HOW TO GET 5-STAR TESTIMONIALS

HOW TO GET 5-STAR TESTIMONIALS

Asking for testimonials can be tough, like asking for a favor. But it might help to remember that your client is actually getting something out of it as well:

1) If they’ve liked you, they’ll feel good about writing a recommendation.

2) It encourages them to review the value they got from your help, possibly inspiring more gains.

3) Testimonials with a live link to their site can promote their business.

So don’t fool yourself – testimonials benefit both parties.

MOST TESTIMONIALS ARE USELESS

But let’s face it, most testimonials are not that effective. They’re kind of generic…

“Jane was great to work with, I’m so happy we met!”

“Tom really helped our company a lot. He really knows his stuff.”

Though well meaning, this type of testimonial is too general to inspire the reader to contact you.

Of more help would be a results-oriented testimonial:

Jane helped us increase our ROI 33% in 2 weeks!

Tom helped us bring in 12 new clients!

Definitely better. These provide specific results that readers can identify with.

“Increased ROI” and ”new clients” are common objectives. But these kind of testimonials still seem vague, and almost fake. Like something you’d see in a cheesy advertisement.

Why don’t we get more specific?

5-STAR TESTIMONIALS

We were opening up a new division of our business, and after 14 years of being the greatest widget maker in Middletown, we figured we were ready to sell to the Korean market. Not a chance. Jane showed us how to market to different cultures, and helped us increase ROI 33% in 2 weeks.

After 8 years at Company X, I felt stuck and was dreading going to work. Tom was able to help me realize my passion, and within 6 months I quit my job and I’m now making just as much money with a lot less stress.

Even though these are very specific they present scenarios that most clients can relate to. But they have to be real – that level of specificity is easy to disprove. Also, they’re not easy to get. It’s hard enough to ask for a testimonial without providing a list of guidelines.

So, how to get them? One idea is to follow up with your clients regularly, like every three months or so. See how they’re doing, get an idea of what results they’ve achieved, and offer them something they’d be interested in, like a new product you’ve developed, a discount, or a sample. Your clients will keep you top of mind, you’ll improve the results you help them achieve, and you’ll get some kick-ass testimonials.