How many times have you looked up a local business on Google or Facebook and went straight to their customer reviews? If you are like the majority of people, you have. This includes your clients and prospective new clients! So why not harness the power of positive reviews for your firm?
After all, if someone else like you gives honest feedback on a business based on a personal experience, you’ll probably listen to what they have to say, right? Don’t just take my word for it, the statistics from NiceJob (the app that I use to automate the process of getting valuable reviews from my clients and the attendees at my speaking engagements) show this is true: reviews influence 90% of potential customers better than a sales pitch.
Another vital fact about using client reviews for growing your accounting firm is that prospective clients will trust you more because having objective, third-party reviews will provide social proof and unbiased opinions that are more trustworthy than what you would say yourself about your firm (this is because you are perceived to have a natural bias as the owner of the firm).
I know this first-hand because I have been using NiceJob to get reviews after my speaking engagements, the app makes it super simple, and I even added a QR code on my book, The Designated Motivator, so NiceJob can help me get reviews from readers, too! Next up: using NiceJob for my accounting firm, Powerful Accounting, Inc.
Reaping the rewards of client reviews comes down to the right numbers
According to NiceJob, potential customers read an average of ten reviews before committing to a service provider such as an accountant. Yes, that is ten reviews! If that feels like an overwhelming lift, then it’s time to think about automating the process. That’s what I did when I started using NiceJob. The software solicits reviews from your clients and follows up for two weeks after the initial request to secure those revenue-boosting reviews!
The reason why this number is so important is that reviews are likely to engage more serious potential prospects, and they want to do their due diligence before reaching out. Since they are investing time in doing due diligence rather than breezing by your website online, it’s important to have a review strategy in place so you have a constant stream of new reviews that are relevant and recent.
NiceJob makes getting more reviews easy through an automated process.
While reviews are no doubt critical, they can also be time-consuming to solicit. The beauty of using NiceJob is that it takes care of time-consuming tasks so you can spend more time focusing on your existing customers. In fact, NiceJob does all the work (and follow-up for you with automated campaigns.
Remember, customer reviews can be done on multiple platforms such as on your Google Business Profile, their Facebook Page, and your website to gain a competitive edge and reap the benefits of both social proof and search engine optimization. Google loves reviews!
Reviews actually can, and do, impact the bottom line of a business because they bring in new leads like no other source! Think about the number of times you have read a review that resonates with you and then made a move to purchase that service or product. Your potential clients are doing this, too. You can also include them in your marketing collateral, use them on social media, and include them on your website which are all powerful ways to move the needle and move prospective clients into the buying phase of your service.
Another benefit of reviews? If you take time to read them, you can also learn a lot about what your existing clients think! Take time to consider the positive (or negative) review of your firm and what action you can take to celebrate what you are doing right and what needs work.
If you are nervous about a negative review, remember that the best way to handle those is to respond with compassion and empathy and then do what you can (offline of course) to help rectify the situation. If you do this, you’ll likely strengthen the relationship considerably and win a nice new positive review in the process!
Get ready to rev up your referral stream with reviews!
If you want to grow your firm, leveraging a tool such as NiceJob can be a game changer! You can sign up for NiceJob here and learn more about how to spread the word about all of the amazing things you do for your clients!
