Trust is the cornerstone of winning new clients and retaining existing ones.
Building and maintaining credibility is essential and one of the most effective ways to do this is to leverage client testimonials.
Client’s own words are compelling tools to build trust, confidence, showcase capabilities and differentiate from competitors. In this blog, we share how to effectively collect, showcase and maximise the impact of client reviews and testimonials.
Why Client Testimonials Matter
Whether looking for a solicitor to navigate a legal issue, or an accountant to manage their business finances, trust is an integral part of the decision-making process. When looking for someone to deal with personal, private or sensitive matters, people seek trusted advisors who can provide reliable expertise.
- Social Proof: Potential clients are more likely to trust the word of someone who has been in their shoes than the marketing messages you use on your website, brochures or social media platforms.
- Credibility: Hearing about real-life experiences and outcomes adds authenticity to your firm’s claims.
- Emotional Connection: Testimonials often convey problem-solving that will resonate on a personal level.
- Search Engine Optimisation: Online reviews from clients on platforms such as ReviewSolicitors, Trust Pilot and Google will all help to boost your firm’s search engine position.
- Key Measurable: You might know what sets you apart from your local competitor, but for a potential client looking from the outside it might be unclear. Review rankings are a very quick indicator to help decide on who to instruct.
Strategies for Collecting Client Reviews
- Identify a Key Moment
Timing is everything. The best time to request a review from your client is when they are at their happiest / most satisfied point in the transaction. This point may be different from firm to firm or even department to department. Pinpoint when this moment is, i.e. once a matter is closed, after a successful claim is paid or after completing an audit or tax filing. It is unlikely to be when their bill arrives!
Make asking for the review part of your process – ideally automated, so that it happens seamlessly without relying on team members to remember or contact clients individually. Ask for reviews all year round so that you generate a steady stream of new online reviews.
- Make it Easy
Streamline the process for clients to share their feedback. If asking for a review, give them a clickable link, or if requesting a longer testimonial or case study, give them a template and some examples to follow. You will benefit from a much higher response rate if the process is simple and quick. A separate email, text message or even a QR code is a great way to make it clear and separate from your legal or accounting communications.
- Respond to Every Review
Address both positive and negative reviews promptly and professionally, demonstrating your commitment to client satisfaction. Personalised responses show that you are actively listening to client feedback, taking onboard comments and that you care about your external image.
- Take to the Next Level
If you have a happy and willing client, ask them to write a longer testimonial, to be a referee for your next Legal500 submission, to record a video testimonial or even be involved in a client case study. This won’t appeal to everyone, but when you do find a suitable client, don’t be afraid to ask them for a little bit more – this is valuable, credible content that you can use for a long period of time.
Showcasing Your Reviews
Having a selection of glowing reviews online is great – but how can you maximise them?
- Add a plug-in to your website. Many review sites allow you to live link to your website. If you have particularly strong reviews and rankings on a review platform, consider linking to your website to help build credibility. This also saves time if you manually add new reviews to your website pages.
- Feature your best reviews on your website. Pick relevant reviews and place them on your website on suitable service pages or on a dedicated client testimonials page.
- Leverage social media – share your latest reviews across your social media accounts for timely, transparent content.
- Incorporate your best reviews / testimonials in your brochures, marketing materials, award submissions and email communications.
- Use real names and details wherever it is appropriate. Anonymous testimonials or reviews carry less weight.
- Direct potential clients or work referrers to your live review platforms so that they can conduct their own research.
Managing Negative Reviews
A common question that we get asked is how to deal with negative reviews online. Opening yourself up for feedback will always have its drawbacks, however, social media and review sites make it accessible for anyone to leave you a poor review at any time.
The good news is that having a few negative reviews from time to time is actually a blessing in disguise – as long as they aren’t too severe and frequent!
Nobody would trust a firm with only positive, 5-star reviews. No firm is that perfect, we all drop the ball, make a communication mistake or have a challenging client at some point. So a few negative reviews that bring your score down to a 4.7, 4.8 or 4.9 out of 5 is actually a positive.
Here are some quick best-practice tips for managing negative reviews:
- Have a process in place
- Check regularly for new reviews
- Respond promptly
- Stay professional and polite
- Show empathy and acknowledge their concern
- Take the conversation offline
- Highlight your commitment to improvement
- Request for the review to be removed
- Report any particularly negative, rude or damaging reviews to the platform host
- Encourage new, positive reviews to bury the negative one
Conclusion
In a sector where trust and credibility are so important, actively seeking out and then maximising on real-life client reviews is a great marketing tool. Your client reviews can be peppered throughout your marketing communications and also give you valuable insights.
Start leveraging the power of your reviews today!
For more information on raising your firm’s profile or revamping your marketing for the year ahead, please get in touch with Hannah Perryman, Senior Account Manager at Consortium – more than marketing. Call Hannah on 07523 268731 or email hannah@consortiumbiz.co.uk.