Dialogue for Estate Agents - Getting Reviews: Advice for Managers (2)

We've learned a lot about review management over the last eight years, one of the most important being just how to get reviews - both to your own websites and to Google:

1. If you just send emails you will get very little response
2. If you follow-up each and every email with a phone call*, within minutes of the email going to your client, response will increase 
3. If you get all your staff to explain to clients just how important reviews are for your business - both reviews (to your site and to Google) response will be even better
4. If you target your staff to produce a specific number of reviews a month (to your website and to Google), you will do even better still
5. If you incentivise your staff to ask for (and get) reviews, you will do brilliantly

 Do you want to look like this? Then do 2, 3 and 4!

If you are new to Dialogue you will soon understand just how valuable each review is to you (see this article: 'Just How Much is a Single Review Worth'), and how rewarding the whole process is.


*We are often asked about the content of this crucial phone call. 

Of course, the call is made a whole lot easier for both parties if your client has been 'warned' to expect it during their previous day-to-day dealings with you. Your client will also find writing the review easier if you can give them some prompts, along these lines:

"It would be helpful if you mentioned...[that you had considered other agents]" and "Do you remember that we...[recommended a great mortgage broker]"

Response is also much better if you are completely candid with your client...

"We really need your opinion, on our own site and on Google....because that's the way new clients find us nowadays."

...rather than dressing it up as 'customer feedback' (which most people have learned to hate!). 

Overall

The calls (and other client contact) are key; get all your staff to familiarise themselves with the process - on desktop/laptop and on tablet/mobile, both for Dialogue and for Google - by writing real reviews of businesses they have used recently - and they will be able to empathise with their clients and explain the process to them so your success rates will be as high as they need to be.

Note re: getting reviews posted on Google on mobile and tablet: Google links change all the time (without notice) so warn your clients, but they will be able to write (and copy) their review very easily as long as you explain the simple procedure - look up your business and find the 'write a review' button when you call them.