Picture this: Tim’s client has just had a wonderful experience with him and is happily raving about it. Time to ask for a testimonial!
So, Tim works up some courage and says, “Thank you, Olivia. Would you mind sending 
me those kind words as a testimonial I could share with others on my web site? I’d love to showcase your success.”
“Sure!” Olivia agrees, and she rides off into the sunset. A few days go by and Tim, not having heard from Olivia, sends her a reminder email. Oh yes, yes, she promises to send … but she still doesn’t. After that, Tim starts to feel like a pest and stops contacting her.
What went wrong? Was she actually not that happy with Tim’s work?
Possibly, but more than likely, she was simply busy and didn’t get to it. Or, she could never get past a blank sheet of paper and the stress of exactly what she wanted to write. The problem here wasn’t Tim, his work or the idea of endorsing him.
Instead it was this: Tim didn’t ask for a testimonial; he delegated a “To Do” to her.
The problem with simply asking for testimonials is that it’s hard to ensure your clients will get them back to you. If clients forget to do them and you have to follow up endlessly, it can strain the relationship. It even happens that well-meaning clients give testimonials that you can’t use, because they’re too vague or emphasize the wrong aspects of your brand. And asking someone to redo a testimonial? Out of the question.
Getting it right – the first time – is worth the effort. A good testimonial is like GOLD!
Effective testimonials are marketing multi-taskers, offering myriad benefits. They can:
* Create demand for your products and services
* Inform prospects what your brand promises – and what it delivers
* Build your credibility by offering proof your solution works (Hey, a third party says so.)
* Persuade prospects, so you don’t have to.
So, what’s the best way to ensure you get a suitable testimonial?
1. Ask your client for permission to have your assistant contact them. It’s important that a third-party take the testimonial, so your client feels comfortable to speak freely about you.
2. Prepare a list of questions, and give them to your client in advance. Asking the right questions helps to shape your client’s comments so they cover what you want emphasized about your brand. Seeing the topics in advance gives them time to collect their thoughts, especially since you’re requesting specific examples (for a stronger testimonial).
3. With client’s permission, record the call. The last thing you want your assistant doing is scrambling to take notes of the exact expression someone used. Recording frees him up to listen and probe for more.
4. Transcribe the call. This makes it much easier to find which parts you want to use, and to edit them. One client interview my assistant Joe conducted yielded almost 2500 words, but we used only about 140 of them on the Brand Roadmap web page. However, I might select a different excerpt when promoting another one of my services later.
5. Select the juiciest parts and compile into a short testimonial. As I mentioned, 140 words is plenty, especially if they’re raving about specific results.
6. Run it past your client for final approval. As a person who really says “really,” like, way too often when she’s talking about something she really likes, I appreciate being given one last chance to turn my spoken words into an endorsement that won’t embarrass me later. ;-)
7. Get a photo and correct personal information. Photos add credibility and eye-appeal. Be sure the company info, job title and web address are listed as your client prefers.
8. Share them! Testimonials don’t do you any good hiding on an obscure page of your web site. Sprinkle them around it, add them to proposals and read them on down days to cheer yourself up.
Don’t forget to pay it forward. Giving sincere testimonials is a great ways to share your success while highlighting someone else’s contribution.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great testimonials are gold! They do the selling for you, and on a down day you can read them to lift your own mood up…
The key is to obtain them; of course, asking for one is a must (if you don’t ask, the answer is no.)
Samantha you have really pinned down the technique to painlessly and efficiently obtain the testimonials… this is a win win process, I love it and will apply it.
The recording/editing/approval is wonderful – The “pay forward” one is a stroke of pure genius & needed to be said.
Thanks, Fred. I really like the idea of reading testimonials on a down day. Appreciate you stopping by!
Great article, very helpful and well set out.
very pleasing information and I agree Samantha, reading old posts can be uplifting and can spur you on to create more.
I definitley believe in paying forward.!!!