“Word of Mouth” Marketing

                                                           “Word of Mouth” Marketing

               Place: Mahabalipuram
               Date: 24^th May 2012

               I was on the lookout for a trader who was selling goods that were unique to Mahabalipuram. As I was nearing the Shore Temple, I saw a small shop that managed to showcase huge-sized idols of Hindu Gods carved in stone. Though there were many shops aligned on the same side of the road, I was quite fascinated by this shop as he portrayed the best of his works outside the shop. The sculptures were good enough to attract even people who did not understand/appreciate art. I stepped into the small shop with a doubt whether I will learn anything related to marketing. The shopkeeper was kind enough to respond to my questions though he was not interested in them initially. I told him that my visit to the shop was for an educational purpose (and was not there to waste his precious time) and also told that only because his carvings were beautiful I entered his shop. He was a bit amused with the way I praised his works and he looked up and smiled at me and asked me what I wanted to know about his business.

                The following is the conversation that I had with that gentleman:

Me: Sir, who are your customers?

Ans: I have a diversified customer base. My clientele varies from temples, schools, colleges to MNCs. Schools, colleges and MNCs usually purchase one idol to be established inside their campuses. Temples purchase on a wholesale basis.

Me: Sir, are you just the manufacturer or you take care of the marketing of your products as well?

Ans: I carve the idols myself. I have some assistants who help me out when there are bulk orders. I don’t do any marketing for my products.

Me: Sir, but how do your customers know about you and your products? Do you have an agent who takes care of bringing clients to your shop?

Ans: I don’t depend on anyone to market my products. Everyone knows that Mahabalipuram is famous idols and sculpture. So people automatically visit Mahabalipuram when they want to buy idols and as you were drawn into my shop by my brilliant works my clients are also drawn. Most of my customers are very satisfied with my works and most of them also recommend their friends to get idols from my shop. That’s how marketing is done for my products.

Me: Thanks for your time sir!

Ans: Your welcome!

I even understood from him that he was able to maintain a good relationship with his customers as a positive feedback about his products was given by his current customers to his potential customers. Though going with this kind of marketing for his products reduced his costs, he felt that such marketing required that his products were the best in quality and also required that he exhibited consistency in the quality of his work. So, this kind of marketing works good for the producer when he has already established a good rapport with his current customers and when he produces products of good quality that satisfy the customers immensely.