Hi friend,

My heater broke on a cool March day a few weeks ago. The heater was almost 20 years old, so I knew this day was coming.

But now I had to find someone to install a new heater.

Anytime I make a purchase, no matter how big or small, I always do my research. And I’m not alone, 53% of shoppers say they do online research before making a purchase.

I did my initial HVAC research by asking family, friends, and even on a community Facebook page. This narrowed my search down to 4 companies, I had each come out to give me a quote.

Each company seemed like they would do a good job, so how did I make a decision?

It came down to the Google reviews.
 

The company I went with is just one guy, Pat, a true small business owner. He wasn’t the cheapest option, in fact he gave the second highest quote. But his review score and testimonials stood out, so he was my choice.

When he got to my house to install the new HVAC, he asked me two things:

• “How was my pricing compared to other quotes?”
• “Why did you decide to go with me?”

Two questions that any business owner or marketer would want to know. So I told him - it came down to his reviews.

What he told me next, is why I’m sharing this story. He said:

“I do some advertising, but I’m going to stop. I don’t need to advertise anymore, the reviews and word of mouth is where I’m getting most of my business. And I’m so busy, I don’t need the business from the ads.”

WOW!!!

Wouldn't that be great if you were so inundated with business that you wouldn't need to advertise.

It doesn’t matter if your price point is a $12,000 HVAC, a $25 craft on Etsy, or you're just sharing content. Reviews matter.

Reviews (also called social proof) are the difference between status quo and growth.

So how can you get to the same place as Pat?

Ask:

It’s that easy. If you just provided great service, delivered a product, whatever it may be - just ask.

You can ask in a follow up email or text. Pat sent me a text a few days after installing the HVAC, he asked if I was satisfied, then asked if I would give him a review.

Pat was very professional and did an amazing job with the install, so of course I left a review.

Make it easy:

If you don’t make it easy, you’re taking a chance that your audience won’t leave a review. Include a link to the review site with a clear call to action.

Timing:

Timing is key. Ask for a review shortly after a customer has made a purchase or received a service, while the experience is still fresh in their mind.

Personalize your ask:

Personalize your request by addressing the customer by name and mentioning specific details about their experience.

Respond:

Finally, always respond to reviews, whether they are positive or negative. This shows that you value your customers' feedback and are committed to providing the best possible experience.

After the job Pat said something else that really stood out to me and made me happy that I gave my business to him, he said “thank you for supporting a small business.”

Automate your review ask

Are you selling a product or service, running an online course, or have you recently published a blog post?

If so, it's essential to collect feedback and reviews from your customers to build your brand's reputation and attract more customers.

Setting up an automated email campaign (see how to get started with automated campaigns in AWeber) to ask for reviews can be a powerful way to do this. 

By using email automation, you can save time and ensure that your customers receive a timely and personalized request for feedback.
 

Behind the newsletter

I'm trying something new this week.

Chris and I thought it would be really cool insight for you to see our thought process when coming up with newsletter topics, why do we write the way we do, how we come up with our subject lines and more.

We'll try this out for a few weeks. So let us know if you like it by responding to this email. And let us know what else you'd like us to talk about.

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As always, thanks for reading!

- Sean and the team
 

👉 Did you notice the images I had in this email? I created and formatted those using using Canva without every leaving the AWeber dashboard. Super convenient, super quick, and super fun (I love using Canva). Here's how you can do it in your AWeber account.