How to get great Testimonials

No testimonials on your website?

ACK!

I know, you’re not sure how to get them. And you don’t want to BOOOTHER people.

But in today’s world, they are an absolute MUST.

Just take a look at these statistics from Optinmonster*.

  • 87% of buying decisions begin with research conducted online before the purchase is made.

  • 92% of consumers are more likely to trust non-paid recommendations than any other type of advertising.

  • The average consumer reads 10 online reviews before making a purchase decision.

  • 88% of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations.


So it’s clear you need testimonials. They act as the reviews that your website visitors are looking for. But don’t worry:  getting them is actually easier than you might think.

Getting Testimonials

If you have EVER provided your service before, to anyone, then you have a potential testimonial right there! It doesn’t even have to be a paid gig. Volunteer work or even work you did for a family member counts. Anyone who has benefitted from your work can be a potential source for a testimonial.

So what’s the trick to getting testimonials?

Ask

That’s right, the easiest way to get a testimonial is simply to ask for one. You’d be surprised how many of your past clients would be happy to give you one.

But there is one problem.

Clients often don’t know what to say. They might be willing to help, but are not sure how to put their thoughts into words.

The solution to that is simple: help them.

How to help your customers create a testimonial

Often, people are just not sure how to word a testimonial. I think the term itself scares them; it seems so serious.

But you can easily help your customers put their thoughts into words. Here’s how.

Contact a past client that you know was happy with your service. (I find in person or on the phone is better than email).

Tell them you are working on creating/improving your website, and you would like to have some testimonials on it. Then ask if they would be willing to provide you one.

A common reaction is “Oh, I wouldn’t know what to say”.

No problem! You’re going to ask them a few questions to help them along.

Something like this:

You:                       “Well, were you happy with the service I provided?”
Customer:          “Yes.”
You:                       “Could I ask what you liked about my service?”
Customer:          “Well, you were fast, and I really liked the outcome.”
You:                       “Anything else?”
Customer:          “Everyone who sees it comments on how nice it is.”

Bingo! You just heard a testimonial!

You can now tell the client that what she said was great, that’s all you need, and you’d like to use it, if she is agreeable.

Offer to type up the testimonial and then either send it to her for her approval in an email, or read it over the phone and get her ok.

The final version based on the above interview might be something like this:

“I really like the outcome. The work was fast, and everyone who sees it comments on how nice it is!”


Here’s a variation on the technique:

You:                       “Well, were you happy with the service I provided?”
Customer:          “Yes.”
You:                       “I can make it really easy for you. I’m just looking for something short. If I ask a couple of questions, could you just give me a quick answer? I will write them down so you don’t have to.

And continue with your questions.

What if the customer can’t think of anything to say?

If the client isn’t giving you much, try to remember what she said when you first finished the work. Did she say something nice? Can you remember what she said? If so, try asking her if you could use that.

Example:

“When I finished the work, you said it looked fantastic, do you remember? Would it be okay if I used that phrase as a testimonial?”

You might need to reword it a bit. And don’t forget to read it back to her and get final approval on what you’ve written.

You could say:

“So, if I wrote “The work looks fantastic”, would that be okay?

Another easy testimonial!

What about the signature?

Testimonials don’t make much of an impact if there is no signature. So you need to add your customer’s name. However, make sure you ask how she would like it to appear.

Some people only want you to use initials (e.g. J.W.). Some just want their first name and last initial (e.g. Jean W.). Some are okay with using their full name (e.g. Jean Watson), while others prefer first initial and last name (J. Watson).

Outline the above four options for your customer, and then make sure you honour that preference.

Make getting testimonials a habit

It’s a great idea to ask for a testimonial from every happy client. But don’t wait too long. Make your request as soon as the job is done, when the greatness of your work is fresh in their minds. 😊

By regularly asking for testimonials, you will have a variety to choose from. It also ensures that you have recent ones. That’s important, because testimonials that are several years old may not have much of an impact. Recent ones are more powerful than older ones.

And that’s all there is to getting testimonials.

I challenge you to reach out to one person this week and get your first one!


Cheers,
Tim
Helping you engineer the business of you

*statistics:  https://optinmonster.com/social-proof-statistics/

Tim Ragan