Firms that work with Yardstick have 286% more Google and 178% more VouchedFor reviews than other advisers/planners.

We don’t say that as a boast (alright, we might be bragging a bit) but to demonstrate that we know what we’re talking about when it comes to online reviews.

Unfortunately, while we’ve been developing processes that work, we’ve noticed some advisers and planners doing things that kill their chances of getting reviews quicker than a Trump tariff U-turn.

So let’s dive into each of them with a plea from me; if you want more Google and VouchedFor reviews, and you’re doing any of these things, please stop.

Killer #1: Only asking for Google reviews from clients who have a Gmail address

To leave a Google review, your client needs a Gmail address. And because of that, we’ve seen some advisers/planners only ask clients who obviously have a Gmail address for a Google review.

When the adviser/planner tells me they’re doing this, it’s usually accompanied by a broad grin because they think they’ve found the ultimate Google review hack.

They haven’t.

In fact, there are three reasons why doing this will actually reduce the number of Google reviews they get.

Firstly, research shows the average person has more than one email address (1.86 to be exact), so your clients might have Gmail addresses you don’t know about. Indeed, some people have Gmail addresses specifically so they can leave reviews for businesses they interact with.

Secondly, some Gmail addresses are hiding in plain sight. For example, phil@theyardstickagency.co.uk is a white-labelled Gmail address which I can use to leave reviews.

Finally, some clients are happy to follow the process of setting up a Gmail address for the sole purpose of leaving a review for you.

Killer #2: Not sending the review request in a standalone email

We’ve seen some advisers and planners send requests for reviews through their online portal.

In other cases, the request is hidden in meeting minutes or mentioned at the end of a suitability report.

While I admire the optimism that clients will read their suitability reports to the end, all these things kill the chances of getting more than the occasional review stone dead.

Instead, this is what works:

• Send the request in a standalone email (you can access our free review request template here).
• Include two links, one to Google, the other to VouchedFor (you’re not asking for two reviews, although that would be nice; you’re giving the client a choice of which platform to use).
• The email should be wholly and exclusively about the request for a review, nothing else.

Send that email after you take on each new client and after every annual planning meeting, and you’ll see your review count rise much quicker.

Killer #3: Only asking clients who will definitely give a five-star review

In the search for perfection, I’ve heard of some advisers/planners who won’t ask a client for a review unless they’re certain they’ll get a perfect score.

That causes two problems.

Firstly, it significantly reduces the number of clients the adviser/planner will ask for reviews.

Secondly, it leads to a perfect, and therefore less believable, overall score. A potential client is far more likely to trust a score of 4.85/5 than a perfect 5/5. It’s still impressive, but it feels real.

Avoid the killers and watch the reviews flow in

As we proved at the start of this blog, we know a thing or two about what works when it comes to collecting Google and VouchedFor reviews.

If you’re making any of these fatal errors, then please stop. Now.

If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about the best ways to collect online reviews, which platforms to use, or what to do with the reviews when you get them, get in touch.

You can email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300. We’d love to hear from you.