There is no denying that testimonials have a significant impact on your business. When we are looking for a good service/product, what do we do? We ask people for references and about their experiences. What we are asking for, is a testimonial, a vote of confidence, a recommendation, social approval. We trust other people’s opinions more than a blanket statement by the company’s marketing department on their own website.

Not all Reviews/Testimonials Are Good

person selecting 5 stars in a testimonial

Now don’t get me wrong, not all testimonials are good, check out the huge issue amazon has been having with fake reviews of products. These days, people rarely even look at star ratings and review on amazon because there are so many fakes. If that were not the case, there wouldn’t be any need for articles like how to spot a fake review on amazon and even major news networks address the issue.

Frankly, we don’t trust the opinion or recommendation of those who have something to gain from a transaction. Advertisers on tv, radio, even door to door marketers “who sell this product because they believe in it”, and yet they get a commission on the sale. No thanks! Give me a reference from someone who has experience with the company and nothing to gain!

Various Types of Testimonials

Third party testimony, especially from a local business are the key in locking in a contract or making a sale. The personalized message from a former or current client has that unique insight into what they got from the experience.

A video testimonial is the ultimate reference because it shows the client speaking in their own words. This is hard to fake but also hardest to acquire because it takes the most effort.
Written testimonials are another effective method that is very persuasive in decision making.
A star rating alone is helpful, but when accompanied by a genuine written testimonial, can have a huge impact on finalizing that sale

How to Get Testimonials

Let's start with what you don’t want to hear, it takes time and effort. Yes, time and effort is something you don’t always have but long term, you can reap the rewards of a successful business reputation. Trust me, it is worth it!

So what are the steps in getting excellent testimonials?

Be As Good As You Want People to Know About

In order to get a testimonial that sings your praises, you need to do the work that reflects those praises. If you do sub-par work, you will get a sub-par testimonial which could be more questionable to a prospective client than helpful in sealing the deal. Think about going the extra mile, your client will appreciate it and that's the part they will want to highlight whether to a friend or in a testimonial.

Ask your client for a testimonial

If you don’t ask, you won’t receive. The question is, when should you ask? The biggest battle you have is to convince someone to take time out of their day to make a testimonial. Timing is key but it’s not everything:

If a client expresses an appreciation for your work upon completion, that's the best time to ask for a testimonial. When they are feeling enthusiastic about the job you did or are excited about what your future relationship will develop, they will be happy to take the time to refer others to you.

email letter to clients requesting a testimonial

However, this doesn’t mean this is the only time you can ask for a testimonial. You can still write to previous clients and ask for a review/testimonial on work you did for them in the past.
Still not convinced they will be motivated to make one, why not add some incentive? You could offer a discount off a future product/service in return for a testimonial. If they are a fellow business, you could offer to trade a testimonial for each other.

Make it as easy as possible for them

It takes some time to make a testimonial, even the simplest kind, so the easier you can make it for the client, the higher your chances are of receiving one. For example, if you ask the client to make a testimonial on a review site and they need to create an account and confirm and email, get asked to subscribe to junk mail they don’t want, then find the business and write a review and give a star rating, many people will quit as soon as they see the create an account page. Who wants junk mail right!

The easiest way to obtain a testimonial is to ask them for a couple of sentences about their experience with the business and send it to you via text or email with permission to reproduce it on your website and/or social media. This sounds like the least work to the client. It also provides them with a variety of methods to send the testimonial thus making it easy for them to choose the most convenient method for them.

If the client seems like they would go the extra mile, you could ask for a video testimonial. These are excellent as they cannot be more personal and can’t be faked. These days it is easy to get a video testimonial because everyone has a camera equipped cell phone. Making a video is as easy as hitting the record button, talking, and sending the video in a text message.

Permission To Use The Testimonial

One thing often overlooked is permission for reproduction of the testimonial on your website or social media. Usually, by asking for a testimonial, it is implied that you would like to use it for your marketing methods, however, it is good to clarify the details. You wouldn’t want someone stumbling across their video on your website without them expecting it.

Have a clear idea of how you want to use the testimonial, clarify this with the client and then implement it once they agree. Further details to discuss are if, or how much of their name/business name, they agree to have included e.g. full first and last name, full first name and last initial, business name, business category or no names at all.

How about a picture to accompany a written testimonial? Testimonials, like names, are always better when associated with a face or a business logo.

In summary, be clear about what you will do with the testimonial and get permission to do so.

What Should You Do With The Testimonials?

Testimonials will make you feel great about your business but they won’t get you new business unless you use them correctly. This will depend somewhat on your type of business. This is your opportunity to shine:

You should have a testimonials page on your website. Here you can organise your testimonials. If you have testimonials for specific products or services, group them into categories. If they all refer to the same product or service, prioritise to the top of the page, those that seem most enthusiastic. Typically, your prospective client will only watch or read the first few testimonials so keep the best or most impressive at the top.

In addition to the testimonials page, scatter some testimonials throughout the pages so your prospective client sees them while scrolling down the page.

Don’t forget company logos. Including the logos for large successful companies in your testimonials, implies experience and professionalism. Show your clients that you have worked with the biggest and best.

Don't forget Social Media When people are researching businesses and products, they often find social media profiles in internet search listings. Sometimes, the social media presence is more prominent than the company website and so we have to ensure that our social media profiles are updated with the correct business information and of course, with testimonials. Social media is particularly suited to video testimonials.

How to Get & Use Business Testimonials Successfully!