Leanna Hafften Communications LLC

Lawns and parks in western Wisconsin display the arrival of spring with vibrant green grass and colorful blooming bushes. A recent business expo in Hammond, Wis., demonstrated enthusiastic entrepreneurs are eager to help bring new growth to the area’s economy, too. While Hammond is a village located 30 miles from the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.) with a population of less than 2,000, more than 90 businesses participated in the business expo with booths showcasing a wide variety of products and services.

At each of the booths I visited, I asked the business owner to tell me about his or her business. It was exciting to see the passion for their purpose come through their stories, as they often relayed how their business started, along with their vision and goals. It was encouraging to learn that several of the businesses had been launched in the last few months.

Key takeaway—enthusiasm about your product or service creates positive buzz

My visit to one booth offered an example of the importance of personal testimonials and positive buzz.

• While the business owner demonstrated her products to me, another woman stopped by the booth because a friend had told her about the products and she wanted to learn more about them.
• As the business owner continued her demonstration, one of her current customers stopped by the booth. The business owner asked the customer to share her experience with the products. Without hesitation, she cited several good things about the products, affirming the benefits already given during the demonstration. It brought even more excitement and credibility to the products.

What are you doing to create and capture the positive buzz about your brand?

If you would like more information on how incorporating your customers’ testimonials on your web site, in your newsletter, or through other communication materials, can help you achieve your business goals, please contact me today at hafften@hafften.net.