How To Convert Prospects To Become Clients With Terrific Testimonials
ISSN 1649-8127
Publication Date 5 May 2008
When you’ve almost completed, or have finished a great project, assignment or even speaking engagement with a client – do you systematically ask for a testimonial?
One of the things I have noticed is many of us feel a little too embarrassed about asking for a testimonial from clients.
But let me share a story with you of something that happened just last week.
I received an email from a company in the UK looking to hire one of the world’s most famous coaches to host an event for HR Directors. But before they contacted the person in question, they checked out the persons profile on Google.
And guess what? They could not find any testimonials about him as a speaker.
What they did find is that I had referenced him in one of my blog articles, so they dropped me an email asking for my experience of this very famous person as a speaker.
You see, there were no audio’s on the website to give them a feel for him as a speaker and no testimonials about how other people found him as coach or speaker.
I know one of my clients was concerned that adding testimonials from their current clients may lead their competition to connect directly with their clients. But believe me, if you’re doing a great job with your clients, they are highly unlikely to move to your competitors.
So don’t leave it to chance; make sure you systematically ask for testimonials from your clients as you finish projects working with them.
Here are my 5 tips for how to approach your clients to ask for a testimonial:
1. At the end of an assignment mention you would value their input in the form of a testimonial about your work with them
2. Offer to draft a testimonial for them to review – most often they will agree to the testimonial exactly as you have it written
3. Advise them you would like to use the testimonial on your web site or blog and you will also note their web address on the testimonial – giving them a link back to their site is great for Google juice
4. When you guide your client about how to write the testimonial remember your ‘CAR’; the C stands for the challenge they were facing before they worked with you, the A describes the action you took when working with them and the R represents the results that you attained. Use this as a template for drafting really compelling testimonials
5. If your client has a great speaking voice, consider recording the testimonial as an MP3 recording for your website or blog.
THIS WEEK’S ‘BIZ GROWTH’ ACTION STEPS
1. Review the clients you have worked with in the last 6 months – do you have a testimonial from them all?
2. If you do not have a testimonial from your clients, draft a letter or email to send them or prepare a verbal script that you can use when speaking with them to request a testimonial
3. Review if you have received testimonials that you have not yet recognised are testimonials – for example, in an email that you received from someone. I always recommend you ask permission to use something written in an email before doing so, as your client may not have written the email thinking it would be used as a testimonial
4. Ensure you update your website or blog with your testimonials in the next 60 days
5. From here on in, put in place a system to ask for and record your testimonials.
You will be glad you did, as you never know when someone may be searching online for feedback about what it is like to work with you, or when you may need testimonials to support a proposal you write in the future – for working with a new client, for example.
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©Krishna De, 2008. All rights reserved. Reprinted from ‘BIZ GROWTH EXPRESS’, a Oneocean Ltd publication. If you would like to receive more articles just like this and enjoy access to free Masterclasses where you will discover how to bring your brand to life through traditional and social media platforms, then subscribe today at http://www.bizgrowthnews.com
