How To Get More Testimonials
Social proof - or customer recommendations- go a long way for establishing trust in a brand.
Someone who wants to take your money saying great stuff about the thing they’re trying to sell? Meh. It’s like the stereotype of used car salesmen being inherently untrustworthy. Or infomercials. Or divorce lawyers. You get the picture.
But when someone sings the praises of the offer simply because they love it that much- not because they stand to profit from the sale- that says something. Something that is intrinsically way more trustworthy.
It’s no wonder that successful sales pages usually spotlight glowing reviews. And all that launch content in your inbox and flooding your social media feed? Full of “don’t take my word for it, listen to my past customers!”
Why? Because it’s effective. Testimonials and good reviews lend credibility to your brand and to your offer.
So, having a smooth system for gathering testimonials from happy customers is always a good marketing strategy.
But, many of my clients feel that asking for testimonials is, well, awkward. And when they ask (once) and don’t get an answer, they feel even more discouraged. But don’t worry, I’m about to share some simple techniques to help get you WAY more testimonials.
But first, let’s diagnose the problem. Here are the top 3 mistakes I see great businesses making when trying to get testimonials.
The Top 3 Reasons Why Great Businesses Don’t Get Testimonials
If you’ve got a horrendous offer and terrible customer service, that’s one thing. But please don’t assume that is the case for you. It’s much more likely that you’re doing one of the following.
Sending a sterile, impersonal form that makes the customer feel like one of a zillion others. And like it’s no big deal to you or your business if they don’t fill it out.
You’re leaving it too open-ended. You’re not letting them know where, how, and what to talk about in how many words.
You ask once and don’t follow up.
Luckily, all of the above have easy fixes. Here’s how you can get way more testimonials moving forward.
How To Get More Testimonials
Make a Personal Entreaty
A cold, faceless form is not compelling.
But, a personal email from you to your customer, using their name, and telling them how much you loved working with them, how they are your ideal client, how much you want to attract more folks just like them, and how a few words from them would help you do just that? Oh, that’s compelling.
Our clients are good people. They want to help when they can- especially if it’s a small ask that will make a huge difference. Like a testimonial! All you have to do is connect those dots for them.
Make It Easy For Them To Give You What You Want
When you leave things open-ended, like just asking for feedback- it actually gives the other person work to figure out what you want them to do.
We want to make giving & getting that valuable testimonial as easy as possible.
Make sure your testimonial request includes:
Where to leave the testimonial. By responding to the email? Reviewing you on Google? Spell it out. Make sure to include the link, etc.
What you’d like them to talk about. What product or service? Do you want them to talk about their results? Their internal transformation? Your customer service?
What format to leave the testimonial in. Will a few written sentences do? Or would a video testimonial be more valuable? Share examples if you can!
How long it needs to be. I tell my folks 1-3 sentences is perfect. Short and sweet is potent and powerful. No need to do more.
Don’t Be Afraid To Follow Up
As a marketer, you’ve got to get comfortable with asking more than once.
We’re all busy and our online spaces are constantly flooded with info and requests. We could all use a reminder or two.
They might have blinked and missed your testimonial request the first time around. If you haven’t heard back in a week or so, try again- especially if it’s a client you know had a great experience with you. Following up a few weeks after that isn’t a bad idea either.
Now Go Get Your Rave Reviews
Alright, I hope that inspired you to go get the accolades you deserve. If you found this helpful, please share it with your marketer and entrepreneur friends!
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