Operationalising word-of-mouth referrals : the WOMBAT model

Research into word-of-mouth referrals is gaining increasing interest and focus. This focus is warranted as referrals are extremely powerful in influencing consumers’ awareness, attitudes and purchase intentions. A two stage research methodology was used to answer the question “In addition to opinion leader and market maven are there other referral types which define the clients of professional services firms who offer positive word-of-mouth referrals?” Five referral types were identified, opinion leader, passive mercenary, helpful friend, reciprocator and closed mouth. The paper also suggests a management tool for applying these referral types, called the Word-of-Mouth Business Acquisition Tool, or WOMBAT.