Raking in heaps of business without having to spend the time, money and energy on hunting down sales. Now that sounds like the sort of stuff dreams are made out of. Well, not really. Not if harness this most powerful and influential for...

Think about how Apple went from something that you ate to keep the doctor away to the creator of the best-selling iPod... How Hotmail managed to gain more than 12 million subscribers in less than a year-and-a-half...

It's called WOMM or word-of-mouth marketing. Based on spreading good honest opinions, it influences more people to buy - or not to buy - products and services than most if not all other forms of marketing.

Buzz marketing can be worth thousands of times more powerful than conventional marketing. But to really spread the word about your business, positive WOMM is generated from lots of things done well.

Here are 11 ways to leverage the selling power of word-of-mouth marketing:

1. Be valued - offer exceptional value to your customers. It goes without saying that your products and services should be the best they can be. But why stop there? I always deliver more than I promise with my clients. It might be throwing proofreading into a website rewrite without charge, offering suggestions for an improved marketing response or simply finishing the project well ahead of time. The willingness to go out of your way for customers is always obvious, and they do take a note of it. The result can be that they rapidly spread the word about working with you.

2. Be inviting - actively seek feedback from your customers and prospects. Positive testimonials work well in your marketing materials. Include a few on in your company brochure, and be sure to place them on your website.

3. Be a writer - writing articles for local publication, trade magazines and online sources can really help spread the word. You can create an expert status for yourself, to boot. If you don't have the time or skills to write articles, hire a freelance writer to ghostwrite the articles for you. That way, you still get the PR as your by-line will be published.

4. Be tagged! You probably know by now that the best source of business is always the people you know. So, if they are able to clearly and concisely tell others what you do, all the better! This can be facilitated via a snappy tagline (not a slogan) that tells people what you do. Keep it brief, preferably up to eight words. Use this tagline on every marketing piece - including your email signature, business cards, stationery, etc.

5. Be fair and honest - word-of-mouth marketing depends on being highly believable, truthful and reliable. If you promise something, be sure to deliver it. Don't push any surprises on your customers, either. Always spell out up front what you get for your prices. People don't like to feel they're been robbed, so don't wait until the end to add on any items such as hidden delivery charges. By being as genuine and good to your word as you can, your customers are more likely to sing your praises, rather than badmouth you. Be the news - press or news releases are a fantastic way of getting media coverage. The majority of press releases go straight into the bin, or simply get lost among the daily deluge of press materials. But if you write yours well, and it is newsworthy, then yours could grab you tons of free publicity.

6. Be the news - press or news releases are a fantastic way of getting media coverage. The majority of press releases go straight into the bin, or simply get lost among the daily deluge of press materials. But if you write yours well, and it is newsworthy, then yours could grab you tons of free publicity. My 'Power Publicity' TeleClass will help you write and distribute a release that grab's the media spotlight.

7. Be spreading the news - newsletters or ezines that are sent out to current and past customers, prospects, the media and associates can be very effective marketing tools. Focusing on who will receive your newsletter will in turn help to focus your marketing efforts toward the very people who are more likely to use your products or services. And if they like what they read, they'll tell others about you, too.

8. Be thankful - people like to be appreciated. When was the last time you sent a note of thanks to someone because they were a good customer, or they paid on time? Do it! It's a good way of showing you care, and of reminding them who you are!

9. Be competitive - try an online sweepstake or contest, with a prize that hits your ideal customer's 'hot button'. Make it desirable enough that people will play again and again, or invite others to play.

10. Be an in-house publisher - write a book on what you it is that you want people to invest in. If interesting and done correctly, your book can quickly become talked about - and the buzz will extend to your business.

11. Be affiliated - using an affiliate programme whereby your offer your affiliates up to 50% of every sale they make pushes the word-of-mouth and referral marketing into a snowball effect. As well as getting people to promote and sell your products or services, your business or name will become well known. Again, make sure that what you are offering is of value.