Word of mouth is by far one of the most influential ways to attract a new client to your service or product. In this day and age, would-be customers are highly likely to want to read some reviews from satisfied customers before pushing the “buy it now” button on your website. When we experience great service or find a product that we feel has changed our lives, we want to share it with our friends, right? I know I love sharing exceptional experiences in the hopes of helping my friends! This article is a quick tip sheet to give you a way to share those reviews in the most beneficial way – thank you for your interest in learning more about it!
Remember learning about the 5 W’s for writing? Who, What, When, Where, Why/How. This is a great tool to use when writing a review.
Since my primary focus in business is teaching continuing education for massage therapists – I will use references to this in some examples for clarification.
So, in my early days of teaching, I would ask students to complete an evaluation form. I gave very little direction in what should be said. My goal was for the students to produce something organic to their experience. My evaluations were often short & sweet:
“I learned a lot in this class!”
“The barefoot massage technique was amazing!”
“So glad I got this training!”
While these were fun to receive, you can see where it may leave some wondering about the experience as a whole. It dawned on me one day that my students weren’t thinking about writing their evaluations based on a prospective student’s perspective. So I thought of all the things about my classes that were unique from other training workshops they may have previously attended. I began stating the benefits of training with me during the introduction to my courses, for example, small class size for enhanced one on one time with the instructor, digital videos and manuals included with tuition, and how I spend the majority of our class time coaching them while they practice the modalities. My students have read all of these benefits on my web page, but it reinforces and reminds them while they are attending my workshops if I mention them again out loud. In explaining how these key points set my training technique apart, students immediately realized a different perspective when I asked for the evaluation.
Who?
Who is delivering the terrific service or product to you? Is it an individual or a team of folks? If there is a team, do one or more of them do anything specific that really stands out to you and makes you want to keep coming back?
What?
What is it about the product or service you find exemplary? Is it an unusual product? Have you tried other products and they didn’t work quite like this one does? Same for service – what about this experience will motivate you to return in the future? Why should everyone you know give this service a shot?
When?
When did the encounter occur? Was it for a holiday or special occasion? Did the experience just happen, or was it a few months back? Have you returned and received the same great service?
Where?
If you are writing the review on the business’ Facebook page (there is a review button you can rate with stars and leave a comment), on Yelp, or any other such system that shows the business or person’s contact information then there is no need to get specific about the where. However, if you are posting a statement on your own Facebook wall, then be sure to include a hyperlink to the business or a hyperlink to the person’s name in the body of your text. It’s easy to do – just use the @ symbol before the business name and it will add the link. You will know it was successfully added when the business name is highlighted in blue. You can also check your post after you submit it and click the hyperlink to make sure it works. Another neat way to post from your own wall is to copy and paste the business’ web address. When you do this, you’ll create a link to their website and you can delete the copied web address and type your review above it.
Why/How?
How did you find the person? Why did you use the service? My last bit of advice is to type up your review in on a document then cut and paste it. If you use a word or google doc, you can adjust the sequence of your thoughts, check for spelling errors, and make sure you’ve covered all your bases before posting. When we have done all we can to ensure we have satisfied clients, I have found they are more than happy to make referrals and writing a review is a great way to do just that! Don’t be shy, it’s okay to ask for a public review! I have asked for these in lieu of a tip before. Remember, your industry is foreign to them, so it makes sense that they will need guidance on what to say. Share this article and ask them to reflect on their experience with you.
I’m closing with an example of a review that includes all 5 W’s – brighten someone’s day and take the time to give them a 5-star review!
“Tiffany’s Ashiatsu Barefoot massage classes were recommended to me by a co-worker who had attended her workshop last year. I was nervous about the thought of using my feet at first but Tiffany’s style of teaching put me right at ease! The barefoot massage feels so incredible! I loved how as students we all got a lot of attention from Tiffany since the class size was so small. I have already watched my training video with the demonstration of the techniques I learned and am so glad to have this resource for future reference. Her Fort Smith location was easy to find and I have to say I’ve never had a workshop experience like this before. Thank you, Barefoot Bodyworks, I will be back soon for more training with you!”