Company reviews are standard fare for purchasing decisions. Smart businesses leverage them to entice and inform potential buyers, to great effect: 77% of consumers always or regularly read company reviews before making a purchase.
But now, reviews have moved away from consumer-facing spaces. They’ve put down roots in the B2B world, too. Thousands of brokerages around the country use reviews on DAT’s loadboard to identify future partners, expand their network, and find carriers they can trust.
It boils down to this: Positive reviews affect your bottom line. More positive reviews equal more money. It’s as simple as that.
Of course, it swings both ways. Carriers leverage company reviews, too. Owner-operator Chad Boblett, founder of a brokerage review Facebook group for carriers, says he turned down a load from a broker because he didn’t like their terms regarding payment for detention time. He explained:
“Before I booked the load I was reading the DAT reviews on the broker and someone had posted that they could not get paid detention after waiting 5 hours to get offloaded…Thanks to DAT’s review page on this one. That is a good tool we all need to be using.”
Luckily, there are tried and true strategies to turn reviews into profit. These three simple tactics are easy to implement into your marketing strategy. Let’s dive in.
Give good reviews
Generosity and goodwill are just good business. If a carrier does a good job, let others know about it with a positive review. This is a subtle tactic that requires patience – think of this as the long game. Over time, carriers will notice complimentary and supportive brokerage partners. These are the brokers they’ll do business with in the future. We gravitate toward people we know think fondly of us.
Additionally, leaving positive reviews consistently helps foster a culture of review-giving. When reviews are more commonplace, you’ll receive more, too. Giving reviews more often serves as an example to other brokerages.
In past blog posts, we described how a broker in Indiana rewards carriers with positive reviews. She also adds an extra solicitation to the bottom of her reviews, which leads us to our next tactic.
Ask for them in return
The above broker wrote this at the end of every review: “If you like our company, please post a review on DAT.”
If giving reviews is a long game, asking for reviews gives more immediate gratification. Doing so after you’ve written a review for a carrier entices them to return the favor. Again, this is an extra step that reinforces a culture of review-giving within DAT One that benefits everyone.
You can give good reviews and you can ask for good reviews, but giving and asking don’t matter much without the third tactic.
Do good work
Ready for a dose of reality? None of this matters unless you’re doing good work. Reviews stem from the quality of your work. If you receive a positive review that isn’t backed by strong, consistent, and memorable service, it’s only a facade.
Treating customers and partners with respect, keeping your word, and living up to the standards you hold others to is the most effective way to receive positive reviews. Once your own house is in order, that’s when giving and soliciting reviews begins to elevate your business.
Ready to get started?
How to write or request a company review on DAT One
- Go to DAT.com/directory (You can also get to the directory from within the Load Board.)
- Log in with your normal name and password
- Start searching by Company Name, MC Number or Keyword
- Click on the broker you want to write a review about and click “Read all reviews”
- Click “Write a Review” or “Request a Review”
