There are two reasons someone will spread the word about your business: to warn them away because they had a bad experience or to share their amazing experience of your business.

Therefore, it behooves you to create “Wow!” experiences for your clients and customers. And, you might be surprised at how simple that can be.

1. Follow Up
When I talk about follow up, I’m not talking about your standard ezine here. I’m talking about following up in a way that your customer is not used to being followed up. For example, send thank you cards or letters … for even the most mundane things. Michele P.W. often sends me a thank you note after being a guest on my call. That’s a Wow. I mean, I’m the one who should be thanking her! I’m sure you could come up with reasons to thank your customers in a personalized, non-mass thank you way. Do this and you’ll make a positive impression.

2. Answer Your Emails
If you don’t do it, at least have an assistant who is in charge of doing this. For example, when I was having technical difficulties with a series of teleseminars I was doing, I received several emails from registered folks letting me know. I responded to each one before sending out a mass email about it. One person responded that this was the first time she’d received a response. She expected the seminar email address to just go to an inbox that was never read or responded to. That’s a “Wow!” experience.

3. Provide Really Good Stuff
Tell people what you have to offer, then make sure that you give them at least 10% more than what they expected. Make sure that what you have to offer is worth more than the price you are charging for it. This is especially true of virtual products, for far too many of them are junk.

4. Provide True 2-Way Communications
When you put out a survey asking for feedback, follow up with how you are using the feedback. Make your prospects and clients feel like they are contributing to your business and are a real part of the product and service development process.

5. Admit When You Make a Mistake
So many CEOs put up a brave face, even when they screw up. Heck, sometimes they have to be taken to court before they’ll admit they did something wrong, if even then. As a solo-entrepreneur you can not afford to do that. If you make a mistake, own up to it and then make it right. This will set you apart from so many other businesses and foster the “know, like and trust” factor that is important to both sales and word-of-mouth.

These are just a few ways you can make your customers and clients say, “Wow!” about your business and then pass the good word. I’m sure you can think of more. If so, please share in the comments below!