Doula reviews can be a great way to drive traffic to your business and to help you get clients. In fact, according to s study from BrightLocal, 77% of people ‘always’ and ‘regularly” read reviews for local businesses. So why are doulas so hesitant to ask for them?
Here are my top four reasons that doulas don’t ask for reviews:
What if they leave a bad review…
Contrary to popular belief that people who are disappointed are more likely to leave negative reviews, the BrightLocal study also showed that only 40% of people considered leaving a negative review, while 67% of people would consider leaving a review after a positive experience. This means that people who weren’t pleased with your service as less likely to waste their time by reviewing your doula services.
I don’t know how to ask…
This stops so many doulas. It doesn’t have to be difficult to ask. You can even have a form letter that explains what you’re looking for so that you don’t have to say it in their faces if that’s easier for you. It’s also about practice. You might be nervous the first few times, but remember, it will get easier. You simply explain the benefits of leaving a review for you (more business) and them (sharing experience). Then you should tell them how to leave a review. Do you have something on your website, a google form, a paper form, or reviews at places like MeetYourDoula.com? Simply get whatever you’re using in the hands of the client.
I don’t know how to display the results…
Another common reason doulas don’t collect the reviews is that they don’t know how to use the information. Certainly, you’ve seen websites that have pullout quotes talking about how great the service was, in lots of industries. You may have also noted that some doula search sites offer the ability to review services and post that for everyone to see.
I forget about it…
There is so much going on at that last visit and it may be something that you could easily forget, but the best way to NOT forget is to have a system in place to make sure that you ask. You probably won’t forget to ask to get paid. While the obvious answer is that you don’t forget that because you depend on the money or value the money – be sure you value the feedback. Just as you probably have a checklist or something that helps you keep track of all the paperwork and appointments, be sure to have asking for reviews or evaluations listed as well.
You may also need to ask more than once. I actually tell my clients at the last visit to expect an email within the next 24 hours. I explain that reviews are a great way for me to show potential clients the value and quality of the work I do and there is no better or easier way to do that than to use the words of previous customers. I also explain that I will be sending the letter for reviews to both parties if they have a partner. This not only doubles the number of reviews you have but it also helps partners see the value in what doulas do for families.
A word about responding to complaints in reviews…
Did you know that 89% of consumers are ‘highly’ or ‘fairly’ likely to use a business that responds to its reviews online according to BrightLocal. In fact, NOT responding can have negative consequences. As 57% say that they are ‘not very’ or ‘not at all likely to use a business that doesn’t respond. So if you have public reviews – be sure you’re responding to the reviews, even if it’s a positive review.
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