johntabita - 7:52 pm on Dec 31, 2004 (gmt 0)

Great products and customer service spread faster than you think. This is the age of information and one good deed can actually spread to many through blogs, discussion boards, IM, email.

Of course these things can and do happen, but they are generally the exception, not the norm. The OP asked for the "most effective" business strategy to get new clients. IMO, simply providing great customer service and relying on the resulting word-of-mouth is not it.

There isn't a business on the planet that would put that in their business plan as their primary method of customer aquisition, and there isn't a bank or investor that would give them money, if they did.

Don't just take my word for it. Read what the experts have to say. Take a look at "The World's Best Known Marketing Secret: Building Your Business With Word-Of-Mouth Marketing" by Ivan Misner, founder of BNI.