We all need ‘em, so how do you get that happy customer to actually take a moment to give you a review? And, if he does, what will you do with it? Where will it get maximum exposure? Some businesses know just how to get those reviews set up to be a regular part of day-to-day affairs. They know that the most effective way to get a review is to ask. Yes, it’s bold. But it’s also business. That happy client or customer is worth several more when they share their experience with others. Turn the request into a part of the way you run your company and it’s a no-brainer that you’ll have many reviews to choose from when you want to make your testimonials public.

Sure, not everyone will comply. But companies who practice this will tell you, if you don’t ask, chances are slim that you’ll have much to work with. There is a place within every transaction, or at the end of it, that is appropriate to request a favorable customer response:

• A follow-up phone call
• A perforated post card with return address and survey boxes
• A question asked as the project commences, “If you will fill out a brief review when the job is done, we’ll take five percent off your next … “
• “Please review us on MerchantCircle.com, or Yelp.com if you’re happy with the product or job performance.”

Making it easier on the customer is the name of the game. Give them an opportunity to know the best way to review your company and support your good effort. One thing is certain, if you don’t ask, you won’t get a response. Customers who give a favorable review out of the goodness of their heart are few and far between.

Where are the best places to post your reviews?

Whenever possible, have your customers post reviews on these sites:

• Yelp.com
• MerchantCircle.com
• Google Places
• CitySearch.com
• Insiderpages.com
• Local.com
• Superpages.com
• TripAdvisor

And make sure you’re listed on each of these sites! These places have high authority and the link to your site is a very powerful way to bring traffic to your website. Once easily added by your customers, these can be additionally pasted into your website testimonials page, your direct mail pieces, and any other media that promotes your company.

One more thing. Don’t forget to thank your customer for the favorable review and let him know in some manner how it benefits your company. And if you get a poor review, by all means, fix it! Speak with that customer immediately and ask them what can be done to satisfy, compensate, or make it better. Find out what he feels should have been done differently, and thank him for helping you cure a problem by bringing it to your attention. If you take a willing-to-fix-it attitude to your company reviews in response to comments, you’ll show a trustworthy aspect of your company to your viewers. That practice will endear the public to your company and be visible for quite some time.

Do you post reviews for great service?

Related Posts:

Small Business Listing: Images are Important

Case Study: Small Business Listings

(PT2) We want  relationships with our customers and readers to be actual relationships, and that requires two-way conversation. We want to encourage them to call, sign up, or click on a link. We want them to tell us what they thought of our products or services. If you read my earlier post on the value of influencing customer response, it’s time to start asking  questions and posing  statements that engage dialog.

Or you can just wait and see if your schedule fills up. (See pic for emotion that follows waiting for your schedule to fill up).

I suggest being proactive by adding these types of messages to your campaign:

• Has this helped you? We’d love to hear about it. Please email your comments to info@xxxxxxxx
• Please leave us your comments, is there anything you would like to learn about in the future?
• Please take this survey. It will only take 30 seconds of your time.
• Sign up for this promotion using this code: xxxxxxx
• If you purchase during this week’s promotion, every second item will be reduced! Buy now!
• Did you enjoy the last service call or sale? If your friend schedules and keeps an appointment between now and the end of the month, get $$ off of your next appointment.
• I want you to feel great about your purchase and to be totally satisfied because I know you made an excellent choice.

Notice how every one of these suggestions specifically asked the reader or customer to respond in a certain way? Did you notice the persuasive mechanisms at play? Believe it or not, these types of messages increase your response rate and conversion astronomically. You can’t go wrong inciting a positive response, but you can go terribly wrong not doing so.

How Do You Track Your Response Rate?

How do you know if your methods of engagement were successful? A customer code ( link) to a page on your website that is unrevealed in regular navigation is a great way to know that the traffic you’ve encouraged is responding.

Set it up and use your Web analytics to find out how many visitors are making it to that page.  Use surveys to  narrow down your information, and offer a discount or coupon for taking the survey to get the highest response rate. If your specials are only offered to those taking the time to respond to the survey, you’ll know exactly how successful your promotion was. Follow our  link to AWeber for the easiest way to track email promotions.

Take this advice and your readers will be EXCITED to open, read, and click on most anything you send, and look forward to more. How are you encouraging your customers’ response? Let us know what you would like to hear more about and we’ll be happy to respond to YOU.

Related Posts:

Can YOU Influence Customer Response?

Build Your Email List – Jump Start Your Marketing

Can what you say or write about your product, service, or message really influence a response from your customer? Can you inspire a reaction? 

If you’re a parent, you’re aware of several methods. We’re always being incited to respond, and kids are infamously receptive. No doubt you recognize these attempts on you and your children:

• At McDonald’s
• Water parks
• Shopping malls

In each of these places, you’re being sold on the idea way before you’ve purchase anything. The first response they go after is a positive emotion association.

How Can This Work For You?

Not every response from your customer will be a sale, this time, but every attempt you make at inciting emotion is an investment successful companies know will eventually return positive results. So what responses would you like to encourage?

• Do you want your message to ‘go viral?’
• Do you want comments and feedback?
• Do you want your potential customer to purchase?
• Are you working on a larger sale from a previous customer?
• Are you testing an offer to check the response rate?
• Do you want more customers?

Think about what you want your potential client or previous customer to do, and then encourage that response by connecting it to an emotion your customer is likely to experience. Something your company remedies.

It can be as simple as adding language to the bottom of your email campaign, newsletter, blog, or direct mail. Specifically target the response you’re after by evoking an emotion that requires action.

Remember the basics, too. Hopefully, your subscriber enjoyed hearing from you.

• Are you adding tidbits to your regular messages that they enjoy?
• Is your tone pleasant, and do you offer what your readers are after?
• Do you offer a free anything? (freebies = good)

In my next post I’ll go over some simple ways that you can influence customer response to find out information, add to your client list, and sell your product or service to an otherwise lethargic customer.