Testimonials are great thing we can get from our existing clients because it is what small businesses traditionally use in their sales process to gain some kind of trust factor from potential customers. However there are a couple of classic issues many small businesses face when asking for testimonials.
Mindset
Having the right mindset upfront will make asking for testimonials a lot easier. Most small business owners feel uncomfortable asking for testimonials due to fear of rejection, shyness, don’t want to cause any hassle or whatever personal reasons. This causes the classic “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” situation. A better mindset is to be more confident about your services and expertise. If you provide great services, then you DESERVE to be known for it. As a matter of fact, your happy clients are your biggest fans and advocates, they WANT to help you spread the words and let others know how great you are.
Techniques
You can choose to ask for the testimonials directly yourself or get someone else to do it for you if you are not comfortable or don’t have the time. Third party involvement might be your receptionist, personal/virtual assistant, business coach, other clients or a professional company. The following methods are standard examples of the different methods:
By Email: This is probably the best method because they will be in front of their computer/mobile and are able to take their time in writing the testimonial.
By Phone: This might be done as part of the after-care service a few days after the service, however this is most likely be just a reminder and should be followed up by an email.
In Person: Do this after a few sessions with your client and ensure they are truly happy with your service first before asking. Just like the phone, it is more a curtsy reminder than actually getting the testimonial on the spot (unless they are happy for you to then type it out on their behalf).
Whichever method you choose, make sure you make it as simple, easy and convenient for your client as possible. For example, give them some kind of guideline, ask for specific things you want them to answer or give them some examples of what other clients have written for reference. It’s also important to ensure they know where the testimonial will be displayed and whether they are okay with their name being used.
With all that said, what’s better than a ‘Testimonial on your website’? It’s a ‘Review that is NOT on your website’. Find out why in our next blog 😉