How to Get Effective Testimonials for Your Business

Testimonials don’t write themselves. Your clients do. And that’s precisely why they are so darn important. They are your social proof and should be used to attract your ideal customer, not just give you a five-star rating. Whether it’s a review, testimonial, or old-school word of mouth, what others say about your products or services is ten times more powerful than what you say about yourself, and really, who likes a bragger anyway? Potential customers can spot a sales pitch a mile away. As marketers of our products and services, we need to recognize this uncertainty and change to truly attract our target audiences.

So, more testimonials, reviews, and social proof = more sales and happier, satisfied dream customers for you!

While this may sound like the power is in the hands of the people, it’s actually the other way around. The power is in YOUR hands. First-class testimonials and reviews start way before a customer ever purchases from you. From the moment you make contact, your customer is sizing you up, and that’s why testimonials are the perfect medium to tackle opposition head-on because you are letting happy customers do the hard work for you!

Our goal as business owners is to go beyond the basics, to become legendary or absolute in your field of expertise. Pro Tip: Outstanding customer service is the way to go. Think about building in a couple of surprises with each purchase. It could be:

• A follow-up thank you call
• A handwritten card
• An additional video training
• A bonus gift
• Or, a helpful business tool or guide

The key here is to be meticulous and obsessive about over-delivery, going above and beyond for your customers because it makes a HUGE difference, especially regarding testimonials and reviews.

Caution: Speed Bump Ahead!

Did you know that rules and regulations apply even when capturing testimonials, reviews, and endorsements? If you haven’t started capturing reviews or have been going at it unmethodically, now is the time to check in with industry, state, and U.S. regulations – such as the FTC.

Advertising and commerce regulations are very wordy, lengthy, and hard to understand. But as responsible business owners, we do our best to understand what’s legal and what’s not and follow the most current guidelines. This is an area where it pays to have an attorney review your marketing and sales materials to make sure you comply.

Come and Get ’Em!

So, how do we go about getting some of these fantastic testimonials? Hint, hint: Timing is EVERYTHING! As a best practice, look to ask for a testimonial or review while the product or service is just coming to a close or immediately after the closing of a consultancy session. You want to fully showcase the fresh energy, insight, and enthusiasm from the work you’ve done together.

Here are a Few “Capture Tactics” to Consider:

1. A survey could be created using Google Forms, Woo Forms, Typeform, or SurveyMonkey.
2. Alternatively, schedule a follow-up call to do an interview or do it one-on-one. The key here is to let the client know what’s going on and that you might be recording the call/interview or taking notes.
3. The pros: you get to ask follow-up questions and tease out even deeper benefits by delving into the customer research end.
4. Cons, on the other hand, is that humans clam up and don’t overdo praise when they are right in front of us. If you know the customer better, this might not be a problem, but someone you don’t know as well could relay short one-word answers that are useless.
5. “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to video we go…” With so many great video recording options out there, why not offer the option of a video testimonial? Okay, so many of us don’t want to do that, even my automatic answer is “No! I don’t wanna put makeup on today!” Or “I’m a mess; no videos for me, please!” So, as many No’s as you get, a few still would love to do it! This leads to a great “Tool Tip.” We highly recommend signing up for StreamYard. We’ve been using it for years, and our clients love it because it is easy to use and has wonderful functionality. Not only can you record HD-resolution videos, but it easily allows you to go live on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitch, X, and more. The organic streaming benefits speak for themselves.
6. Finally, if you have an in-person service or you hold a live class or event, you could capture testimonials on video using your iPhone or video camera. Like option 2, you must ask the clients/customers and let them know what’s happening.

Some Things to Remember:

• When you over-deliver, people are always happy to provide valuable feedback.
• The client worked with you, so they are on your side — make it fun and easy for them.d
• Use one method or use three. The key comes down to that specific moment and where you stand with your client.

Power Query Hour

Every business, every owner, every industry is different. When you ask the right questions, you reveal all sorts of insights that you otherwise might never get. When you ask the right questions, you generate that social proof we discussed, a new way to stay connected emotionally with your customers, and beyond that, learn how to better your business, yourself, and your product or service. Look at this process as more than just getting people to say the right stuff about you; it is a way to better understand those you serve. As a seller, you could never quite bring out the image, detail, and emotion that a client comes up with, and that’s the primary job of this whole testimonial business here.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Great Testimonials

As a final testament, we will go over a few do’s and don’ts and things to remember before we send you on your merry testimonial way.

• Remember: People are looking for people like themselves, someone who was in a similar situation, and you need to make sure this is what they see when they come to your reviews, so be strategic and feature those that display the hesitations, struggles, wants, needs and results of your ideal customers.
• Tactical Tip: use reviews and feedback to overcome objections, aka be one step ahead, anticipate what your clients are uncertain about, and again highlight testimonials as an attraction for that ideal customer to get more.
• To reiterate what was said above, match the objections and worries with testimonials that OVERCOME those for your client.
• When possible, use your client’s name, location, and picture. It gives a sense that you get to know your clients personally. That one-on-one all in the family feel. People love being featured and feeling praised even though all that praise is helping you.
• Obviously, you want to ensure that the sweet words of testimonial wisdom are short and to the point, no more than a few sentences, so remember that you can edit for clarity and charisma. Just make sure to send it back to your client to get approval!
• What happens if they love me so much they send me five paragraphs? Well, congrats on that client love. You rock! But it’s just not possible to always have a three-page paper on your website – you want to share the love, right?! So again, this might sound like a repeat from above, but edit it down and say, “Thank you for all the wonderful feedback, but due to space, we needed to shorten this up, and we want to say true to your words, is this the essence of what you said?”
• If you have the opportunity to use video testimonials, GREAT! People love “visuals,” and watching a video is the next best thing to do in person. And, pro tip: you can separate out the audio and use it alone or even have it transcribed and viola, written, audio, and visual ALL IN ONE! Multimedia master that you are.
• Enthusiasm trumps ALL. So whether your testimonial is audio, visual, or handwritten, people will feel the genuine energy even from that not-so-pretty penmanship. And if you’re an acting editor, don’t get rid of that emotion. Shorten it up and make it sweet!
• And before we hop off the enthusiasm train, YOUR happiness and enthusiasm = THERE happiness and enthusiasm. Going the extra mile always wins.

So, how do you feel about this whole testimonial thing? Can you think of a few things that have been working (or not working) as part of your “testimonial tactics?” Yes, no, maybe so? Well, here’s a parting “pro tip.” Sit down, map it out, and create a blueprint for your perfect testimonials. Before you know it, the most incredible testimonials will rain down from the testimonial heavens above!

Do you need help building a foolproof testimonial system for your business? We can help. Schedule a call with us today, and let’s take a closer look at your specific needs. >> https://q2mark.as.me/ComplimentaryTriageCall