Ever wondered what a client testimonial does for your business?
Client testimonials are like digital currency. What is a testimonial? It’s what it sounds like. Somebody says something good about you or your business and it becomes one of your best forms of free marketing, in the form of a testimony, review or endorsement. It’s how you are known and recognized as an expert. Except these days, there’s no written statement that you take around to collect signatures, instead they get posted on the Internet.
Think about this — according to The Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Survey, one of the most accurate predictors of purchase intention is if a consumer has heard positive comments about a product or service from someone they know.
When your website has a testimonial, it’s as if your site has been given credibility. By using client testimonials you continue to build your online reputation through trusted information, which in turn helps lead visitors to become sales ready leads and open up opportunities for converting them into paying customers.
Over the years, I’ve found clients and their reviews to be extremely influential in helping me decide if a potential client is someone I want to work with or not. It’s like a credit score evaluating a person’s character.
Many people feel uncomfortable asking for a testimonial, or think that it won’t help them get any more clients. That’s not true. Remember that a testimonial should be something your client does on their own; it shouldn’t feel like they are being asked to do an advertisement for you. It is better to ask at the end of a project when you’ve done something worthy of a testimonial. Don’t forget to share those testimonials on your social platforms. [Need help with content creation ideas, grab my FREE tip sheet here.]
Still nervous about asking? Maybe consider automating a follow-up email that ask the client if they’re ready to give your work a rating and you can leave a spot for a written testimonial — if they are so inclined to take a few minutes to write one, wonderful! You can even take it one step further and keep record of your client ratings and share the average rating score on your website & social channels.
Here is a Do’s and Don’ts checklist to help when asking for a testimonial:
Do:
✔️ask at the end of a project when you’ve done something worthy of a testimonial
✔️add testimonials to your website to establish credibility
✔️share on social
✔️an interview or survey at the end of the project
Don’t:
❌ask clients to write an ad
❌wait too long to send your request — people forget
❌restrict clients to a specific format
❌forget to personalize your request before sending
Ultimately, testimonials shape your online reputation. Never asking for a testimonial — That’s a mistake!
If you’re looking for ways to save time while making the process smoother, then reach out! Send a note to [email protected] or book a 30 minute consult here.