Why Your Happy Customers are Your Best Salespeople
I was sitting down with a landscaper in Chermside a few months back. He was frustrated. He’d spent three grand on a professional videographer to film a 'brand story' video. It looked like a Hollywood movie—slow-motion shots of grass, uplifting music, the works.
The problem? Nobody cared. It got a few likes from his mum and his mates, but the phone didn't ring once.
Two weeks later, he finished a deck in Ascot. The homeowner was so wrapped with the result that she filmed a 20-second clip on her iPhone. She walked across the new timber, panned the camera to her backyard, and said, "I can’t believe how much better this looks. If you need a deck, call these guys."
He posted that raw, shaky video on his page. Within 48 hours, he had three genuine enquiries for quotes.
That is the power of what people in suits call "User Generated Content." For the rest of us, let’s just call it social proof that actually works. In this post, I’m going to show you how to get your customers to do the heavy lifting for you, so you can stop wasting money on polished ads that people just scroll past.
The Truth About Why People Buy From You
Most Brisbane business owners think they need to look "professional" to get high-end jobs. But here is the reality: people are skeptical. They’ve been burnt by tradies who don't show up and shops that sell rubbish.
When you tell people you’re great, they expect you to say that. You’re biased. But when a real person—someone who lives in their suburb and has the same problems they do—says you’re great, they believe it.
Getting these videos and photos from your customers isn't just about "likes." It’s about building a mountain of evidence that makes it easy for a stranger to trust you with their money. If you want to stop posting on Facebook without a plan and start actually getting leads, this is the most effective way to do it.
Step 1: The "Strike While the Iron is Hot" Method
The biggest mistake I see is waiting too long to ask. If you send an email two weeks after the job is done, you’ve already lost. The excitement has faded, and they’ve moved on to their next problem.
You need to ask for a photo or a quick video at the "Peak of Happiness." This is the moment you hand over the keys, finish the renovation, or deliver the product.
How to do it without being awkward: - "Hey, I’m so glad you love the new kitchen. Would you mind if I took a quick 10-second video of you telling me what your favourite part is? It helps a local business like mine more than you know." - "Do you mind if we snap a photo of you with the new car for our page?"
Most people in Brisbane are incredibly friendly and want to see local businesses succeed. If you’ve done a great job, they’ll almost always say yes.
Step 2: Incentivise, Don't Bribe
Sometimes people need a little nudge. I’m not talking about paying for fake reviews—that’s dishonest and Google will eventually catch you. I’m talking about rewarding the effort it takes to film a video.
We worked with a pest control company in Logan that struggled to get people to film testimonials. Let’s face it, no one is excited about cockroaches. We suggested a "Monthly Hero" draw. Every customer who sent in a photo or video of their technician at work was entered to win a $100 Bunnings voucher.
Suddenly, they had dozens of photos of their branded trucks in local driveways and smiling customers. It cost them $100 a month and generated thousands in new business because it proved they were actually out there doing the work every day. To make sure this actually pays off, you need to track real profit from these efforts rather than just looking at how many people 'liked' the post.
Step 3: Make it Ridiculously Easy for Them
If you ask a customer to "send me a video," they will overthink it. They’ll worry about their hair, the lighting, or what to say. You need to give them a script—or better yet, ask three simple questions:
1. What was the problem you had before you called us? 2. What was it like working with us? 3. What would you tell someone else who is thinking about hiring us?
If they can answer those three things, you have a goldmine. You don't need a film crew. A video shot on an old iPhone in a driveway is often more effective than a $5,000 production because it feels real.
Using Other People's Voices to Grow
Once you have these videos and photos, don't just let them sit on your phone. You need to put them where your future customers are looking. This might mean sharing them on your own page, but it also means getting them into local community groups or having the customer share it on their own profile.
When a customer shares a photo of your work with their 500 local friends, that is a warm referral on steroids. It’s one of the best ways to get more customers without spending a cent on Google Ads.
What’s a Waste of Money?
Let’s be blunt: paying for "influencers" is usually a massive waste of money for most local Brisbane businesses. Unless you’re a trendy cafe in Fortitude Valley, paying someone with 50,000 followers to talk about your plumbing business is pointless. Most of their followers aren't in Brisbane, and they don't care about your services.
Your "influencers" are your actual customers. A mum in North Lakes with 200 friends who all live in North Lakes is worth ten times more to your business than a professional influencer in Sydney.
How Long Until You See Results?
This isn't a "flip a switch" strategy. It takes time to build a library of customer content. However, the first time you post a genuine video of a happy customer, you’ll likely see more engagement than you have in months.
In my experience with Brisbane firms, if you start asking every happy customer for a photo or video today, you’ll have enough content within 30 days to completely transform your social media and website. Within three months, you’ll start hearing people say, "I saw that video of Mrs. Jones down the road, and that’s why I called you."
Your Action Plan
If you’re busy running your business, don't try to do everything at once. Start here:
1. Identify your next 5 happiest customers. These are the people you know love your work. 2. Ask them for a photo or a 15-second video. Use the "it helps my local business" line. It works. 3. Post it raw. Don't edit it. Don't add fancy music. Just put it up with a caption saying thanks to the customer. 4. Repeat. Make this a part of your finishing process for every job.
It sounds simple because it is. Marketing doesn't have to be a mystery involving complex tech. It’s just about showing people that you do a good job for people just like them.
If you’re too busy on the tools or running the shop to manage all this, that’s where we come in. At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses turn their hard work into a steady stream of new enquiries. We don't care about fancy awards; we care about making your phone ring.
Ready to grow? Let’s chat. Contact us at lmgroup.au/contact.