5 TIPS FOR GETTING TANTALIZING TESTIMONIALS
I found this article by Pamela Bruner and felt that these were things I should share. I’ve added a couple of additional things in as well.
We’re all human, and so we’re swayed by the opinions of others. It’s no different when it comes to making purchasing decisions. We want to know that we’re making a good decision and we look to others for that validation.
Enter “social proof” – the idea that others’ experiences, especially successes, apply to each and every one of us. The bottom line is that we often rely on other people’s experiences to indicate whether that same thing will work well for us… or not.
Think about it… When you want to try a new restaurant what do you do? You search for reviews online or you ask your friends about their experiences. That’s social proof… and it’s powerful.
So how do you make it work for you and your marketing? Easy! You get testimonials or internet reviews is from your happy customers. How? That’s easy, too, with these 5 tips:
1. Timing is everything
The best time to ask a customer for a testimonial or internet review is when they’re happy with your services. As soon as a customer indicates they’re happy with you and your service, ask! If they mention how wonderful you are, take notes. Write down what they said, using their phrasing when possible. Then email what you wrote to them and ask them if they’re ok with you sharing it with others on your website, etc. This way, you’ve made it easy for them to say yes to a testimonial, with almost no effort on their part, while still using their thoughts and opinions.
Don’t wait to ask for a testimonial. When your work with a client is winding down, ask! If you wait, they may forget how awesome working with you was or they simply may fill their time with other things. Strike while the iron’s hot!
2. Do the work for the customer
The problem with asking for a testimonial isn’t that it’s hard to get people to say nice things about you, right? It’s that people aren’t comfortable writing testimonials, so they put it off.
Make it easy for your customers. In addition to writing down what you yourself heard, you can also design your customer experience so that getting testimonials is easier – for you and your customer. For example, halfway through your work with your client, send a request for feedback. Use a simple satisfaction range – like 1-10, smiley faces, red-yellow-green, etc. – and take note of those who are very happy with your service. Contact those people for a more detailed testimonial a few weeks later. You can even offer a free upgrade incentive if they write or record a video testimonial.
3. Use all feedback to create excellent testimonials
Every interaction you and your team have with your customer is an opportunity to delight them. Plan your customer service accordingly. Over-deliver and your customer will always be happy with your service and will want to share their experiences with others.
If, however, your customer indicates unhappiness at any point, you have another opportunity! Impress this customer and you’ll have a future brand ambassador on your hands. In fact, studies show that you’ll get a MORE devoted fan after messing up, and fixing the situation professionally, than if the problem had never occurred!
After you’ve resolved their complaints, send an email asking for feedback a couple weeks later. Your team going above and beyond for them will be fresh on the customer’s mind and they’ll be impressed.
As standard procedure, when your work with a client is coming to an end, send 3 simple questions to them:
1. What challenges did you face before making this purchase?
2. How would you explain this service and its results to somebody who’s struggling with the same issues you were having before?
3. Would you recommend this service? If so, why?
They’ll provide you with great insight, like unstated objections and areas of your business that are particularly impressive. You can almost always count on a testimonial coming out of this information.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sending an email asking for a testimonial. If, however, you don’t hear back, remember that it might be intimidating for the customer to write it. Follow up by offering to draft copy that they can edit.
If you still hear nothing, move on. It may simply be a bad time for them and you don’t want to leave a bad taste in the mouth of an otherwise happy customer.
This is important – Just because you receive feedback doesn’t mean it’s a testimonial that will help you sell. Read testimonials you receive from the perspective of a new prospect. Does it address their objections? Does it correctly convey your brand and your product or service? Does it address the benefits and results your service provides?
Remember – you don’t have to use every testimonial for the same use. Some will be better on your home page. Some will work better in product-specific emails. Others still may be better to use on social media. Look at the testimonials as a whole and then ask specific questions to help you get other testimonials that fit your needs. For example, if you often get an objection and does one of these testimonials address that.
It is ok to edit testimonials, too. If you’re receiving testimonials that are pages long, that’s great – but nobody’s going to read chapters of it. As long as you don’t change the intended meaning, there’s nothing wrong with shortening feedback to be more punchy and eye-catching for prospective clients.
A strong way to use testimonials and Internet reviews are to make them into videos. I know some people are hesitant to being in front of a camera or even to speak. Use a voice over type video or explainer type video when the story is great. Watch for examples next week of these.
Social proof is based on the idea that customer feedback is more trustworthy than marketing from the business itself. Follow these 5 tips to get testimonials that do the heavy lifting for you!
My next article will be about better customer service that will give you better reviews.
If you missed the previous articles about testimonials and internet review, click the title below to read them now: