By Vicki Flaugher, CEO
SmartWomanGuides.com

Recently, my sweetheart added his massage business to the review site Yelp and asked his massage clients to post their testimonials there.

Kevin has mostly been off line with a very loyal, nearly 100% referral and repeat-business client base for 15 years. I talked him into a website several months ago, then we moved to automated online scheduling, and last month, he agreed to do Yelp. I was puling him into the Digital Age with a little resistance, but into the Digital Age he was coming!

I set up his account and put up a big Yelp logo on his site. He started mentioning to his longtime clients that he would appreciate their feedback there. Several clients didn’t want to do it because they were afraid they’d be spammed or that their personal information was going to be shared by Yelp to its partners. Those hesitant clients sent a testimonial directly to us and we will be posting those to the website. Some clients didn’t go the the site and add their comments, even when they said they’d be happy to do so. Oh, well, what can you do?…they still refer other clients, so it’s hard to complain. Several went on the site and made recommendations for Kevin’s work that were beautiful and humbling.

As of the time of this blog post, those client testimonials are gone.

Apparently, Yelp has a secret screening algorithm that deletes testimonials that they think are spam. We had read that in the Terms of Service, so it wasn’t secret that they had it, but rather that they don’t share what triggers it. We both understood that Yelp had to figured out a way to maintain the integrity of their reviews site. It made sense, but frankly, we saw no reason to assume that testimonials from real people saying real things would fall into that category.

Here’s the rub: Once Kevin’s business account was established, we almost immediately started getting emails and calls to upsell us to Yelp’s paid advertising services. Not until we said no (well, we said not now), did the testimonials disappear. Maybe it was just that the algorithm sweep took some time to do its thing, maybe not, but gone they are.

When we asked the sales rep why the comments were gone, we were told that the comments “may have been identified as spam”. When Kevin explained the trouble he had getting his slightly old-school clients of a decade to participate at all, he was told he’s not allowed to asked people to give their feedback (even though Yelp is more than happy to give you a sign to remind people in your office). Next, he was told that the people who posted them were not “active Yelpers”, so if they ever become active, then the comments would reappear. Oh, but hey, by the way, you want to buy some advertising? As a side note, one of the reviews was from an extremely active Yelper, a fellow business owner with over 32 reviews on her site, so the explanation didn’t sit so well.

Today, I am contemplating removing the Yelp logo from Kevin’s website and I’m doing this blog post. I’m not feeling the love toward Yelp and neither is Kevin. In all honestly, as a Digital Age and New Media advocate, I am feeling quite disgruntled and angry, which is not something I usually feel toward online stuff (well except those horrific internet marketers, but you’ve heard that rant).

So, here are some lessons about testimonials I learned that perhaps you can gain some insight from:

• Find a way to collect testimonials that fit your client base: If an online experience doesn’t fit, try a hard copy form or an audio experience or use an email extract.
• Do more research before committing to a review site: I would not have spent the time and effort to set up with Yelp if I had known that unless your clients were “active Yelpers” that their testimonials wouldn’t show. I regret doing it.
• Don’t let your business model get in the way of doing business: I might be singing the praises of Yelp if the expectation about testimonials had been clear up front. I wish they would honor their newest clients by giving them some help on how to integrate their service into their business – and, I don’t mean offering me a “guided tour” that is nothing more than a pay per click advertising upsell. How about maybe a 30-60 day grace period for reviewers who post testimonials for a new business account to become “active Yelpers”? This would give newbie reviewers (who I brought to your site in the first place, thank you very much!) to get caught up in it and fall in love. How exactly am I supposed to even benefit from advertising if my loyal clients’ testimonials don’t show up? That’s one expensive Catch-22.
• People will talk about you (or worse, won’t): Perhaps you notice that I did not include the Yelp logo here, which I normally would when I talk about a business. I typically love to brag on businesses – I do it regularly in my social media and on my radio show. I usually give an active link back to them, too, something else I have not done here. That wasn’t an oversight on my part.
• Monitor and respond to feedback: I wonder if Yelp is even monitoring their online space to see my post on these crazy interwebs. We will see. Remember – get in front of what people do when they talk about you. The sales person on the phone had no authority to help smooth our negative feelings about their process. She was towing the line. She didn’t even seem particularly sympathetic to the issue. Here’s an out of the box thought – reinstating those reviews would go a long way toward making me feel better about Yelp. But, oh, no, wait – their policy clearly states that once they’re gone, they’re gone – well, except that part about the active Yelper thing…I’m confused…A state of confusion is never a buy signal. Monitor and respond to your client feedback.

