EGIA
Ask the Experts
Author: Thomas Christian | Digital Marketing Coordinator at EGIA & OPTIMUS | January 2nd, 2024

What Do You Do When You Have No Online Reviews?

An HVAC Contractor in Oklahoma asked:

What would you suggest using if we do not have good testimonials or any at all?

EGIA faculty member Drew Cameron started by asking why a company wouldn’t have any testimonials. Cameron reasoned that any businenss that has been open for any length of time likely has customers that think highly of them. But whether or not that customer enthusiasm comes in the form of a testimonial is dependent on the company asking for a review.

“If you’ve heard some good things from some customers, go back to those customers and ask them if they could you a testimonial,” said Cameron. “If they’re happy with you and they’re satisfied with your work, they want to see you be successful.”

Cameron then moved on to caution against paying for positive testimonials, saying, “I do not pay for reviews or testimonials, I’d recommend you do not as well.”

Instead, how you or your employees ask customers for testimonials can make all the difference. “I like to tell the customer that my measuring stick for success is not only that you’re so happy that we meet or exceed your expectations, not to the point that you’re happy, but that you’re so happy that you’d tell someone else.”

Fellow faculty member Gary Elekes also chimed in with his own take on a strategy to get reviews. “We do have some prewritten reviews that they can just select from if they don’t want to take the time to write it,” he said.

Drew Cameron is a renowned author, speaker, educator, coach, consultant, software developer, philanthropist, and an International Consultant Award Winner. Gary Elekes is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for helping others become more successful by sharing what he has learned over the past 3 decades working closely with all facets of the contracting industry.

Our faculty members have also answered questions on other topics related to sales in the contracting world, including Online Reviews About Being Too Expensive and Increasing Online Reviews Without Software.

Hear more from our “Ask The Experts” faculty members on “Cracking The Code,” our weekly web series.

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