Asked to pile on with an example of Word of Mouth, I can offer up an experience running a New Member/First Meeting breakfast at the Urban Land Institute's Fall Meeting.

ULI is not the easiest organization to figure out and retention statistics in the 1990s showed that half the new members dropped out after one year.  After three years, though, those remaining stayed for life--retention stats ran up into the 90th percentiles.  

At the time, most new members equated ULI with its Fall Meeting, so we invited all the new people to breakfast to meet other members and get answers to their questions.  Most new members attended, about 10% of the total meeting attendance, showing up at 7:00 a.m. to hear a pitch for something they had already purchased.

Every year, I started by asking how many wanted to know how to get on a council.  Every year, half the audience stood up.  When asked about their interest, all said that they had no idea what a council was, but people they trusted told them to try to get on one.

Individual council members pay ULI more than $5,000 each year in dues and registration fees for two one-day council meetings and two conferences.  Retention, even in economic downturns, is above 90%.

That's Word of Mouth.

Originally posted @ Ann Oliveri