ReviewsSelling tipsSmall business

The Power of Reviews

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On Fridays Sales Forum we discussed the area of authenticity in sales, how we prove our bona fides with reviews and testimonials.

*” Today, 97% of consumers read product reviews before making a purchase decision. 89% of them consider online reviews to be an essential resource in the process.” The many platforms include Trip Adviser, Trust Pilot, Google My Business, Amazon, Facebook, Yelp, Glass Door etc.

If authenticity and delivering on what we promise is so critical in small business how do we make sure that we utilise this tool effectively.

Customer facing and business facing companies are faced with different challenges in getting reviews from their clients. Responding to either positive or negative reviews is critical. If you are a B2C business this can require a lot of resources. However, a B2B business may need to work harder to provide the opportunities for the feedback they require.

So how do we make it easy for customers?

  • Ask for reviews / feedback at many points of interaction.
  • Provide a measurement system e.g., a weighted questionnaire.
  • Make regular customer care calls.
  • Complete the questionnaires on the calls if necessary.
  • Send clients a tribute link, an opportunity to provide a video testimonial.
  • Offer an incentive, e.g., 10% of next order to compete a review.
  • Ask more than once if that is what required.

When asking for reviews, you need to be prepared, willing and actively encourage positive AND negative feedback.

*” If your business gets only positive reviews, consumers might question whether those reviews are legitimate or not. 85% of consumers look for negative reviews to make informed purchase decisions. And this number skyrockets to 91% among consumers from the ages of 18-29”

So ideally you should be aiming for 4.5 Stars average as opposed to 5 to reduce customer skepticism.

The skepticism comes from the prevalence of fake and paid reviews circulating on almost every review platform. The Amazon review section has been affected with fake reviews and testimonials for products for quite some time. Some review sites try to overcome this by verifying reviews.

The bottom line is we need to be constantly seeking feedback and reviews to build authenticity in our industry and improve what we do.

If you want to discuss this in more detail or any other area of Sales, please don’t hesitate to contact me or drop in to our Sales Forum on the Ireland Together platform on Fridays 2pm.

 

*https://neilpatel.com/blog/your-business-needs-negative-reviews/