What Is So Compelling About Reviews
Buying products in today’s world has drastically changed everything about how a company creates products, markets products, and advertises products – that is if they care how buyers are making decisions these days.
Let’s go through a typical scenario where someone might be in the market for a new car, the last thing they want to do is to go get bird-dogged at the dealership.
Feedback and Product Reviews
One of the most powerful influencers to what people buy is YOU!
I want to know how YOU were treated, and what you may have liked or disliked.
Of course you’re probably thinking that I don’t even know you, but actually that doesn’t matter. What I need is your feedback, and the feedback of about 50 more like you so I can see the overall feedback average and reviews of a particular dealer.
Trusting User Reviews
It seems we hardly buy anything anymore without researching and leveraging our network. We want to know firsthand what to expect. People who’ve taken the time to write about their good and bad experiences helps us make better and more informed decisions.
We want to know if the product suits our needs based on the knowledge our network knows about us.
Even more so, we want to learn about potential benefits that a product brings that we may not have realized.
We want everything that we buy to enhance our quality of life in some way.
Salespeople
You know that feeling when a salesperson comes walking up? I’m not too fond of it myself, but the fact is they’re just doing their job.
The problem with this approach is that most often they underestimate what I already know about a product they are selling.
In fact, I could know more than they do about it. If they start off with telling me something only they could know, like a story about someone who came from out of state just to get one, then that’s something I don’t know – and that’s a great way to break the ice!
The Hardware Store
Let’s try another example. Suppose I go to the local hardware store, which I’ve been going to for years and one of the salespeople in particular has tremendous knowledge about plumbing.
Anytime I have a plumbing question I go to this person.
In fact, any time anyone I know has a plumbing problem I send them to this person.
Because of this simple referral, one of my friends will walk in and not only know the name of the person they wish to speak with, but they already have the confidence that they are going to get the help that they need.
This is why social media is going to become the most powerful form of marketing that companies cannot afford to hesitate in leveraging. The quality of relationships that I have with my friends and business partners would never be put in jeopardy or risked losing for the sake of giving them a bad referral.
Referral Purchase
I recently read a great book by John Jantsch called the “The Referral Engine”. This book explains the powerful and most underutilized strategy in marketing – the referral.
If you own your own business and you are not getting referrals is something is not right. In his book he teaches you how to request referrals the right way and at the same time give out your own referrals.
People are in seek of quality. One of the most effective ways they can find it is through other people who have experienced it.
In order to get referrals you should be getting in the habit of giving them out freely.
The success that you bring will create powerful relationships and those who know you will remember you for your good will and helpful attitude.
It’s much better to give away potential business as a referral to a provider that you have confidence in even if you think you may be able to provide the service yourself.
If people know that you are giving out great referrals they will want to engage with you because you might become one of their referrals too.
Give Freely and Leverage Referrals
With information so available in abundance, there has never been a time where leveraging referrals would have been so appropriate. This is why those who specialize in niches and develop their talents around the particular subject are becoming highly sought after. This means there are many opportunities for small businesses to form and specialize, becoming the source for all things related to their niche.
Be open and honest in how you commit to helping other people get what they need and in turn you’ll build trust and long lasting relationships.
One statement that I still remember clearly from social media guru Gary Vaynerchuk was “…give, give, give, give, give, give, give, and then ask.” I think he had more gives in his tweet though.