How To Get Great Testimonials and Use Them to Grow Your Business
When you are selling an intangible service rather than a product, your prospective client really needs to take your word that you will deliver what you say you will. That's a real act of faith, especially if you are just starting out in business. One way of helping your prospects feel more comfortable is through the use of testimonials. So how do you get these, and then how can you best use them?
The challenge is that while many of your clients would be willing to provide you with a testimonial if you ask them, if you don't educate them about the type of testimonail you want, you will often end up with testimonials that describe your service delivery, rather than the transformation they got from working with you. While it is very lovely that your clients send you emails praising what a great person you are, they aren't great marketing tools.
So here is what you need to do to get good quality 'make-over' testimonials.
First, contact your 'best' clients - if you are working business-to-business as a consultant, or if you are a coach, then they will be the ones who followed through and got results. If you are working business-to-consumer, your best clients may be the ones who return to you regularly and send you referrals. Ask them to give you feedback to help you develop your service and make it even better for future clients. Tell them that you are looking for feeback on the VALUE they got from working with you, and provide some guidelines in the form of sentences to be completed. For example:
'Before I worked with xxx I was feeling/struggling with/anxious about... Whiile I was working with them I realised/received... , and this helped me to... My adivce to anyone else who is wanting to ....is....'
If you are working with a business, you can offer a link to thir website as an incentive to return your testimoinal, if you are working directly with consumers, then you can offer a small free gift. Aim for testimonials in a range of formats: written, audio and video.
Now you need to go public with your testimonials! This is not the time to be shy. Put them on your website, your sales pages (right above the 'buy now' buttons) and social media. Good testimonials are like gold to your business, and may well be the final push that convinces someone to press that 'buy now' button or pick up the phone to make an appointment. They have more credibility than advertising, as they are seen as unbiased. So get into the habit of asking for, and then using, your testimonials.
About the Author
Joyce Campbell is the creator of The Get More Clients System and http://www.TheGetMoreClientsSystem.com. She works with service-based solopreneurs to help them get more clients, make more profit and reach more people. Visit the website to get her free e-course, Six Steps to Ramp Up Your Online Presence. She is also an NLP trainer and author of How to Get Off Your Backside and Live Your Life.
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