In a word, yes.

It does take “guts” to solicit reviews, because some can be negative . . . some even unethically submitted by your competitors.

But because people put more faith in their peers then they do in advertising, reviews can be powerful inducements to business prospects. As long as the majority of reviews are positive, the negative ones can tend to make the good ones more credible.

Interestingly, studies have shown that sales increases are dramatic when the positive reviews dominate, even though there may also be negative ones. It’s important to remember that if you deserve the good buzz, the good buzz will follow.

Sometimes marketing decisions come down to just that.

Especially with all the choices out there, most of which profess to be “the perfect answer.” Of course, the proliferation of tempting online social media avenues and other promising trends has only exacerbated the situation.

While research would seem to be the logical answer, most of us have neither the time, nor the inclination to utilize it to any serious degree; especially considering the pressures thrust upon us by a hyper-competitive marketplace within an anemic (can you say, “sick”) economy.

Hopefully, we have come to possess enough native marketing insight – gained through experience and, often, expensive trial and error – to trust our instincts in making such choices. Alas, however, it takes a little more than guts to be able to trust our gut.

A bit of knowledge can come in handy, too.

99% of the time, words are ultimately what generates leads, motivates people to action and makes you money. The right words can produce an astonishingly better response. We all have the same words available for our use. It is how they are arranged that makes the critical difference.

Contact three of your favorite customers/clients and give them something they can use, i.e. an idea, a suggestion, a special offer, a hot tip, a sincere compliment, a congratulatory note, an invitation to lunch, etc. Use your imagination because you are in a unique position to “deliver the goods.” Put on your thinking cap. If you really set your mind to the task, the only problem you will have is trying to limit it to just three.