Testimonial torture?
“Please can you tell me how brilliant I am?”
Okay, this is not how you actually ask a client for a testimonial – but it can feel a bit like this. Discussing this in a recent Business Shed, one member admitted to actually feeling queasy at the thought of asking for and using testimonials.
But look at it this way. It’s minimum effort for maximum marketing. We all know that testimonials are social proof, and that as marketing currency, it can be incredibly valuable as part of your marketing mix. Prospects read your testimonials, and see themselves reflected in the issues outlined and the outcomes they really want. And once this happens, they are halfway there. And when I say there, I mean buying your services or products.
So if we are all onboard in theory about the importance of testimonials, then there’s no more to be said, right?
Shortest blog I’ve ever written.
Except… getting our lovely clients to actually provide testimonials can be tricky. Because on anyone’s to-do list, writing a testimonial is never going to be top billing. I’m going to say it’s likely to be around job number 149. And emailing them five times to remind them to write one can get highly annoying for all concerned.
So here are some ideas to help you get testimonial collection sorted.
This idea often divides a room: write them yourself. Particularly useful for time-pressed clients or those who don’t enjoy writing. Penning a testimonial sounds easy, until you stare at that blinking cursor and haven’t a clue where to start. Send your client two or three versions and ask them to edit to their heart’s content – they will love you for making it so easy for them.
If writing them feels too forward, how about offering 3 to 5 bullet points of things they can mention in their testimonial? That way, you can help them mention the important stuff and give them a head start on writing one that will be useful to your business.
Suggest to your clients a before / after format to give them a simple structure to write to. Ask them to write down what the key challenge / frustration / issue was, and what the result or change was having worked with you. This will be great for helping prospects understand the difference you make.
Make the above before / after format into a three parter – before, during and after. The ‘during’ refers to the experience of working with you, and if your client can describe that in a line or two, it will bring your services to life for future prospects.
Ask your client a specific question about one aspect of working together (such as: how did you feel in the first week of working with me? Or: how did you find the briefing process?). Not every testimonial has to be a description of the entire experience – specific ones can be super-useful in spotlighting elements of what you do that have great impact.
Whether you are collecting testimonials via an email request, from within LinkedIn or by sharing a Google Business review link, try out some of these collection approaches to see what works. The secret (it’s not a secret, it’s bloody obvious to be fair) is to BE CONSISTENT. Collect a testimonial from every client to keep the places you show them fresh.
Talking of which, if you want some creative tactics for where to put your amazing testimonials, check out the Tip Top Testimonial Tactics tool in the Tool Shed – you’ll find it in the Testimonials and Evidence section. It’s free to download and is designed to inspire you to really make the most of your client feedback.
And if you want to leave me a testimonial about this blog, or the Tool Shed tool, you can email it to me here. Feel free to write whatever you want, but you can always mention:
· The creative take on this business topic that has made you think differently
· The practical ideas you can use straight away
· Or how the Allotment blogs / Tool Shed are a source of fresh thinking for your business.
Well, I need to practise what I preach, right?