm has changed her life. That does it. Or you read a col-
umn by an expert who tested and describes each one and recom-
mends Palm.
Companies would love to trigger word-of-mouth campaigns
surrounding their new product launches. High-tech firms send their
new products to well-respected experts and opinion leaders praying
for strong editorial endorsements. Hollywood hopes for a good
Roger Ebert review.
Marketers advertise their new product’s benefits hoping that
they would be believed and carried by word of mouth. But few know
how to use experts and their customers to bring in new customers.
According to word-of-mouth expert Michael Cafferky: “Word of