No Broke Months For Salespeople - How Successful Brands Handle Negative Reviews and Protect Their Reputation

Episode Date: May 18, 2026

What you’ll learn in this episode: Why bad reviews aren’t as damaging as you think The golden rule: perception is reality—valid or not How to respond without being defensive The PRO framework (Problem, Result, Offer) for impactful reviews Why stacking good reviews matters more than fearing bad ones Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NoBrokeMonths/ 👉 Don’t miss out! Sign up here:https://link.cpi-crm.com/widget/form/bJZ4NbRp6ZpSVgGoNb4j?notrack=truehttps://link.cpi-crm.com/widget/form/bJZ4NbRp6ZpSVgGoNb4j?notrack=truehttps://link.cpi-crm.com/widget/form/bJZ4NbRp6ZpSVgGoNb4j?notrack=true Shadow Hour Updates to get the latest updates and reminders for our Shadow Hour sessions. Stay informed, stay ahead!   To find out more about Dan Rochon and the CPI Community, you can check these links:Website: No Broke MonthsPodcast: No Broke Months for Salespeople PodcastInstagram: @donrochonxFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NoBrokeMonths/Facebook: Dan RochonLinkedIn: Dan RochonTeach to Sell Preorder: Teach to Sell: Why Top Performers Never Sell – And What They Do Instead

You're listening to No Broke Months for Salespeople Podcast. In this episode of the No Broke Months for Salespeople podcast, Dan Rochon explains how to handle negative reviews without damaging your credibility. From real-life Zillow and Amazon examples to prove-and-response strategies, Dan reveals why perception is reality, how to stay objective, and why the goal isn't defending yourself. It's winning trust from future clients. I was looking through my Zillow reviews as we were talking, and I'm looking for there's two one-star reviews here. And my estimation is, oh, there's a four-star.

Dana's team were very helpful. I was able to go to closing 40 days. It was very stressful, but it worked out wonderfully. I don't know who that was. I was 21. Okay. So I'm looking for, it looks like there's two four-star reviews and two one-star reviews, and the rest are five-stars. There we go.

and so which is I'll show you this here just a second which is fine right if you get a few four star reviews it makes the five star reviews it sort of gives it legitimacy and when you have you know a ton of reviews and most of them are five and then you have one or two that are four and then one or two that are one and that seems about right okay I mean I don't know the last time when you go on to Amazon do you do like what I do do you look at the reviews does anybody do that

nobody looks at reviews i do when you look at the reviews on amazon what do you typically notice do you notice all five stars or do you notice uh sort of variety for some you said variety varies okay yeah it varies um but when you're looking at an amazon so let's go let's look at amazon as well so all right let's look first let's look at the way that i responded to this review and then we'll go back to say how uh how can we uh How can we, how can we, so how do you respond to a bad review and then we'll talk more about how you get good reviews. So we had a goal to list our house up by Memorial Day weekend. We missed by a week and a half.

Floor refiners recommended by Dan failed to complete when promise. House staging was abysmal. Failed to get a single offer the entire summer. We switch realtors in September, received two offers within eight hours upon relisting with a new agent and above asking price. All right. So before I read through the research. response on that. A couple things is, am I responsible for the contractor?

Yes, I am. You're responsible for anybody that's involved in the transaction, whether if you are or not. So that's a title company, that's a lender, that's a contractor, that's a handyman, that's a cleaner, a painter, a plumber, whoever.

Okay? In this case, he was upset with the, what was it, the carpet, it, the floor refinisher. Now, in reality, can I control that? Not really. Okay. But yet, does it make sense that they lay that on my feet?

Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't, but it's reality that they will. Can we all accept that? Okay. Regardless of that, I mean, here's reality. I wasn't the guy out there saying in the floors, right? So clearly it wasn't me doing it, nor was it anybody that I employ doing it. yet it's still my fault. And that's the way that we have to approach this, right?

Because this is business. One of the things that I've learned in leadership, one of the things I learned when I used to own a large organization was that perception is reality, whether it's valid or not. Write that down. Perception is reality, whether it's valid or not. And once you understand that perception is reality, whether it's valid or not,

then you can start taking ultimate responsibility. When you take ultimate responsibility, responsibility, you will have a better business. You guys all follow me on this? All right. So, the second piece of that, these are the guys that made a comment about staging. Well, the reality of it is, we never staged that house. Okay. So again, can I be responsible for something I wasn't hired to do at all? Perceptions, reality, whatever is valid or not. So there, just take that. So now let's look at the way I respond to it. So instead of defending myself, right, like I sort of defending myself when I was just instructing that. Here's the way that I responded. Tom, congratulations on getting your home sold.

