When you’re thinking about buying something, from a meal out to a major home improvement, you’ll often check reviews and testimonials from previous customers and clients first.
What did they appreciate most? Where did they think a business could improve? Did the business go above and beyond and provide particularly exceptional service?
Online reviews will answer these questions for you, so you can get an honest assessment of what various businesses deliver and make an informed decision about where you spend your money.
Well, your clients will do exactly the same when they’re looking for a mortgage broker.
And the reviews they see could make the difference between a prospective client choosing your brokerage or looking elsewhere.
So how can you encourage people to leave positive feedback and help you stand out from your competitors?
This almost goes without saying, but people are unlikely to leave glowing reviews if they haven’t received genuinely exceptional customer service.
Treating clients with courtesy and respect, being responsive to their needs, going the extra mile where possible and establishing a positive relationship with them is so important if you want to ensure your clients have a memorable and positive experience.
Clients are doing you a favour if they leave feedback, so do them a favour in return by making the process as effortless and straightforward as possible.
Even if you’ve already asked verbally, follow up this interaction by sending an email that contains clear links to platforms such as Google and Trustpilot, so they don’t have to spend time looking around for a place to write their review.
Make sure these links are also prominently displayed on your website, so again, they’re easy for people to find.
If you’re explicitly asking for feedback, address clients by the name, thank them for doing business with you and kindly ask if they’d be willing to share their experiences.
This approach can help clients feel valued and more willing to offer a glowing appraisal of the service you provided.
Make a point of regularly monitoring the reviews left by your clients online and respond to them. That could be as simple as saying thank you for taking the time to comment and that you appreciate their feedback.
Even responding to a negative comment can generate a sense of goodwill among the person who left the review and those reading it, as it shows that you’re not afraid to engage with unfavourable opinions.
If your clients provide rave reviews, they’re effectively doing much of your marketing work for you.
Take advantage of this by displaying positive feedback and testimonials on your website, social media channels and marketing literature, so people’s glowing endorsements can be seen more widely.
You could even contact people who’ve left particularly enthusiastic testimonials by asking them if they’d be willing to be the subject of a client case study on your website.
Make sure client-facing members of your team understand how important it is for people to leave feedback afterwards. That can motivate them to provide the best possible client experience day-to-day, as well as proactively encourage their clients to submit feedback later on.
The power of word-of-mouth marketing can’t be underestimated, as it’s authentic, honest and unfiltered.
So give happy clients a platform to make their views known and become your most enthusiastic brand advocates. It could be transformative to your business and help you turn many more prospects into paying clients.
Read more: Top tips for generating new leads from your existing clients
Read more: How to use your reviews to generate new business
Read more: The Impact of Word-of-Mouth Marketing
by Jeremy Duncombe
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by Jeremy Duncombe
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by Jeremy Duncombe
Added 28/11/24 - min read
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