“Word of mouth influences 50% of all purchases yet no one has a strategy for it.” Ask any business what drives the most leads and sales and the answer is almost universally — word of mouth. Yet, as Jay Baer notes, we leave it largely to chance. That's why he and Daniel Lemin co-authored Talk Triggers, a new book to provide a reliable system system for word of mouth. We discussed all of this and more this week with both of these authors on the On Brand podcast. Enjoy!

About Jay Baer & Daniel Lemin

Jay Baer is the founder of Convince & Convert, a strategy consultancy that helps the world's most interesting brands gain and keep more customers. He's a seventh-generation entrepreneur; has started five multimillion dollar companies; and is the author of six books including Youtility and Hug Your Haters. He is a keynote speaker and emcee, an angel investor, and an inductee in the Word of Mouth Marketing Association Hall of Fame and the National Speakers Association's CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame.

Daniel Lemin is the cofounder of Selectivor, a food intelligence platform that helps people stay healthy through personalized eating. A former communications leader at Google, he is the author of the online reputation guide Manipurated. He has been featured by The New York Times, USA Today, CBS Radio, and Fox News, and speaks at conferences and events worldwide.

Episode Highlights

Word of mouth matters. How much? I'm glad you asked. Jay and Daniel have created a helpful infographic that breaks this down. Check it out!

“A manual for giving your customers a story to tell.” That's what Jay and Daniel set out to create with Talk Triggers. Where do you begin? “Let's start with the worst way. Get everyone in a room and brainstorming. You need to document your customer journey. You need to include new, longtime, and lost customers.” Jay went on to note that you have to look for the story in places people don't expect.

From DoubleTree and their famous cookies to “Dr. Snip.” Jay and Daniel shared several examples from business of all shapes and sizes across industry including a Seattle-based vasectomy surgeon who gives away a unique — and very talkable — gift to his patients.

What the difference between an alpaca and a llama? What would you call a business designed to ship custom butter sculptures? You'll have to listen to the full show for the answers to these questions! However, Daniel did provide you with some teaser content in meme form!

What brand has made Jay and Daniel smile recently? Daniel told us a story of a brand that made him smile by solving a negative word-of-mouth problem while Jay shared why the Tesla buying experience brought a smile to his face.

To learn more, go to the Talk Triggers website.

As We Wrap …

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my new book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices