Have you ever wondered how to get your clients to give you a review?  Answer: Give excellent customer service before, during, and after to win their approval (within reason), and then ask them if they’d give you a written review on Google My Business, Angi, Facebook Business Page, Houzz, or your preferred customer review tool.  You can either hand them Angi’s review form printed out or send them an emailed link to your Angie’s List, Google+, FB, Houzz account, or preferred review page.  (See below for details on how to do this.) Make it easy.

Set Up a Canned Response in your Gmail Account for Review Requests

I use “canned responses” in my Gmail, which already has the template I’ve created with the set verbiage for the review request and link.  I can easily send one after each job installation.

Set Up Links in your Email Signature

Another way to generate referrals is to set up links in your email signature for a referral request.

Mine says:

 

Set Up Links on your Website and E-Newsletters

Plus, those yellow stars on Google Reviews appear when people see Google search results.  Having those stars behind your name will generate more potential clients and rank you higher in Google search results.  People want to see personal reviews.  Reviews add credibility to your business and click through to more leads generated.

Hand out a Review How To

Angi members can leave reviews for your business. Write the directions on a handout or at the end of your final invoice. Directions include

1. Go to your membership page at member.angi.com.
2. In the top right, click Add Review.
3. Give them your company name to fill in.
4. Click start your review here.

Be aware!  According to the FTC revised disclosure policy, you can’t pay someone for a review or give away free products without them mentioning it in their study.  Refrain from asking for “good reviews” but instead ask for honest ones.  Doing it verbally through a telemarketing call just after completing the job is opportune.  Touching base with them within three to six months later to see how they like the installation/service/product and if they have any questions allows you to rectify any displeasure and get to know them better, forming a relationship and thereby solidifying a recommendation.

I have done this for clients by calling right after completing the job and following the abovementioned steps.  It has gained the goodwill and rectified misunderstandings that might not have been clarified otherwise.  It also allows chatting with the client and reminds them of the other services provided by your company.  Answering their gardening questions or reminding them it’s time to fertilize or how to prune will entice them to remember you the next time someone mentions they need a landscaper or lawn care professional.  They will immediately think of your business and recommend you!  The following directions are a few ways to get you jump-started.  Contact me for packages and pricing if you are interested in this service.

 Quick List on How to Generate Links

 

Google My Business Review Link:

Go to your profile inside your email account and click on the blue icon Business Profile (assuming you’ve signed up and registered your business with Google.)  Your business profile with pop up on the right side. Scroll down to the icon adjacent to Reviews. Click on the icon that says Get more reviews. Please copy the generated link, and you can share it in an email, Whatsapp, or Facebook. Adding a conversational email telling the client how much you appreciate their business and how their review will help others is a nice addition. Please include the link to send them to an easy fill-out form for a Google review! If your lead has an email other than Gmail, Google will request you to connect your email under “create a new account.” You can enter another email address besides Gmail or use your current one.  Your client then scrolls to the Reviews section and clicks Write a review. Then the client can write the review and add relevant photos. Afterward, they must click publish the review to be visible on your reviews.  You’ll get a notification that you have a review. Always respond to the reviews in a timely manner to your clients for the time they took to help your business!

LinkedIn Recommendations:

To generate LinkedIn recommendations on your LinkedIn profile page, scroll down to Recommendations; click on Manage; at the top, click Ask for advice.  Then send it to associates, colleagues, and those you have touched in the industry.

Facebook Business Reviews:

Facebook has made it more accessible over the years to generate reviews.  If clients have “liked” the company, they can click on the business and, at the top tabs, click on Reviews. This will generate a question: Do you recommend XYZ company? The client can click ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and proceed with the review.

 

 

Houzz Reviews:

To generate a review in Houzz, sign in to your dashboard and click on Reviews in the bar menu.  Then Get Reviews.  Type in the client’s email address(s) that you want to generate a review for.  More than one email can be entered.  Generic verbiage is already in place, or it can be edited before sending.

If you need help generating reviews, call me, and we can determine the right package for you.