I'm very happy for you. All right. You are correct. So just look at that right there. Who am I writing this for, by the way? Other readers. That's right. Am I writing this for Tom? not at all all all all all all all right so my first three statements to him are all positive positive congratulations positives i'm happy for you very in fact i'm very happy for it for you positive you are correct all right that i was unable to sell your home when we listed it we placed it on the market for 899 100000 more than my suggestion after much time i finally convinced you to adjust the price to 875 and then 850 your new agent listed for $7.99 and sold it four days for $8.25. Again, less than any price that I had listed it for. I apologize to you that I was unsuccessful in guiding you to understand the market expectations.

I took every effort, including booking your house on HGT fee. House owners to sell your property. Ultimately, the market rejected our price. All right. So now, give me feedback. What are you noticing in my response to this? What do you guys think? Is that professional? Yes. Yes. All right. Am I being defensive or objective? I would say objective. Okay. If I was going to be defensive, I would have said something like the contractors, you know, screw you. It wasn't me. I would have said something like you never even hired me to stage it, right? Instead, instead of defending myself, which there could have been an easy way to defend myself, I acknowledged him and said, yo, you were completely right. We didn't. and get it done. And then I laid out the facts objectively. Here's what happened. We overlisted the property by $100,000. You mentioned that you got multiple offers from your new agent who listed it

$50,000 less than our lowest price. And they got us sold. Despite my recommendations, despite my guidance, which I'm responsible for, not them. I'm responsible for failing in that. You guys all get that? Let's look at one more bad review and then we'll look at we'll look at Amazon and then we'll look at hold on one second let me find the other bad review. All right. This wasn't even a real review. So this was from a team member and it wasn't even like I don't know what this was. I don't know. So used on it did not find water damage. Charge me for buyer fees. That's just a breakdown there. I want to, well, we can read the way Lucia did that.

I appreciate your, so unscrupulous, lying, cheating, dishonest, that's not good. Tell you one thing to your face and then charge you a bunch of fees later. Agent said all fees were to be paid by the seller, then charged me as buyer fees. Use my own inspector. Did not find water damage. I appreciate your feedback. I cannot associate this review with any specific client or circumstance. I have never helped a client buy a condominium false church during the time stated in your review.

I understand that some people choose not to use the real names when leaving a review. it is a valid. If this is a valid review and the client wants to reach me, I would appreciate it to address the issue. Thank you very much. All right. And that was a team member there. Again, like, we don't, we couldn't figure that out. Like, it didn't, like, it's, we didn't help anybody with that property. So something happened there. And I don't think it was legit, you know, but it is what it is. So then let me look at the last one star review. I forgot that we had that one because it was to a team member so I wasn't really counting that. But the two one-star reviews I was thinking about were to me personally. So give me, all right, there we go. All right, pathetic. My house language on the market

for three months in the spring of 2020. He got the listing and turned it over to his wife. I heard from him once after that. We got two low-ball offers when the listing expiry never returned my call to disgust the problems and what we needed to do. I don't make a habit to post a negative reviews. In fact, I rarely post any reviews at all, but this guy was so bad and uncaring. I felt obligation to warn the public and save them from getting cheated out of time and money. Stay away. Again, not a pleasant review. So my response, I do not reject your perception on me.

I ask any reader of your review read the many other reviews. I appreciate it. You do not often post bad reviews. I sell them get that. In 13 years, there's a few years ago I posted it. In 13 years of real estate experience, this is the second bad review that I've had received. and the first bad review on Zillow. You're correct that my wife, Tracy,

was the point person during the time that we were working together. I inadequately explained to you how she and I worked together. Your house was on the market with me for 88 days during the winter of 2019. At that time, I was able to solicit two offers, and I discussed each of them with you, both were less than you desired. While I take no responsibility for the conditions of the market and that I was unable to convince a buyer to pay your price, I take full responsibility for your poor opinion of me.

I was unaware of any phone calls that you made to me after your property expired. I apologize that you felt that I was unresponsive and that I do not care. I care deeply. All right. So again, taking responsibility for what's appropriate. And that's it, right? Whether if you agree with it or not. Again, you know, I do remember that client.

