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Editorial reviews are a great way for customers to get third-party expert advice when deciding which products to buy. While there's no way to guarantee a winning review, there are some steps you can take to ensure the most positive outcome possible.

The Four Rs of Reviews

1. Research. Create a list of publications and editors who are likely to review your product. Take a look at reviews they've written about your competitors' products and get a sense of what they liked and didn't like. Determine which reviewers are most likely to review your product positively based on this research.
   
   Create a "Methodology Questionnaire"—a list of questions you will ask each reviewer who requests a test unit. For example, you might ask whether they are using test benchmarks or reviewing from an end-user standpoint, whether your product will be compared with others or reviewed alone, and what is the key attribute they'll focus on, such as price or ease of use. This will help you determine whether the opportunity is a good fit.
   
   
2. Resolve/Responsiveness. Try to ensure that the reviewer doesn't have to look far to find the answer to a question by providing ample product information up front. It's a good idea to create a "Reviewer's Guide" that gives specific information on key features you want to make sure they notice.
   
   Follow up frequently enough to make the reviewer feel like they've not just been handed your product and left on their own, but not so frequently that you become an annoyance. The right amount of ongoing contact is really determined on a case-by-case basis—depending on your product's level of technical detail and the reviewer's preference—but a good guide is about once every week. When in doubt, ask the reviewer how often they'd like you to check in.
   
   One thing I've heard consistently from reviewers is that they appreciate responsiveness. When they need information or have technical questions, they're likely on deadline and can't wait a day—or even a couple of hours for an answer. Be attentive and reactive, and have a backup person ready in case you can't respond immediately. Also have a technical spokesperson on hand who understands the process and will make themselves available to speak with reviewers on a moment's notice.
   
   Keep ongoing notes and documentation to track the review progress, and be sure to regularly share this information with your team. This will help avoid surprises when the review is finally published.
   
   
3. Relationships. Building ongoing relationships with editors is a great way to help foster positive reviews. Again, there is no guarantee for a positive review, but a solid relationship may afford you the chance to fix a problem or at the very least get a heads up when there's an issue that may result in a negative review.
   
   A great way to enhance relationships is to meet face-to-face with reviewers whenever possible. When launching a new product, meet with them in person to tell them about it. When you're in their city, set up dinner with them and don't talk about work. We're all human after all, and if there's a problem with a review, it's nice to be able to talk about golf or rock climbing once the tough part of the conversation is over.
   
   
4. Retain. Finally, it's important to take what you learn from each review—about your product and about the reviewer—and apply this knowledge to future opportunities. If your product doesn't fare well against a specific competitor, you might not submit it for other similar competitive reviews. If the editor clearly doesn't like something about your product, keep this in mind the next time they ask for a review unit.
   
   Product reviews programs involve an ongoing process. Following the right steps in managing the program can be the most successful way for your products to be reviewed in the best light.