I was talking to my client Robyn recently and she commented how much she enjoys getting testimonials. Heck, we all LOVE a happy client! Robyn wanted to use some testimonials in her new Company Profile, but she wanted to know how she could make her client’s testimonials sound even more RED HOT, to say more than ‘she did a great job’ or ‘she’s a lovely person’ … without ‘editing’ them herself (that’s a big no-no!).
Robyn said she wanted the words to come from her clients, but wasn’t sure how to ask them without offending them. I made the following suggestions…
- State it upfront – When you’re romancing a new client, tell them your business is based on referrals from happy clients and that you will be asking him/her for a brief testimonial on completion of the sale or service. This puts them on notice that your service better be good because you’ll obviously be looking for a positive testimonial
- Deliver great service – under promise and over deliver – be deserving of a great testimonial
- Invite them to be part of your tribe – Everyone likes to belong and feel accepted as part of a group or tribe. Create a client club, entice them to join your email list or invite them to a client function. Ask them if you can keep them updated with regular discount/special offers – make it sound interesting and useful. That way, you’re more likely to get their repeat business.
- Make them feel valued – Remind them that you value their feedback and ask them to be completely honest
- Important guidelines – Develop a list of questions to guide the client when writing the testimonial, for example:
- What objections (if any) did you need to overcome before you bought this product? i.e. price, delivery, etc. (tailor this to your product/service)
- What problem did the product/service solve for you?
- What benefits did you find after using this product/service?
- You’re happy to recommend us because…
- Why the list? The most convincing testimonials demonstrate how the client’s objection was overcome or how your product/service solved their problem. Future prospects relate best to this type of statement
- Offer a helping hand –Â If your client is happy to provide a testimonial but is unsure what to write, offer to write it for them. No, this is not dishonest – you must use THEIR words. Ask them some questions about the problem/s you solved for them and record their comments, then use this as your testimonial. HOWEVER, before displaying the testimonial, you MUST send it to the client and give them the opportunity to edit it as much as they like. Â You may also consider asking them to sign off on the final copy and keep it on file, just to cover yourself.
- Don’t wait – On completion of the transaction, ask them for the testimonial. Don’t wait. Ask while the product or service is fresh in your client’s mind. Did I mention, don’t wait??!
- Make them feel valued – Yes, I’m repeating this heading – because it’s so important if you want to receive a RED HOT testimonial. Try telling them, ‘We’d love to feature your testimonial on our blog!’… then they really become part of your tribe. Offer to link the testimonial to their website if they’re a business, and let them know you’re helping their Google ranking too.
I’ll be checking back with Robyn to see how many RED HOT testimonials she’s received.
Why not try this out yourself – and please email me with your success stories – I LOVE good news!!
Or, if you’d like to promote your business with a new Company Profile, I’m happy to help – please contact me for a quote.
Hi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, The Professional Writer. I have a strong background in Real Estate and small business management. I love to write copy dedicated to attracting and engaging your customers, and improving your bottom line.
I happily work with clients all round Australia. Email me to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.
