Creating Testimonials that are Compelling and Useful

One of the best ways to promote your business is with compelling end-user testimonials. These third-party marketing touches can speak volumes and help validate your credibility and commitment to your clients. The successful use of a testimonial is one of your strongest marketing assets. Ask for them and use them often – keep them fresh on your website and populate them on your emails and social media sites. Here are some tips that will assist you in creating compelling testimonials, which will help your business get traction and stay relevant.

1.  Define What Testimonials You Specifically Need to Help Your Business 

What are your objectives regarding the testimonials you are gathering? Who are you trying to reach and more importantly influence? What are you trying to get the reader of the testimonial to do? What is your desired outcome? Answering these questions will help hone the testimonials you gather.

2.  Begin by Asking Every One of Your Customers for a Testimonial 

It is important to have different testimonials for various aspects of your business. Make sure that the testimonials are reflective of the values of your readers, clients, or prospective clients. For example, I have three current aspects to my business: speaking, coaching, and writing. I gather separate testimonials on each of these channels so when I use them, they become relevant to the specifics of the audience I am attempting to touch. I like taking a humble approach when asking for testimonials, I ask, “…if you feel I have helped you and your business, and made difference, I would appreciate if you could share a testimonial…” I want people to want to give me a sincere testimonial, one that is compelling and relevant.

3.  Explain the Usage of the Testimonials to your Clients 

It is imperative to put your client at ease and increase their comfort level with what you are doing. Let the client providing the testimonial understand what you are trying to convey to the prospective audience or reader.

4.  Offer help in the creation of the testimonial 

 Place less on your client by offering to help write the testimonial, perhaps for a given scenario you could have various templates of testimonials that you can forward to your client; therefore templates, interviews, and brief discussions help ease the burden of writing a testimonial. According to author Donald Miller, in his best-selling book “Building A Story Brand,” Miller shares his thoughts on “generating the best responses for a customer testimonial,” he shares the five questions to ask your clients to generate the “best testimonials.”

• What was the problem you were having before you discovered our product [services]?

• What did the frustration feel like as you tried to solve that problem?

• What was different about our product [services]?

• Take us to the moment when you realized our product [services] was actually working to solve your problem?

• Tell us what life looks like now that your problem is solved or being solved?

What is important here is not to have the provider of the testimonial answer these questions verbatim, but rather, use these as a guideline when crafting their responses.

5.   Be Specific 

The most effective communications are those that are specific. People as a rule discount any testimonials that are unsubstantiated. Achievements, value, and unique product offerings and services are great ties to a compelling testimonial. Indicating what the goals were on the front end of say, a project, and what the end results have specificity and are compelling.

6.  Attempt to Quantify Value 

Measurement. How many? How much? How many new clients? How much revenue? How much did employee retention improve? How many qualified buyers attended their tradeshow? Numbers matter, again, be sure to substantiate the numbers. I launched a campaign for a client recently where we were targeting 150 HR healthcare professionals. Our goal was to have a meaningful conversation with 25% of that target audience (37), the result was at 57% engagement rate or eight-six (86) interaction. These types of quantifiable numbers bring credibility to the testimonial.

7.  Brevity is the Key 

 There are third party endorsements, references, cases studies and testimonials, of these, testimonials are the shortest. Long-winded testimonials are often NOT READ, so the key is keeping it tight and relevant.

8.  Include Contact’s Information 

Anonymous testimonials do not pack a punch with the reader. Look at the source first and assess the relevance & credibility – without this information, many will discount the testimonials. Make sure to secure permission from the client if you get an unsolicited testimonial. I will often get nice testimonials for articles and or social posts, where relevant I will call and ask if I can use the post and explain the purpose. I will always give credit to the client when using their testimonial.

9.  Placement is Key 

Testimonials bolster your credibility, so place them where your readers will see them: social media sites, your website, one-sheets and in your email signature. Switch the testimonials around periodically to keep your messaging fresh.

10.  Solicit Help When Needed 

If you lack strong writing skills, solicit someone’s help that can provide this service. Ask for examples of past work and look for those that have done an excellent job with their testimonials. Years ago, I hired a LinkedIn expert who helped me recraft my messaging on my social page, it was a marketable improvement. There are online services that do a FANTASTIC job with this, Fiverr and Upwork to name two.

Remember good testimonials are an excellent marketing touchpoint; one that can help or hinder the growth of your business. Use these points as a guideline to assist in getting the absolute best testimonials possible from every client. Remember to ask every client for a testimonial, more times than not they are more than willing to help, especially if you are doing GREAT WORK,  but you need to ask.

Until next week, continued good selling - CQ