The HRC thanks Tammi Flynn, Director of Marketing for the Florence Griswold Museum, in Old Lyme, CT, for volunteering to be a guest author for the following entry and for sharing her insight and experience with our readers.

People like to talk.

People are already talking about you.

Andy Sernovitz, in Word of Mouth Marketing, offers very clear and concise techniques to make these, and the many other principles he shares, work for you. Word of mouth marketing is a very cost effective way to spread the word about your business (organization) and its services.

Sernovitz is straightforward. He breaks his information into memorable segments: The Three Reasons People Talk About You, Five Lessons from IKEA, The Word of Mouth Marketing Manifesto (a dozen thoughtful directives).

My favorite was "The Five Ts of Word of Mouth Marketing." There is even a worksheet on how to get me started on my "plan." I made a copy and started filling it out. It was so logical.

One step we took is to have docents ask people if they enjoyed their visit, and that if they did, would they please recommend the Museum to a friend. We give them a card that discounts their friend's admission as an incentive.

That's what I loved about this book. It's not mathematical or theoretical, just filled with lots of practical information and great ideas to get you started.

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