Recently, my girlfriend and I took a trip north of the border to visit the beautiful city of Edinburgh.

Having never been to Scotland before, we were excited to go, and I have nothing but positive things to say. The city is beautiful, the people wonderful and (most importantly) the food we had was spectacular.

Whilst there we visited the zoo to see the giant pandas before they go back to China, walked up Arthur’s Seat, successfully attempted an escape room, visited the Camera Obscura and ate a lot of good food.

Everything we did was fantastic, and we can’t wait to go back around Christmas time.

One thing that every single place had in common, whether it was the zoo or one of the restaurants, is that they all asked for reviews. Each location simply asked us to leave a Google review, provided a QR code with the bill to scan and leave a review or sent an email after with a link.

And we were more than happy to do so, leaving a review for every firm that asked.

Understanding the importance of reviews

While everywhere asked for reviews, they all also went one step further and asked in the right way.

Whether it was a member of serving staff, a talk presenter at the zoo, or presentation staff at the Obscura, every single one of them explained the importance of reviews when asking for one.

They took time and explained how they help the business, how it helps them individually if you include their name (followed by the usual jokes about using a different name if you had a bad experience) and what platform they use.

Not once did it ever feel like an annoyance, as it was always done politely.

Which leads me to ask, why do financial advisers and planners often struggle to ask for reviews?

Not wanting to annoy a client

We know that many financial advisers and planners avoid asking clients for a review as they don’t want to be “annoying” or “a bother”.

However, we left more than a dozen different reviews while away, on a range of review platforms, and not once did it feel like an annoyance. We were happy to share our feedback for a job well done. And these were for people and businesses we have no prior or ongoing relationship with, nor are we likely to do so living nearly 300 miles away.

If we’re happy to leave reviews for these firms with no ongoing relationship, I can assure you that your clients will be more than happy to leave a review. Whether you’ve had an ongoing relationship for 12 months or 12 years, most of your clients will be happy to leave a review.

It’s important to remember that your long-term clients choose to continue working with you. There is usually a reason for this, namely, they’re happy with the service they receive. If they’re happy with the service, then the chances are extremely high that they’re going to leave a good review.

My partner and I had no problem spending five minutes leaving a review for a good meal. I assure you, your clients are going to have no problem spending five minutes to leave a review when you have helped them retire early, achieve lifelong goals, protect their loved ones and much more.

How to ask for reviews

As I mentioned earlier, every single time we were asked for a review it was always accompanied with information. We were told why it was important, how it helped and where to leave a review. This is an important step when asking for reviews.

When you are talking to your clients make sure you explain that the reviews are important as:

• They help showcase the fantastic work you do
• They help prospective clients decide to work with you
• They help your online visibility/presence.

As well as explaining why they’re important, make sure to tell clients about where you’d like them to leave a review. Most of our clients use VouchedFor and Google, both of which are important. Ensure that you ask for a review on both platforms, not just one.

I recommend making yourself familiar with the process of leaving a review on these platforms. This means you can give as much information as possible, as well as answer any questions your client may have.

Replying to your reviews

Once you have asked clients for reviews and they have left them, the process is not yet finished. The final step is replying to reviews to say thank you – and doing it well.

There are four audiences who will read your reply:

• The client: They have taken time to leave a review and it’s the polite thing to do to say thank you and show your gratitude.
• Prospective clients: Your replies are an opportunity to show your personality to prospective clients reading your reviews, as well as getting across your key messages.
• Existing clients: When you ask clients for reviews, they’re likely to look at other reviews. This helps reassure the client why they work with you.
• Google: Your Google reviews and replies are an opportunity to increase your visibility via Google, increasing your search performance.

To learn how to write the perfect reply read one of our previous blogs from Phil.

Get in touch

If you’d like our help with asking clients for reviews, or any other marketing needs, email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.