Testimonials are one of the MOST powerful tools in your marketing toolkit!
When potential clients see glowing reviews about you and your services, they know that you are highly qualified, trustworthy, and AMAZING at what you do.
It creates a Transfer of Trust. Your clients will trust you when they see others do too.
I’m sure you know that you need testimonials on your website, on sales pages, and in your proposals, but you might struggle with one big question, “How do I get testimonials??”
I completely understand!
It’s hard to ask clients (even really satisfied clients!) to take time out of their busy schedule to say nice things about your work together. I’ve put together a multi-pronged approach that has been SO effective in helping me get testimonials for my business, and I think you’re going to love it, too.
You want to start with the clients that are likely candidates for a great testimonial.
You know, the ones that have already sent you a thank you email or told you how much they appreciated your services. They’ve already reached out to let you know that they enjoy working with you, have seen results, and they’d probably be willing to sing your praises publicly as well!
Here’s your next steps:
- If they’ve written you an email or a sweet note, ask if you can use it on your website (with a little formatting to make it fit the look and feel of your website.)
- If the current formatting isn’t a great fit for your site, or you would like to have more specific information in the testimonial, you can always let them know that you would love to include their kind words about their success and ask if they’d be willing to fill out the template or Google form that you use for your testimonials.
You’ve also probably gotten wonderful, but slightly generic, emails that say things like, “You’re the best coach in the whole world! I love you and I couldn’t have done it without you!”
Those are ALWAYS nice to receive, but they don’t always make the best testimonials…
The goal is to get a testimonial that includes the specifics of WHY you’re so amazing, or HOW you helped them get results. Here’s how I handle it:
- Draft a testimonial yourself based on their original, adding information you know about their results and success then send it to your client for approval. This can be great for busy clients who want to help you but might not have the time to draft it themselves.
- I find that a simple phone call can be a FANTASTIC resource for testimonial content. I participated in a workshop in the spring, and afterwards had a recorded call with the program leader. We talked about my experience, then she pulled out notes and drafted a testimonial that she sent to me and I was like, “Oh, Yes! !” It was so simple! All I had to do was edit it a little bit and send it back. It took me no time at all, I was thrilled to support her and that it was easy, and she was thrilled with the testimonial.
Here’s another success strategy:
- I get testimonials for lots of different programs under the Joyful Business umbrella, so I organize them in a Google Doc spreadsheet. I pull the important details out of each email immediately and put them in the right spot on the spreadsheet. That way, when I need testimonials for a particular program, I have them right at my fingertips! That came in really handy when a recent client asked me for testimonials for private coaching right before I was leaving for Mexico. I had 5 or 6 ready to go, and I didn’t even have to pause my packing!
Now, let’s be honest, not every testimonial is going to come in an immediately usable format. Some clients write too much. Some write too little. Some are great writers; some excel in other areas. We all have our strengths!
That’s why a Google form can be a lifesaver when you’re collecting testimonials! You can ask specific questions to give them some guidance, and it’s super easy to upload the results into a spreadsheet and code them for your specific projects and programs.
Once you’ve collected all these wonderful testimonials, you have to decide how you’re going to use them. Obviously, you’ll want the best ones featured prominently on your website, but there are countless places where you can include testimonials in your marketing materials. Here are a few ideas:
- Add them to your emails and sales pages
- Add a page of testimonials to the end of client proposals
- Add one or two to confirmation letters to reinforce their investment and decision
- Share them on your social media
I hope this takes some of the stress out of the quest for testimonials. It can be a little intimidating the first few times you do it, but just remember, most people want to support your success!!
You’re amazing at what you do, and I’d be willing to bet that you have a LOT of customers that would be more than happy to tell the world how much they love you, so get out there and get those great reviews flowing!
