Building a reputation as a trustworthy business isn’t something that happens overnight. That much is a given, but it’s also quite a vague idea to strive towards, and many pros don’t know how to achieve that goal faster – or at least, in a way that’s measurable.
Truth be told, it’s not easy to boil it down. How do you measure reputation? But with the rise of social media and online marketing as the main form of advertising, there is now a more tangible way to build a trustworthy business.
And better yet, there’s a way to measure it, which gives you a clear goal to work on!
So what’s the main ingredient?
OK, let’s not beat around the bush:
The secret is online reviews.
Online reviews are one of the most important measures of how good your business is. From a client’s point of view, they Google the service they want and your business shows up. How do they know you’re trustworthy?
They can literally see your rating and the opinion of those that worked with you. There’s no clearer metric than that.
This is why it’s so important to have them on your website and make sure to encourage your clients to say a few positive words after a job well done.
Facebook has a native review platform for business pages and it’s super useful for solidifying yourself on the market as well as getting new clients. In short: online reviews are one of the best ways to generate leads.
How to accumulate good reviews
Unfortunately, here is where things get more complicated… and sort of obvious.
If you provide good service and treat your clients well, you will get good reviews. It’s as simple as that. Just be sure to ask for reviews and encourage clients to write them whenever possible, because most of them won’t do it by themselves or won’t even remember to.
This will ensure you start building a good reputation and attract more clients. The process of providing good customer service all the way through involves a lot of moving parts, many of which you will learn from experience.
But if you want to know more about providing good customer service...
How to handle negative feedback
One of the greatest fears contractors have when asking for reviews is to get a negative one. Unfortunately, we fixate on negative emotions far more than positive ones, and that goes for your clients as well. Even if you have a near flawless track record, if the most recent review is negative, they might hesitate.
So, first of all: remember that it’s just one review. Assuming you’ve done your part, you can still try to make amends with the client to save your reputation – and do it publicly. Reply to the comment with an olive branch and do your best to make peace.
If anything, this will show potential clients that you’re willing to cross that bridge. Every single business in the world gets negative reviews at some point, it’s impossible to be perfect because some people are hard to deal with – it might not even be your fault.
Focus on what you can do and rest easy – your reputation is not in danger because of a single review.
But we’re just getting started. Learn how to handle negative reviews!
Take the first step towards growing your business today and start receiving leads that will make you money — Sign up with homeyou!
Comments