GUEST BLOG – How to get rave reviews – 7 top tips

07 Sep GUEST BLOG – How to get rave reviews – 7 top tips

We all love happy customers and it’s awesome to get rave reviews, right?  After all, it shows all our hard work has paid off. But have you found yourself wishing your Google and Facebook reviews had a little more spark? Maybe a little more persuasive? You know, more than the usual “the team did a great job” or “the job was finished on time.”

We’ve compiled some handy hints you can follow to ensure you and your team receive RAVE reviews – every time.

Tradies – Get rave reviews with these tips:

Mention it up front –

When you first start on a job, let your client know that your business is based on referrals from happy clients, and that you will be asking for a brief review once the job is done. This is good news for them too, as it means you’ll go above and beyond on your service to get that positive feedback.

Do a great job –

It should go without saying that to get a rave review, you must deliver great service. If you make a habit of under-promising and over-delivering, you’ll be sure to earn those 5 stars!

Invite them to join your community –

We all like to belong and feel accepted – it’s a natural part of being human. So, if your tradie business has a mailing list or Facebook group/page, invite them to join or follow you. You may be able entice them by saying you offer regular updates, discounts on referrals or special offers which will be especially useful if they need more work done. The more members of your tribe, the more repeat business you can get. Reviews from your tribe will often be written with more conviction and be more persuasive than others.

Make them feel valued –

Make sure you let your clients know how important they are to you. Remind them that you value honest feedback and take on board any constructive criticism they may have (where it’s warranted). If there’s an issue and you’ve fixed it quickly and to their satisfaction, they’re more likely to feel like a valued client and give you a genuine review.

Give them guidance –

You know how you’d like your reviews to sound, but how do you communicate that to your clients? For starters, you can give them a list of questions to help them write the review! Here’s an example:

• Did you have any objections before choosing our service? (For example, the price or time it will take to complete)
• How did our service help you? What problem did it solve?
• Are you happy with the results of the job?
• Why are you happy to recommend us?

By using this list of questions, you’ll be well on your way to getting rave reviews! That’s because the most convincing reviews often outline how a client’s concerns were overcome. And the best part – future clients that also have objections can relate to this.

Offer to help them –

So your client loved your work and is willing to give you an outstanding Google or Facebook review – but the only problem is, they’re unsure what to write. This is where you can offer a helping hand. But let’s be clear on this: you’re not writing it for them, you must use their words.

Start by asking them some questions (like the ones above) and note their answers. You can then use this to write their testimonial, however you must send it to the client for approval and give them the chance to make edits! And if you want to cover all bases – you could even ask them to sign off on the final copy and keep it on file. Once it’s written, with their permission, you can use the testimonial on your website. Be sure to ask them to post it on Facebook or Google – or both!

Don’t wait –

As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot! You want to ask for a review straight away while the job is fresh in their mind.

If you give a Thank You gift at the end of a project, why not include a note in the card, asking them to provide a review?

So, there you have it – 7 top tips to get rave reviews from your clients. And giving your clients that extra push to create outstanding reviews can come with some cracking benefits. It could bring in more work, and even grow your business. So what are you waiting for?

We’d love to hear how many rave reviews you get by trying this out yourself! Why not email us with your success stories – we love hearing good news, too!

And if you’d like to promote your business with a new capability statement or website content, we’re happy to help – please contact us for a quote.

Bio:

Hi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients… and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, business award nominations, blog post packages and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.