Make it standard practice to ask clients and contacts for testimonials and you'll build your credibility and your business.
Before people come to your business for a particular product or service, they often want the comfort of knowing what others have said about you. Let's say you refinish hardwood floors. Many consumers, before they let you haul your refinishing equipment into their house, will ask you for either written testimonials or phone numbers of people who can attest to your work.
Testimonials carry a level of credibility because they come from someone who has direct experience with your product or service. Consumers generally place more trust in a testimonial from another consumer than in a business' own marketing message. They believe that the average person is unbiased and has nothing to gain from providing a testimonial. The business stands to gain - or lose - everything, so its own words are seen as less trustworthy. Although most businesses are truthful with their customers, it's not hard facts, but consumers' perceptions, that drive their decisions. That's a lot of weight riding on someone else's words!
Recognising consumers' skepticism, some businesses make a practice of asking for customer testimonials. Ditto for businesses that serve other businesses. If anything, a business can be an even more demanding customer than an individual consumer, because it has its own reputation and ability to function at stake. Thus, a written testimonial on professional letterhead from one business to another is a powerful word in your favour, especially if the business represented on that letterhead is itself highly credible.
Have you ever asked a satisfied client for a written testimonial? I recommend making this standard practice for your business. Written testimonials can be used in many ways to enhance your credibility and set you above your competition - your business's website, for example. Some websites have them strategically sprinkled throughout so there's at least one testimonial on each page. Others have a dedicated page where a browser can view several testimonials at once. Both designs have their advantages. Either way, scan each testimonial to keep it with its letterhead. This will enhance its credibility - and yours.
If your business attracts a lot of walk-in clients, it's helpful to display your written testimonials, each encased in a plastic sheet protector, in a three-ring binder labeled "What our customers say about us" or "client testimonials". Keep this binder on a table in your reception area, where your customers can browse through it while they're waiting for service. It's a good way to connect with your prospects and enhance your relationship with current clients.
Another way to stand out from the competition is to include testimonials with your business proposals. This strategy works best if you have a wide variety to choose from; you can include a section of testimonials that are most relevant to a specific proposal.
Here are three keys to successfully using written testimonials:
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Ask for testimonials at every opportunity
Make it standard practice to ask clients (or other contacts) for testimonials. At what point in the sales cycle should you ask? This is a tricky question, but in general, ask for no testimonial before it's time - which may be before, at, or after the completion of a sale or project, depending on your client, your product or service, and your own needs.
For example, one month before finishing a project, you call your client to ask how things are going. The client tells you that she's very happy with the results and that her life or business has changed for the better because of your product or service.
At this point, your testimonial detector should be pinging loudly. It's the right time to make your pitch: "That would be a great thing for other people to know about my company. Would you be willing to write me a testimonial on your company letterhead by the end of the week?".
- Guide the content of your testimonials
The next step is to coach your client in writing a testimonial that fits your needs. Ask them to describe:
- Why they chose to work with you
- How they benefited from your products or services
- How you solved a problem for them
- What other people should know about your business
What things are most people concerned about when using a business like yours? Ask them to address those issues.
Don't be afraid to offer suggestions; you'll make it easier for them to write an appropriate testimonial, and the result will be more valuable for you.
- Update your testimonials
Finally, review your testimonial file or binder at least every two to three years to identify testimonials that are no longer valid or credible. Specifically, you may want to discard or refile a testimonial that:
- Is from a company that's no longer in business
- Is / was written by someone who has left the company
- Represents a product or service that you no longer offer
- Has begun to turn yellow with age
- Needs to be updated with new statistics from the customer
So, now that you understand what testimonials can do for your business, try asking for three written testimonials on company letterhead this week. Make it easy for your advocates:
- Specify what you would like their testimonials to cover, based on what you know of their satisfaction or successes from using your product or service
- Ask for them to be typed on company letterhead, signed, and submitted by a certain date
One more thing: Remember the law of reciprocity? It works here too. If you want to truly motivate someone to write you a testimonial, write one for them first.