Picasso, reviews, and being vulnerable to be Top Rated

Picasso is one of the world's greatest artists in the world.

If you were asked to write a review for Picasso stating, he was one of the world’s greatest artists. How comfortable would you be with giving your personal reference or testimonial to that effect?

Speaking of references...

It is that time of year when tutors at colleges are finishing writing references for students who are ready to embark on the next phase of their lives. These references are used as part of the application process and complete the bundle of documentation students need to present to the university’s admission board.

To a student...

The concept of receiving a reference from an independent source may seem alien. Nevertheless, I believe it is one which each student should embrace because a teachers view of their performance at college can be a good indication for them of their strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Which should help them achieve better grades in the future.

I was recently speaking with my youngest son about university, the importance of references and how they could help him improve his performance. We explored this fascinating subject extensively and discussed the different facets of a reference and how effectively they can be used as feedback. And because my son recognises feedback is the food of champions, he found our discussion most helpful (or at least I think he did.)

During our chat...

I shared with him a story I was told many years ago. This story made a massive impact on me, and I refer to it regularly to help me appreciate the value of experience, knowledge, and wisdom. I’d like to share the gist of that tale with you now and wish it has the same impact for you as it does for me.

The story is about an ageing Picasso standing on the banks of the Parisienne river Seine with his paint, brushes, easel, and canvas. As he is setting up a couple of lady strollers recognise him and strike up a conversation. During their chance meeting they complement him on his achievements as a wonderful artist and exchange pleasantries.

As their conversation ends the two ladies turn to walk away and as they do one pauses and asks Picasso whether he would be happy to sketch the two of them on the bank of the river. He agrees and so they lay down and Picasso crafts his genius onto canvas.

After a while he finishes and presents the ladies with the artwork. As he does, he holds out his hand to receive his reward of 100 Francs. The ladies protest at having to pay what they consider to be a hefty sum for something that only took Picasso a short time to complete.?

After considering their protestations...

Picasso, as the wise and experienced man he had become replies, ‘the finished work of art, I have created for you today did not take me just a short moment in time. On the contrary, to be able to paint in the manor I have has taken me an age. Each brush stroke made, each light flick of my wrist, each thoughtful process and squint of my eye have been developed through the years of pain, joy, happiness, and sadness my life experience has presented me with. In fact, ladies to paint this today has taken me the whole of my life."

On hearing this the two ladies were reminded of the glowing references they had read from satisfied clients of Picasso and gladly paid his reward. After the exchange they went on their merry way in possession of a treasured piece of art.

More importantly though, they also gleaned some valuable life lessons on the value of references, experience, knowledge, and wisdom.

Now consider the following questions and take some time to make a detailed note of your answers:

1.????How important are references, reviews, and testimonials to you?

2.????What do you think a good review can do for you personally and or your business?

3.????Where is the best place for you to get your reviews?

4.????What effect on your results could a good review produce for you?

5.????How open are you to receiving feedback, whether positive or negative?

How important are reviews?

One of the best ways you can truly learn about the service a business provides is not by what they say about themselves, but rather what their clients say about them.

When someone sees that you have great reviews, it gives them confidence that you consistently offer a great service to all your clients. This way, you are far more likely to be referred to their friends or family.

Below is a list of some review sites that are regularly used by business owners and clients:

·??????Amazon Customer Reviews

·??????Which?

·??????TrustaTrader

·??????Tripadvisor

·??????Yelp

·??????Google Customer Reviews

·??????Trustpilot

·??????LinkedIn

·??????Facebook

Looking professional counts

Speaking from a professional Financial Advisers perspective, in my profession statistics prove 1 in 3 new clients are influenced by review sites. The review site I am familiar with and use regularly is VouchedFor.

Potential clients often check out my reviews before deciding to become a client? The great thing is VouchedFor is an independent organisation and I direct my clients to the site to leave their honest opinions of how they rate the service they receive from me.

By doing this I recognise there is an element of vulnerability for me because we may get a bad review. Which is what makes review sites so popular for clients and potential clients to visit, because it provides them with open and transparent feedback about service levels. For instance, you will note from my VouchedFor rating above I have not received an overall 5 out of 5 score (though there are many individual reviews that do). My overall score is actually 4.9 out of 5 which shows to our reviewers we do not get it right all of the time. Who does?

What this also means is I can use the feedback to continually evolve and improve my business by examining our processes, working with my team and improving the overall service standards to an even better level.

While I recognise every client may not leave a review for one reason or another. Those that do help add to your credibility. A fact I find interesting is 79% of my clients are more likely to refer me to their friends after writing a review (and seeing all of the other excellent reviews).?

Reviews are an extremely useful source of recommendation for potential clients too. Now that we're in the digital age, having a strong positive online presence is more important than ever and, when a potential client looks to work with you, they tend to Google you and see what other people have already experienced. High SEO rankings ensure that your potential clients can see your reviews. VouchedFor has certainly produced fabulous results for my business.

Click HERE to learn more about what good reviews look like.

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Can you trust online reviews for UK companies?

Consumer trust in review sites has not always been present. Times are changing and it is illegal to commission someone to write or submit a fake review, offer or advertise to leave a fake review, or host consumer reviews “without taking reasonable steps to check they are genuine”. Those that break the rules could be saddled with a fine of up to 10 percent of global turnover. So, it is clear the regulator is serious about stamping out fake reviews, aren’t they?

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My top 10 tips for upping your digital presence and credibility are:

1.????Choose the review site you wish to use

2.????Get into the habit of asking your clients for feedback and a testimonial

3.????Be prepared to deal with the reviews which are below parr and work to improve your performance

4.????When you receive a testimonial (good or bad) always respond and thank them for taking the time to give their feedback

5.????Share your review online so your followers and wider community can share it

6.????Regularly review the statistics on how your reviews are helping you get more business

7.????Be reciprocal with reviews – LinkedIn and Facebook are a great place to start

8.????Remember… Feedback is the food of champions

9.????Always, always, always under promise and over deliver on the service to your clients

10.?Remember, to get where you are now has not been achieved in a short time. It has taken the whole of your life.

Oh, and just one more thing…

Because I always want to go the extra mile and help 1 million business owners and veterans achieve the financial freedom they desire, deserve and dream of. For every 10 copies of Pathfinder Ultimate Success Programme purchased I am donating, via the charity Transformation for Veterans, a copy of the same programme to a veteran so they can benefit from the life changing content too. I believe this is truly a win win. A win for you and a win for our veteran community. Get involved here

Finally, remember to watch out for my LinkedIn live when I will share with you my personal take on what I think is likely to happen going forward

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Have a brilliant day #HABD

Joe O’Connor

PS: This year I’m launching a new monthly programme called ‘Money Mindset and Motivation’ To discover how to start & scale any business, get focused & better financial knowledge, build an on point personal brand & create multiple streams of recurring income, then join the VIP waiting list here to be kept updated on the launch date. BONUS - you’ll be entered into a prize draw for a FREE personal coaching session with me (worth ￡1995)