November 21, 2022

A Small Way to Be Generous

Leave a positive review.

Whether it’s Google, LinkedIn, or some other platform. Leave a positive review.

This idea holds particularly for B2C businesses, who deal with a wide variety of people and therefore get a wide range of reviews. Some of them are gracious and understanding of problems like short staffing or being out of a particular item.

Then there are reviews written by those who are so self-absorbed that they cannot dredge up enough empathy to put themselves in the shoes of the business owner or the manager. Or maybe it’s some dish or product they think a business “ought” to be providing. Maybe they are aggrieved because they walked in the door at 9:50 pm expecting to sit down and eat a full meal well past the 10 pm closing time.

Whatever the issue, they hold on to their petty grievance long enough to get to their computer or their mobile phone and unload. A lot of them have little to no detail (one example:  “just plain rude”).

These reviews say more about the people who leave them than the business itself.

It’s not that all negative reviews are illegitimate. Some are, and yet many are the product of a one-time experience which is never updated for a better experience in a subsequent visit.

You’re particularly generous if you leave a positive review for that business owner who doesn’t have too many reviews. In their case, one negative review can bring down the average to a middling point which they don’t deserve. Your positive words can offset that one negative review.

Don’t forget about the non-profits you volunteer for and support. They get reviews as well, sometimes negative ones which aren’t justified. For example, sometimes, you’ll find those reviews are from disgruntled individuals who have been turned down for assistance for legitimate reasons.

Think about the quality of your review as well. Those “Tony the Tiger” reviews (they’re great!) are better than nothing, but it’s better to offer specifics which reveal your review to be informed and familiar with the details of the business.

Finally, just as some negative reviews are uncalled for, positive endorsements without any basis in fact aren’t cool, either.

As I’ve written this post, I’ve thought of a few reviews and/or endorsements I need to leave!

Be generous to your fellow business owners. Leave them positive reviews.

 

 

Image created using Craiyon (Formerly DALL-E Mini)

(This blog post was also posted on LinkedIn.)

©Ray Business Advisors, LLC and John Ray

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About me: I help solo or small professional services firm owners with the confidence and positioning necessary to improve their pricing and change the trajectory of not only their business but their life.

I have a podcast called The Price and Value Journey, which features interviews with industry leaders and audio versions of my blog posts. You can find the podcast on your favorite podcast app.

I also have a book coming out in 2023:  The Price and Value Journey: Raise Your Confidence, Your Value, and Your Prices to Grow Your Business Using The Generosity Mindset.

For more information, go to PriceValueJourney.com