When you big up your own sale, services or product, people can be very sceptical – and rightly so. It’s easy for us to say great things about ourselves, but a glowing endorsement from someone else is much more powerful than anything you can say about yourself. Good testimonials can dramatically increase your sales. Good testimonials can significantly boost your credibility. Good testimonials can build a stronger connection with your customers GETTING TESTIMONIALS 1. Get a testimonial soon after the customer has bought. It’s when the customer is feeling the most love for you so don’t wait and miss this window. It also gives you a constant flow of new testimonials so you won’t have to keep using the same old stuff. 2. If your testimonial is specific it will be more effective. Rather than just say you’re great, encourage your customers to comment on particular aspects such as: • Speed of delivery • Communication • Customer service • Why they decided to buy from you • Quality of the product • Who they would recommend use your service and why • A specific problem you overcame • How much money they saved • Increased revenue 3. Get them to make it personal Never edit a testimonial. Its personality will show it’s authentic and it’ll contrast with your sales copy. When your customers demonstrate what problems they had and how your product or service helped them, other people can identify with them and how you could help them. Whenever you use a testimonial always include the person’s name and company or town, and if possible use a photo alongside it. Anonymous just won’t cut it. 4. Boost your USP Ask for testimonials around your USP. For example, if your USP is a money-back guarantee, ask your customer to explain why that made them feel comfortable about buying your product. If you always deliver next day, get your customers to write about it. It offers a really serious, third-party endorsement to your own USP claims. 5. Give them helping hand With the best will in the world your testimonial won’t be as important to your customer as it is to you. People are busy and sometimes just don’t know what to say. Offer to help your customers write their testimonials. Suggest you draft something based on what they’ve told you and what you know, and send it over to them for approval. Tell them they’re free to change it as they wish. Make it easy for them and they’ll be even happier. Be remember that never, ever post a testimonial that hasn’t been approved by the customer. 6. Always say thank you It’s sounds obvious, but don’t forget to thank your customer for writing something nice about you. It also confirms your relationship and reminds your customer they made a good choice in buying from you. Use them everywhere Don’t leave them languishing in a folder on your desktop or at the back of a drawer. Use your testimonials everywhere: • In your marketing sales copy • On your website • In your PR • On social media • In frames around your shop • In your foyer and meeting rooms • In adverts • In a dedicated booklet • With your direct mail You can’t have too many testimonials in your marketing. If you haven’t already, put a process in place to ask all your new customers for one within a couple of weeks of them buying from you. And then use them.
