Testimonials...Get Them...Use Them
by Sue Woodard

A great testimonial from a satisfied client is a wonderful thing.  You feel good, your team feels good, the client feels good, everyone is sharing the love…but if you never do anything further with the testimonial, you’ve missed a huge marketing opportunity.  Testimonials act as proof to prospective clients that your advice, service or product actually delivers in the way that you have promised them.  And think about it – aren’t you more inclined to do business with a company because you’ve heard great things about them from their own past clients, over a company that has simply told you great things about themselves?

One of the most valuable and cost-effective marketing tools you could have for your business are testimonials…but only if you follow two important rules.
1) GET THE TESTIMONIAL, and 2) USE THE TESTIMONIAL.  The good news is that it’s easy, and here’s how you can do it right away. 

To gain some great client testimonials, try these ideas.  First, simply ASK.  All too often, we do not have because we do not ask!  Think of the clients you’ve had a great working experience with over the past year, and use an email script like this one: 

“Hey Bill – I know you’ve mentioned that you’ve really enjoyed working with me, and I’ve sure enjoyed the relationship too!  Would you mind giving me a short blurb I could use in some of my marketing, so that others can get a feel for the service that I offer?  I know your time is valuable, so I really appreciate it – thank you!”

Because it’s in email form already, they are likely to take a minute to fire off a nice quick response to you on the spot.  Wait, you don’t have their email address?  Then you can make it easier yet on them.  Give them a call and ask…but let them know that you’d even be happy to type it up for them if they wouldn’t mind just giving you a line or two.  Make it easy on them by asking questions like, “What did you like the best about our experience together?”  “What do you remember the most?”  “What would you tell your friends or family about me?”, then jot some lines down as you talk.  Ask for their email address – you should have it anyway – and fire it off to them for approval.

And from here on out – every time a client makes a great comment to you, ask them on the spot.  “Wow, that would make such a great testimonial line for me!  Would you mind if I write that down and attribute it to you?”  Then make the notes right away, so you do get an accurate reflection of what they said.  Additionally, consider building in an evaluation form for your clients to complete at the closing or after an important meeting.         

If you’re just getting started in your industry or area and don’t have a wealth of past clients to call on, ask your peers, your manager, your mentor to write a short personal endorsement.  You’ll want to replace them with client testimonials when you have them, but in the meantime, any testimonial is better than no testimonial! 

Another idea is to ask a few select satisfied past clients if they would mind being contacted directly via email to provide a testimonial to new prospective clients coming your way.  They will almost always cc you on their response, and when they do – badda-bing-badda-boom – you’ve got an instant testimonial to use!  One note of caution, you will need to make sure that you always have correct email addresses for these past clients, and also be cautious that they are not being overburdened.  After they respond to one or two, you may want to swap in another satisfied client.  You’ll be surprised…they’ll usually be honored to be asked!

And always, ALWAYS make sure to ask permission to use their comments “in complete or edited form”, as well as their name and city. 

So how do you use them?  Anywhere, and everywhere!  You should have testimonials in all of your marketing.  This includes on your website, on your personal brochure, in your presentation materials, and even posted in your office.  You can include testimonials on the bottom of your letters and email correspondence.  If there is a particularly good story of how you helped someone solve a particular problem, worked through a difficult issue, or really helped them make their dreams come true…don’t be afraid to send a postcard or letter out to your database or farm list highlighting the story.  Always remember to ask permission to use their comments, their name and their city, and remember to freshen them up once in awhile.  Once you get in the habit of asking for the testimonial, you’ll be surprised at how many you get!  Why wait any longer to start getting this powerful, free marketing strategy working for you?