That was five years ago. And that was a very, very challenging client. Overpriced. We submitted many offers to him. unrealistic expectations. Again, do I say that in the in the in the response? Not at all. I just acknowledge. Got it. Now, if you were just to review those three reviews, would you hire me? You better not. So what's the key to success of dealing with those three reviews? Yeah, it's to be able to respond appropriately, but more importantly, it's to be able to do this. Five star, five star, five star, five,

star five star five star five star five star five star etc etc etc okay so you want to be able to understand that if you do enough business you're going to get a dissatisfied client from time to time now understand that there's a difference between somebody being dissatisfied with you and a dissatisfied person. You guys hear that? There are dissatisfied people. Now, this doesn't help you to be able to get rid of your, your responsibility, your ultimate responsibility in it.

Even if they are a dissatisfied person, it's just to understand that there are some people that are just dissatisfied. When you understand that there's some people that are dissatisfied, you can just recognize it for what it is and move on and help. Does that make sense to you? guys. All right. Last thing. I want to go into Amazon. So let's see. So just randomly, somebody give me a product, any product at all. How about a ma? How about carpet? I don't know.

Do they sell carpet on here? Carpet cleaning machine, carpet cleaner. Carpet. Never knew that. Okay, there's 10,000 reviews here for this guy here. And when you're looking at it, 64% are one star or five stars rather, 7% are one stars. So when you're looking at these typically, you're going to notice, if you're looking at something like this, what's your general perception of this carpet?

It's a decent carpet. Decent carpet, right? Now let's look at something else, right? Here's 43 reviews, many less. One star review or 3%, right? So when I'm looking at that, I'm looking at 43 reviews. Well, they haven't been around long enough.

So one had 10,000 reviews and one had 43. It looks like that one with 43. If they get the 10,000, it's probably going to look pretty much like the one with 10,000. When you guys agree? All right. So the reality of it is I'm just sharing that with you to say, listen, don't freak out about a bad review. And make sure that you're getting good reviews. You guys good with that?

On Google and Facebook, you can manufacture the reviews from people. that you've not necessarily done real estate sales with. You want to make sure they're authentic and genuine. Okay, but you can get, you know, pretty much anybody to write you a review as long as they have a favorable opinion of you in your service and your professionalism. On Zillow, you cannot do that.

Zillow, you know, it has to be, you know, because they're going to associate it with a property. All right, ladies and gentlemen, one last thing, write this down if you could. This is the framework, but I'm going to make sure that you guys got the framework that teach you. others on how to get a review. Okay. When you're asking and soliciting a review, it's going to be the

following. I had a problem or a goal. I met Dan Rochon or Stephen Davis. Stephen helped me to solve that problem or achieve the goal. If you have the same problem or goal, you should hire Stephen. So I had a problem or a goal. I met Dan Rochon. Dan helped me solve that problem or achieve that goal. If you have the same problem or the same goal, you should talk to Dan. That's the framework. Okay.

So the problem or goal would be I had a problem where I had a property I wasn't able to sell. I met Dan. He sold my property. If you have a property hard to sell and you want to be able to sell it, you should contact Dan. There's a guy I was thinking about hiring as a coach once upon the time. he's in Florida. And I looked at his Zillow reviews. And there was like four negative reviews.

And he was just an a hole to every one of them. And I'm like, dude, like that is just not a mature way to handle this. Whether it was valid or not, it doesn't matter because guess what, I'm reading it and I'm not going to get in a relationship, business relationship with you. So just remember that, right? Like, so it's not about, you know, justifying and being right. It's about understanding how to, to make it. that others, you know, still believe in you.

And to be able to deal with the bad reviews, the number one is to get many good reviews. The number two is to be objective and professional in your response and understand that you're writing it for other people, not them. Who will commit within the next 24 hours to get one positive review from somebody? Okay. Is that too much of it asked from me to you? Imagine if you did that every day for the next 365 days. Just saying.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for your time today. And if you've not yet ordered the book Teach to Sell to be able to understand how the top performers never selling what they do instead, visit www.com. That's Teach to Sellbook.com. And Teach to Sell is not about selling. It's about understanding how others perceive the world through their senses, their beliefs, their values, and their identity. And then know how to be able to guide them ethically so that they can make empowered decisions. So join me by getting the book. And I will walk you through.

we are at 74 pre-sales right now on our way to 40,000. 74 on the way to 40,000. I would love to be able to partner with you on that journey and help you have no broke months. Until next time, have the best day of your life. Be grateful, make good choices, go help somebody and get the book. God bless you. If you're a real estate agent averaging 4 to 12 closings a year,

and you want to know what it looks like to join a team that sets your appointments, handles all your administrative task, and gives you daily live training. visit www. at no broke months.com for slash join us. Nobrook months.com for slash join us. We review every application.