What are useful testimonials and why do I need them?

Why are testimonials so important to your business? 

What value does a testimonial from a client add to your reputation?

Not all testimonials are relevant and not all testimonials are created equally.

Testimonials that offer shoddy quality can actually drag your business down. People don’t respond to lack lustre standards.

Because of this, it’s super important that we know;

• What a useful testimonial is
• What testimonials do for our business
• How to get great testimonials
  
  

In this blog we are going to cover all these points plus you can download a nifty cheat sheet of testimonial questions too. 

Testimonials are your customers  standing with your business and putting their name to their character and qualifications. This means that when you use a testimonial make sure that their real name, position and preferably a photo accompanies the testimonial. This isn’t just a thumbs up move on situation. This is priceless validation from customers.

What are useful testimonials?

Testimonials that aren’t useful are a waste of space on your website or in your copy. You want a testimonial to reinforce your business proposition because this establishes proof and builds trust.

Metrics are instrumental for trust building. Measurable results show prospects that there are tangible successes delivered by your business.

Something like;

“I achieved 110% ROI with X”

Will have much more impact on your prospects trust in your business than;

“X are great”

Here is a fab example from one of our own customers. We have a beautiful face to put to a name, position and company. Plus we have a great testimonial that highlights the rate of growth through statistics. 

As well as being super trust builders, testimonials are awesome supporters in helping prospects overcome sales objections and push through their pain points.

Price is often a pain for prospects. Having testimonials that reassure prospects about the positive changes to their life thanks to your business’ solution means that those pains are more likely to not be a hindrance in the buying process. 

People trust people. Testimonials that share photos and names are much more successful than anonymous blurbs. 

Real identities make people believe. Positions are also a great foundation for trust.

Bizzabo has a terrific testimonials page with real identities saying all kinds of wonderful things;

The great thing about using social testimonials is that they are checkable. You can search their handle, find out what they do and this makes their testimonial authentic. 

The strongest testimonial you can share with your prospects is a video testimonial. These take time and often aren’t on customer’s list of priorities but if you can organise a recorded interview or a solo video of them singing your praises. Do it. 

What do testimonials do for your business?

Besides offering a perfect springboard for trust between you and your prospects, testimonials are a great compost for relationship growth overall.

Testimonials help your prospects see themselves working with you. They make you relatable, approachable and worth the investment (if it’s a useful testimonial).

Friction areas such as price can be a hurdle for prospects on their buying journey. Testimonials help reduce uncertainty and make it easier for people to commit...other people did and it worked for them, why not for me?

As a business, all you want is for your customers to feel that you add value to them. Enough to push them to be lifetime customers. Testimonials position your business as legitimate and credible.

In a world of cowboys, it gives you a shiny star and makes you the sheriff. 

Social pressure is a huge plus to have working for your business. 

Imagine business A who has worked with you, seen great results and left a steller testimonial. Business B sees this and can relate because they fall into a similar niche, their business needs the boost business A is raving about and that pressure to give the best to their business is what pushes them to action. 

Guiding prospects to action is what our web pages, content and copy should do and useful testimonials are that final nudge to converting prospects..

Placing testimonials throughout copy is a great technique because it shifts the prospects perspective before they hit further pains. Helping people identify with your story, which includes your clients’ successes, is the stuff of testimonial legend. 

How to get great testimonials

How do you get the sheriffs of testimonials?

Timing is everything. 

You want to ask your customer what they thought after each purchase but you don’t want to ambush them before they have had time to consume their purchase. You also don’t want to leave it so long that they give a muddled and vague recollection. 

Getting testimonials should be part of your customers’ experience so create a process that incorporates their feedback - this also builds upon that all important feedback loop that gives them the opportunity to grow into a lifetime value customer.

They are doing you a favour. 

Here are some ways you can make it easy for them;

• Send them an honest write up and ask them to sign off on it. 
• Design a three question survey with open but considered questions.
• Set up a call and ask the questions.
• Write up some tweets that they can share.
  
  

Know your customers well enough to shape the questions you’re going to ask. Don’t ask tea drinkers how they take their coffee.

When you wow customers - they join the elite in the enjoyable part of the consumption. They’re happy and think you’re amazing!

We’ve designed the seven questions you need to make sure you get the best possible testimonials for your business;

1. What problem led you to look for a product like this in the first place?

2. What was the obstacle that would have prevented you from buying this product?

3. What did you find as a result of buying this product?

4. What specific feature did you like most about this product?

5. What are three other benefits of this product?

6. Would you recommend this product? Why?

7. Is there anything you would like to add?

You can tailor these questions to suit your solution plus you can use them to create an easy end of service webform or create a template and complete it over the phone during your final call.

Testimonials are worth the energy you put in because there isn’t anything as powerful as a relatable human telling you something is great.

What happens next?

Once you’ve got a testimonial that hits all the right spots and it’s moved into prime real estate on your website - because it’s that good - make sure you take the time to send a personalised thank you.

This isn’t a thank you, bye situation. It’s an opportunity to deepen your relationship with your customers and continue to add value which will ultimately develop their loyalty and increase their customer lifetime value. 

Winner winner. 

You want all your customers to be advocates. You want them to shout about how great you are from the rooftops. 

In return you need to appreciate, nurture and add value to build a relationship that is beneficial to your business and your customers.

Check out our Marketing Automation Academy if you are keen to learn more nuggets of wisdom, and get training & support creating and implementing your strategies. Plus, we have tons of awesome templates for you to get going with 😀