Well really, I’m just going to say yes, yes, yes !

Anyone who knows me will know I’m not big on selling myself, like many people, especially business owners, it’s a human trait (especially British I’m told) to not feel good about telling others all your ‘plus’ points, so what could be better than someone else doing the job for you ?

That’s how I see recommendations working in business – I’m sure we’ve all been to a good restaurant at sometime and then told a friend that they must try it – well why should it stop at just social events ?

If you do a good job, at a fair price, and give value for money, it shouldn’t matter what business you trade in, collect your testimonials – it really does work !  A few sentences that you did a good job is all it needs.

And to help you do a good job, customers typically judge products, processes and services – so if you can translate what they want in your particular trade, you can define their needs – think of it in three stages:

1.       What does the customer want ?

2.       How can you measure their requirement ?

3.       Agree what the customer considers acceptable – their perception of a good quality product/service.

For example,(1) my clients want to save money, (2) I can measure this by analysing costs now (the starting point) then measuring cost savings as an organisation, as individual cost items, as efficiency gains, as time efficiency, as quality improvements, and (3) they expect to see efficiency results in month one (short term), cost savings in month two to three (medium term) and continuous improvements throughout (short, medium and long term) , if not, then they will consider the exercise as unsuccessful.

So now I have all the answers, to do a good job I have to deliver what they want – in return, part of the relationship is they will tell everyone how I delivered !

So yes, I really do think recommendations work – if you don’t currently collect them, give it a go, what do you have to lose ?

I’d like to thank everyone who’s completed a testimonial for me, and anyone who’d like to – please feel free to post directly on Best of Walsall at http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/walsall/business-guide/feature/jd-figures/81746  or email me at jane.dean@jdfigures.co.uk  and I will update your testimonial on my website – I will even link to your website if you want me to.

Have a look at what my friends and colleagues think about J D Figures on http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/walsall/business-guide/feature/jd-figures/81746/review