Think about the last time you bought something for yourself. After doing some initial research yourself, you probably asked some friends if they’ve had any experience with the product or service you were considering. Their answers were probably a make-​or-​break for your decision, right?

Now, how about the last time you were responsible for buying something for your company? Reviews during that process were probably just as important, if not more so, in your buying decision. You’re not alone in thinking that way.

According to a CustomerThink article written by Jeanne Bliss, 88% of consumers are trusting of reviews. AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel research agrees: 67.6% of U.S. adults are swayed by business reviews and 13.4% are swayed by product reviews. Why? Bliss says reviews, “feel like insider scoop-​from the fit of an item to the service they received in-store.”

One more set of questions to ask yourself: Does your company’s online presence suggest it cares about clients? Are there many reviews online and on social media for potential clients to base their buying decisions on? Are the reviews well managed? Good or bad? How did your company respond to the bad reviews? Your company’s online presence is detrimental to future sales.

What to Do

You need to step up your customer service game to earn the online presence your company deserves. Ask your customers to leave an online review of your sales process and customer service. Not only will reviews make your company more relevant to new prospects, it will let your current customers know that they have a voice that you want everyone to hear. Reviews will also let you know what you need to change or work on. 

Remember, when you get negative reviews, it’s not the end of the world. It’s an opportunity to show anyone looking that you listen to what customers have to say, are accountable for any shortcomings, and will make necessary changes to please the client. At the end of the day, no one is perfect and no prospect will expect their business partners to be. So, it does help to know that a future business partner won’t ignore their needs.