Ok, I realize that I have fallen into a rant so I’ll stop now. I have some thinking to do about that darned Yelp logo, so bye for now. I still believe in testimonials, they help your business, so go get some testimonials today!

I don’t know about you, but referrals and recommendations work on me. When someone I trust, either a friend, family member, or someone I recognize as an expert recommends a business, I usually check it out. Especially in areas of wide choice, huge variation in service levels, and many substitute alternatives, I ask my friends what they choose, whether it’s light hearted stuff like a hairdresser or restaurant or more serious stuff like a physician or preschool for my niece.

I often go in with a softer attitude toward performance, too. I cut them slack. And, when they don’t need any slack and perform well, it rates double. And, not only does the business get a gold star, but so does the friend who recommended them. It all works together to strengthen my trust and deepen my relationship with all involved. I go in expecting greatness rather than wondering if I’ll get it.

To use testimonials and referrals to strengthen your business relationships, here are some helpful hints:

1. Ask directly
Nothing goes farther than simply asking. And, be sure to be polite but direct.

If you are looking for more clients, ask your current clients during the process, rather than after. To understand why this particular timing is important, you need to understand a scientific phenomenon called “morphic convergence”. In basic terms, it’s why when you are beginning to shop for a Prius (or even just start to think actively about starting to shop for a Prius) you begin to notice Prius cars all over the place when you never noticed them before. And, you start meeting other people by happenstance that are also looking to buy a Prius. Your mental focus brings these things into view for you, or converges on that idea.

The approach then is to use the power of your client’s morphic convergence experience to help you. If they are looking to buy your product, they have probably met others who are too. Waiting until after the sale or process means your client will meet more people who just bought their Prius rather than are looking to buy, which doesn’t really help you, right?

Ask for an introduction to anyone they know who they feel could use your services. Include in your introductory meeting with clients that you work mainly by referral. Tell them that you would rather spend money serving the loyal clients you have better than on advertising looking for new clients. Timing is everything. You don’t want to ask for a referral before that new client even knows what you’re about, but it can happen sooner than you probably think or are completely comfortable initiating at this point. Just ask and it will feel more and more comfortable to you as you practice it. Find your groove and it will come back to you in good will and increased sales.

2. Set up an incentive program
Reward your clients with recognition, gifts, discounts, your unfettered time, or other courteous and thoughtful gestures.

It doesn’t have to cost much, as you will find that the human touch goes a long way. People don’t refer their friends to make money, in general. They are being kind and helpful. Responding in equally motivated ways magnifies that and does more for a relationship than money. Money is nice, but giving a gift rather than offering a discount sets the stage for maintaining your price points as well as building trust and rapport.

One thing you can do here: if you have a progression of products that you sell, for example beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, giving a gift that moves the referring client to your next level of products in addition to recognizing their generosity for referring can increase your business in more than one way. That’s great for everyone.

Another idea is to partner with other businesses that can refer back to you when developing client gift ideas. If you sell birthday cakes, include a free helium rental coupon for balloons from a florist gift shop. The client will have to pick up the helium canister and is likely to buy the fancy balloons at the same time. And, give the florist gift shop a gift offer they can give away. Be sure to make it a real gift though rather than a thinly disguised sale offer or it won’t work. But, don’t you think that client will always call you for cakes when they get such great service? Of course they will!

3. Be consistent and make it easy and fun to participate
Adding more positive experience and doing so consistently emphasizes further the advantages of interacting with you and your business.

Setting up a call-in audio testimonial line and then featuring the referring client and their business on your website or in your newsletter is a fun way to show your appreciation. People love talking about and hearing themselves, and it is so sincere and believable. And it establishes further reciprocity – you do something for them, they do something for you, you do something for them, and so on and so on.

If you are a blogger or website owner, review and recommend someone else’s site that would be helpful to your core clients and then send an email to that site’s owner with a link to your review. They are likely to refer back to you. Sometimes referrals come after you’ve given first, so be generous with your information and expertise. It will pay off.

Don’t pretend that sending a cute birthday card to your insurance clients is going to ensure you referrals. I always laugh out loud when I get an overly personal message from someone who, frankly, isn’t that overly personal with me in actuality. Consistent contact is usually better than no contact, but make the contact count. Pick up the phone for example. Even a phone message just saying hello, or inviting them to a client appreciation wine tasting, or checking on someone for no particular reason at all carries weight. Pretending you know them enough to send them a personal greeting doesn’t.

Many service providers I work with only work with referral clients. They don’t advertise, they don’t discount, and they don’t take on clients they don’t like. They don’t have to because they have implemented a referral strategy that gives them everything they need. If you try it, you might like it.

Together, we are stronger.
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman