Increasing Your Product, Service Street Cred

By Miles Weston

When our kids were growing up, they asked us what we did. . . really?? It changes. . . constantly. Over the past 20 + years in the PC/CE/communications marketplace, we've had to learn and relearn our job 40-50 times. Every time the industry changes, every time the communications avenues shift; life/opportunities change. Since the Internet (recently celebrated its 40th anniversary) and Web came into their own; editorial and promotional outlets/targets have shifted. . . dramatically.
 
We all read the same studies, the same reports -- WOM (word of mouth) is the most effective marketing/sales tool available.

Yet PR people -- at the cattle prodding of management -- constantly target the same reviewers again and again.  You know -- PC Mag, PC Wld, MacWld, Max PC, Laptop, WSJnl, NYTimes, WashPost, Dvice, BizWk, Fin Times, Videomaker, Pop Photo, (your favorite title/site/blog here). . . 
 
 


 
There are thousands of these reviewers in the Americas and around the globe. They must be breeding because every week a new publication, new review site, new "tech" blog is introduced. Like good little communications people, we check them out and give them a try.  BAM!!!  Add another "great review" outlet to the target list. Don't get us wrong. . . they're important. 
They were great when we worked to introduce the Atari Lynx (now there was a portable game system!) and the Portfolio (a really cool palmtop computer!).
 
But recently, we received a review from Tom, a regular guy we've gotten to know over the past year, who likes to check out the latest and greatest in technology and talk/write about it. He discusses it on his morning TV show.  He writes about it in his Facebook space.

Lately, he's added a new dimension to his coverage (at our urging).  He publishes his review impressions on the open forum customer review sites. When we read his write up, it got us thinking how valuable and how credible his discussion, his analysis really were.
 
Regular People
Professional journalistic reviewers always slip on their techie reviewing cloak when they test/try a product.  They test, retest, analyze and then write their reviews very carefully, very analytically. 
 
But our "regular guy" user/reviewer in Atlanta is like a lot of user group folks -- there are over 500 Mac and PC user groups across the country.  There are similar photo/video, home entertainment, mobile device user groups in online and physical communities around the globe. These are people who come together and pay dues for camaraderie and to learn more about using the constantly changing technology. We've worked with hundreds of them over time to do product reviews with varying degrees of success. Management often asks why waste our time and the product with these amateurs?  Focus on the "real" reviewers. . . the people who count.

Wait a minute. . . these are real reviewers, real users, real customers, real people who talk to real people!

Isn't that what you want?

And the comebacks are:
-    They don't know how to use the product?  The ordinary user may/may not be technically inclined, but then neither are most of the people who buy the product at the store or online.
-    They don't follow the user/reviewer's guide when they're testing?  Yep, that's what customers do!
-    Your media reviewers reach thousands and millions.  These folks only reach three or a dozen?  Yes and those three/dozen tell three/dozen and . . . 

 

Yes and those three/dozen tell three/dozen and . . . We don't hold them to strict editorial standards because they're just regular folks.  We've gotten to the point that we now do some stiff prequalification before the product/service is provided.  Obviously, will they or a member of their group do the review.  

Then, will they:
        - write the review for their newsletter
        - demonstrate the product at their meeting
        - do something extra for us -- post the review on several of the consumer review sites around the web -- Amazon, CNet, Buy, Newegg.com, others
 
No Review Review
No, you don't ask to review their write-up before it is posted.  It's desirable but unprofessional and unrealistic! Instead, you simply cross your fingers and hope for the best possible results (just as with any review).  If you've followed/helped them during their review process, you have a pretty good idea of the outcome. Tom, for example gave us a 4.5 star rating on one site and 5 stars on another (o.k., so he didn't like the length of the USB cord . . . sheess!). 
 
His review was fun to read.  It was exciting.  It was enthusiastic.  It was technically pretty darned  accurate.  It was credible.   It was real! We all know that people who are considering buying a product visit these and other sites all of the time. 

In fact, according to the e-tailing group:
-    22% of  buyers read customer reviews before making a purchasing decision
-    43% most of the time
-    24% some of the time
-    9% once in awhile
-    2% never

Getting that online information helps:
-    21% decide on product or service
-    19% refine choices
-    19% get support/answers
-    17% discover products/services
-    14% reassure themselves
-    13% inspire a purchase

 

Paraphrasing a blog by David Pogue (NY Times), the Net is where you go to find stuff -- mean stuff, dirty stuff, snarky stuff, factual stuff, support/guidance stuff. 

It is only by reading the reviews/recommendations and listening to early adopters (and media reviewers) that mainstream consumers or sidelined citizens will help a product leap across Michael Moore's Chasm.  

Do you think an ad, a sales presentation or company person chatting on any of the thousands of social sites will move them to plunk down their credit card or hard earned money?

People today are only a few key clicks away from learning first-hand what results and comments other real people have made about the company, the product, the organization's service.
 
 

These people tap into the real user reviews/comments/reports and make their decision. 

Then, they tell three people.  And they tell three people.

 

Suddenly the company, the product, the service have real credibility on the street. 
 
We still like the reviews Charlie, Joel, David, Walter, Shawn, Gregg, Gordon, etc., produce.  We also like the reviews Tom, Bill, Sandy, Bev, Lorene, Bud, Jerry, others do.  Add them to your communications opportunities on YouTube, Facebook, blog, community sites and. . . life is good.

If they're really net savvy, they'll look around for your web-based contests, online promotions, coupons, etc.  Then, they'll jump in their new energy-efficient car or jump online and. . . buy!!!! All it takes is getting real people interested, real people involved!!! Of course it also takes real patience because they may test/use the product like they want to rather than the way the engineer/programmer planned. 

They may write the review in less than "perfect" marketing-ese. . . don't you just hate it when people don't write the review like the product brochure? They may give you less than a five-star review but. . . reviewers do that.  Even those who do it for a living! And. . . have you ever seen a real person, real user respond to a bad review of "their" product?  Whoa!!!!!

Hey. . . we finally understand this WOM thing-- this buzz stuff -- really works.

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