Fun fact, did you know that throughout an average day, the human brain expends around 320 calories just by thinking? In an effort to preserve those precious calories for more consequential needs—our brains have developed mental shortcuts. Which helps us make informed decisions as easily, effortlessly, and instantly as possible.
These shortcuts, also known as heuristics, now play a heavy role in how most of today’s consumers make their purchasing decisions on a day-to-day basis. Online reviews of products, services, and the businesses that provide them—serve as heuristics that help consumers avoid making purchases that they could possibly come to regret.
Which would explain why according to studies, 89% of consumers say that negative reviews have an impact on how they make their purchasing decisions.
Woefully, negative online reviews could have an enormous impact on how consumers will perceive your business; as well as whether or not they’ll ultimately decide to patronize it. Hence the reason why it is imperative that you minimize your startup's negative online reviews as much as possible.
1. Utilize the law of reciprocity
Whether you recognize it or not, you’re an influencer. Seriously, you are. Now, before you accuse me of being cuckoo for making such a preposterous claim, take a second and allow me to make my case for why you are unquestionably, undeniably, and undoubtedly—an influencer.
Think back to the last time you discovered a new restaurant with great-tasting food. Or saw a new movie on Netflix that was better than you expected. Or maybe purchased a particular product that may have improved your life in some way; what’s one of the first things you instantly thought of after realizing you made a great decision by choosing it?
If you’re anything like me and most other people, one of the first things that you thought about after your great experience was, I absolutely cannot wait to tell my friends and others about this cool thing I’ve discovered!
That’s because it’s in our nature as humans to share our discoveries with others. What’s more, we often do so in hopes of influencing them to take actions like: going to eat at that new restaurant. Watch that new movie. Or try that new product that we suggested.
Another thing that we are innately wired to do as humans is return kind gestures whenever we receive them.
For example, regardless of how bad your day may have been, if a stranger walked towards you smiling and said, Hello, naturally, you would feel obligated to smile and greet them as well.
Psychologists refer to occurrences like these as the law of reciprocity. A very powerful technique that could be utilized as a marketing tool to influence (there’s that word again) those who make negative reviews about your business—to edit them and make them positive.
For instance, let’s say someone left a bad review regarding your business on Yelp. Instead of simply ignoring it like most startups would, as a founder, you could use the law of reciprocity to your business's benefit by personally reaching out to them via private message, email, and asking them how you could rectify the issue.
By reaching out to the customer personally, listening to them voice their issue, and offering to provide a solution that they see suitable, in return, there’s a good chance the consumer would feel obligated to return the kind gesture by editing their negative review and changing it to positive if you’d ask them to do so afterwards.
“People are more likely to do something for you or comply to your request if you do something for them first.” Writes author and psychologist, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, in his best-selling book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.
2. Communicate with empathic statements
As busy as most people are these days, take a second to think of what would compel a person to take time out of their busy day, just to log online and write about their bad experience with your business. Obviously, a person would have to be pretty exasperated by that point to take such an action.
From a psychological perspective, out of all of the eight basic emotions, the one that best combats anger is evoking joy. And an effective way that your business could help angry customers experience joy is by using empathic statements when communicating with them.
“Empathic statements keep the focus of the conversation on the other person and make them feel good about themselves.” Says Jack Schafer, Ph.D, author of the book, The Like Switch An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over.
“And using empathic statements is a simple yet effective technique that will have people seeking you to be their friend, because every time they converse with you, you make them feel good about themselves.”
Empathic statements are statements that let people know that you hear them; as well as actually care about their well-being; which makes them feel good.
For instance, your SaaS startup’s social media manager notices a negative reply under your company’s most recent Facebook post from Glen, a paid subscriber who appears angry because he hasn’t received the service that he expected from your startup due to software glitches on your company’s app.
A reply from your social media manager using empathic statements would sound like this:
Hello, Glen! We apologize for your dissatisfaction with our service. Although we’ve experienced multiple unexpected software glitches on our end, as a paid subscriber, your satisfaction is paramount to (your company’s name).
Please email us at (your company’s email) so that we could discuss your reimbursement. You are valued as a customer and your satisfaction matters most to us.
By acknowledging the customer by name, addressing his issue directly, and offering to resolve it, your company’s social media manager would have made empathic statements. Showing that your company hears him, cares about him, and values him as a customer.
Which in turn, would likely suffice to get him to change or delete his negative reply.
3. Prod through query
Undoubtedly, one of the most difficult things to get someone to do as it pertains to persuasion—is influencing them to change their mind once they’ve voiced their opinion openly.
Think about it, regardless of how sensical your points may have been when presented, when was the last time you were able to successfully convince someone that their opinion was wrong, and have them openly admit it?
Because doing so is often perceived as a direct reflection of their intellect or lack thereof; most people will go to great lengths in order to refrain from openly admitting that they were wrong about something. That includes their negative online reviews.
However, aside from the above-mentioned methods, another effective way to persuade someone to change their mind, is by convincing them that doing so was totally their own idea. And a great way to do that is by nudging the reviewer by asking lead-up questions to arrive at your ideal objective.
“Negotiate in their world. Persuasion is not about how bright or smooth or forceful you are. It’s about the other party convincing themselves that the solution you want is their own idea.” Says author and former FBI hostage negotiator, Chris Voss, in his book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It.
“So don’t beat them with logic or brute force. Ask them questions that open paths to your goals. It’s not about you.”
Whenever you, your social media manager, or your customer service representatives come across negative posts or reviews of your brand online, try nudging the poster to change it by simply asking them to go into detail about their experience. Then, after listening to their issue, ask them how they feel your company could best resolve it.
No matter how grumpy some may seem, every person on earth likes to feel special. And when companies take the time to speak with customers and inquire about their concerns (even after they may have had a horrible experience with the business), it makes customers feel more compelled to speak highly of their business.
It also allows customers to save face when changing their minds—and therefore—their negative reviews of your business.
Key takeaways
Negative online reviews could have a devastating impact on your company’s reputation. As well as on the bottom-line of your business. By applying the above-mentioned psychology hacks to actively engage customers who leave negative posts about your business, there’s a good chance that you could persuade them to go back and turn them into positive reviews.
If you would like a marketing firm to help manage your startup’s online reputation, contact our offices at Decryption today to schedule a complimentary client consultation call where we’ll discuss your startup, its objectives, and how we’ll reach out to customers who may leave negative reviews towards your business—and persuade them to turn them positive!
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