7 Ways to Get High-Impact Testimonials from Your Customers

The power of testimonials to convert

If you are running any kind of business, you absolutely need social proof in the form of testimonials. People who are considering hiring your company want to see and hear the stories of people who are already using your product or service.

Done correctly, credible testimonials will turn a wavering prospect into a paying customer. When your prospects are able to see reviews from like-minded individuals, they become more easily convinced that they are making a good buying decision, and that your business is the one to trust.

As author Robert Cialdini writes:

“Social creatures that they are, human beings rely heavily on the people around them for cues on how to think, feel, and act. Testimonials from satisfied customers work best when the satisfied customer and the prospective customer share similar circumstances. Influence is often best exerted horizontally rather than vertically.”

Buyers conduct online research before making a purchase

Buyers are more savvy than ever. This means that they are conducting research online before buying. Before ever contacting anyone at your company, they are already getting to know you via the content on your website. And, understandably, they might be hesitant to believe in your expertise right away.

Can you blame them for wanting to be well-informed?

After all, you and I do that same exact thing.

Think back to your last electronics, car or appliance purchase. Also, what did you do before you purchased your most recent book, saw the latest movie, or ate out at a new restaurant?

If you are like most of us, you went to a site and read some peer reviews.

These days, more than anything, people love to read their peer’s opinions.

There are reviews on Amazon, Yelp, Rotten Tomatoes, Google, TripAdvisor, Epinions, Healthgrades, GlassDoor, Manta, Angie’s List, and many other sites.

And, if they can’t find a review, a buyer can just ask their Internet friends on a social network like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. In short, it’s easy to find the information needed to make decisions about a product or service.

And, yes, people will ask for information and opinions about your business.

So what should you do about it?

Try proactively leveraging the psychology of ‘social proof’ to your benefit and showcase satisfied customers on your website. Testimonials are one of the most powerful and cost-effective selling tools you should include in your marketing toolkit. These third-party endorsements from your customers do the work of selling for you, in a much more effective way than you could on your own.

How to collect high-impact testimonials

Unfortunately, most companies do not routinely ask for testimonials. If they do, it’s a one-time effort (often implemented the last time they had their website redesigned).

I recommend that you make testimonial requests part of your ongoing business operations. This will allow you to “uplevel” your testimonials, replacing older ones with newer, better ones. It will also give you more endorsements to place in your marketing materials.

Luckily, satisfied customers are typically happy to help you by singing your praises. Here are some ideas and opportunities to obtain new testimonials:

1. Write down the praise. Whenever one of your customers gives you a spontaneous compliment in person or via e-mail, thank him or her. Then, ask if you can use their comment as a testimonial. Make sure he or she understands that you will be using it in your marketing materials.
   
   
2. Create a website link. An easy method to help you collect testimonials is to include a link on your website that lets people click on it to give their feedback. Invite your customers to “click here to let us know what you think.” Put a link to your testimonial page to provide other examples.
   
   
3. Offer an incentive. Periodically, you can have a “testimonial drive.” Send out an e-mail and offer an incentive for your customers to provide a testimonial. Depending on what type of business you run, it could be a coupon, a discount, free services, and so on.
   
   
4. Make it part of your sales cycle. As you complete a project, treatment, or other service with your customer, ask him or her for a testimonial. Make sure that you ask BEFORE you complete your work.
   
   If you wait until your work is complete, you may have a more difficult time getting a testimonial since your customer can move into an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. If you are a financial planner, you could ask them toward the end of your sessions together. If you are a medical practitioner, have your cards available at the front desk.
   
   
5. Ask your “star performers” for testimonials. Almost every business collects raving fans. These are the individuals who buy everything you sell, the customer who you see in your store three times each week, or that individual who gets an incredible result from using your offerings. Make a point of asking these individuals to give a testimonial. If they have just had a BIG result, be sure to ask them right afterwards.
   
   
6. Include your team in your efforts. Often, your employees are the best ambassadors for your brand. Train your staff to talk with people about your testimonials program. You can also set up an incentive program or a friendly internal competition to encourage your team to collect more testimonials.
   
   
7. Send out targeted emails. Send out an email to customers you know have had good results. One simple way to encourage your clients to help your business is to remind them. In your email, you can give them bullet points to help them retell their experience (people are much more likely to send a response when you do most of the work for them).
   
   You can also send them the following questions:

What was your situation before working with us?
How has our business helped you to [insert client problem]?
What tangible results/improvements have you experienced as a result?
What’s your situation like now?

Leverage testimonials for powerful marketing results

Remember, testimonials are one of the most powerful and cost-effective selling tools you can employ as part of your marketing arsenal. Even if you already have a process for collecting customer feedback, incorporating some of these tips into your tactics will yield more powerful, compelling endorsements that do the selling for you.