Turn your five-star work into lead generation with these tips

If you want to generate more leads as a contractor, then one area you should focus on improving is your business’ online presence. One of the simplest ways to do this is by highlighting positive reviews of your company. The more positive reviews you have on places like Google, Yelp, and Facebook Marketplace, the higher your business will appear in searches, leading to more passive lead generation and increased business. And the better your review score, the better quality leads you’ll get.

It’s worth it to try and get more reviews then—but how do you go about getting them? Here’s six easy ways to start generating more five-star reviews for your business.

• Ask Past Satisfied Customers. The easiest way to get more reviews is just to ask. And who can better speak to the quality of your work than your past clients? It’s not uncommon to reach out and ask for a review. A 2023 BrightLocal survey found that 80% of consumers were asked by local businesses to leave a review, and 65% agreed. In other words, ask—and you will likely receive. 

• Set Expectations for a Future Ask. If you feel uncomfortable asking customers for a review, try laying the groundwork for your request early. Brandon Pierpont, founder of Painter Marketing Pros, recommends telling clients at the beginning of the job, “I want to make sure that we exceed your expectations. My goal here is to provide such remarkable service for you that you feel I have earned a five-star review from you. Does that work for you?” After the job is done, ask them if you were successful. If you were, invite them to leave a review right then.

• Leave Customers Satisfied. Follow up and address even little complaints from the customer. If you get a negative review, reply and figure out how you can make it right. That one-star review doesn’t have to be permanent! Juan Vasquez, founder of Illusions Painting Inc. in Sand City, California, says it’s worth the trouble: “Let’s say you get a bad review. You might say, ‘We really apologize that this happened. Our goal is to do our best. What can we do to fix it?’ And if you can fix it, why not? That will be the best way instead of saying, ‘Ah, forget it. I don’t care about that person.’”

• Wow With Premium Products and Services. Five-star reviews are given out for five-star work. Use your Sherwin-Williams PRO+ account to make a good first impression with a professional project bid and marketing materials, with easily customizable templates that will help you win jobs and differentiate your business. Provide expert services like Virtual Color Consultation for free from a Sherwin-Williams color expert. Offer competitive prices on upgrades to premium products. In short, impress customers with services they can’t get from the competition.

• Consider Using a CRM. Vasquez and Pierpont both recommend using customer relationship management (CRM) software to help keep track of customer data. Not only will this help you retain and follow up on leads, but a good CRM can help you track down former clients who might be willing to give you a review or referral down the road.

• Point Reviewers in the Right Direction. Some customers are happy to recommend you but aren’t sure what to say. If a customer is willing to write a review, help them get started. Tell them where to go to review you with a link or QR code on a business card. Offer examples of previous reviews or suggest what useful feedback might be.

When it comes to generating reviews, it’s useful to aim for the milestones of 10, 50, and 100 reviews on your platform of choice (often Google Business). If you have less than 10 reviews, Pierpont says, “you basically have zero reviews” as far as the search engine is concerned. Hitting 50 reviews is a good goal after that. And businesses with 100+ reviews receive a significant boost in traffic.

For more tips from Pierpont and Vasquez, check out the PRO+ Business Training Series webinar on “Ratings and Reviews.”