After closing the sale, the smart salesman always says, “Be sure to let your friends know where you got it.” This simple statement has generated referral sales for decades. However, times have changed. It’s not enough to depend on word of mouth, especially if your main target is the Millennial customer. You have to up your game.
We know from ample research three very important things about Millennials:
- They aren’t influenced by traditional advertising.
- Peer reviews trump glitzy pictures and information for them.
- They are all over social media.
What do these insights mean for you, the retailer? It means next time you close a sale, ask the customer to leave a review on your Facebook page, Yelp account, or website. Having a strong review system in place on whichever platform you feel comfortable using will strengthen your credibility with potential customers, help you rank higher than your competitors in search engines, and, most importantly, provide free marketing.
How do you get customers to leave reviews? You can incentivize customers to leave reviews by offering discounts on future purchases, but many people believe this undermines the credibility of the review and, by implication, your product. A better way is to be incredibly active online, and that includes ratings platforms (Yelp, Google Plus, etc.), social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and on your own website.. Having a strong presence will, in itself, encourage engagement and interactivity. And that is when customers will start to comment on the quality of the products and services you offer.
Do you encourage customer reviews? How’s it working for you? Share your experience in the comments section.
