How do you choose the best testimonials for your proposal?

Understanding your target audience is the first step for any marketing effort. When selecting testimonials, it is important to not only know who the target is, but what those buyers need to hear to make their purchasing decision. By using key words and motivators in your testimonial, it will help the testimonial resonate with a reader. Also, it is always best to name the person/organization that is providing the testimonial for the best possible results. Anonymous testimonials do not work nearly as well. Readers want to know that the person delivering the testimonial aligns with them. Ultimately, people want to buy a product/service that worked successfully for the same problem/need they have.

Selecting testimonials is not just about showcasing satisfied clients; it's about tapping into a broader network of customer contacts to highlight your character as a vendor. Beyond the usual suspects, testimonials from individuals like project managers or IT specialists who have witnessed your team's dedication or responsiveness can offer unique insights into your reliability and integrity. Additionally, endorsements from stakeholders across various departments provide a holistic view of your impact, demonstrating your ability to forge meaningful relationships and deliver value at different organizational levels.

Start by identifying testimonials from past clients whose projects are similar in scope and industry to the one you're proposing. Look for feedback that specifically mentions your skills, reliability, and results achieved. Prioritize testimonials from well-known or respected clients, as their recognition can enhance credibility. Ensure testimonials are concise, relevant, and highlight the benefits your services brought to their projects. Consider including a mix of qualitative praise and quantitative results to provide a well-rounded view of your capabilities. Lastly, ensure you have permission to use these testimonials to maintain professionalism and trust.

I use ChatGPT to compare our best customers to the prospect we're addressing in a proposal. For instance, I ask the AI to tell me "What's similar between school district X and school district Y?" Then, I use those bullet points to explain why our past experience is relevant for this new potential customer. Clients want to know that you've done a project like theirs in the past, and that you've done it well. Testimonials need to be as similar to the prospect as possible. You want to consider: - Location - Size of the project - Who's involved in completing the project (from your team and theirs) - Cost - Timelines - Similar challenges or problems

Select testimonials that closely align with the scope and industry of your proposal to demonstrate relevant experience and results. Focus on feedback that highlights specific benefits and outcomes achieved, rather than just general praise, to effectively address the client's needs and enhance credibility.

Choose a testimonial for a project similar to the proposed project. Ideally, the client will talk about how you accomplished the project on time and under budget and how you exceeded their expectations. Bonus points if it's a client that knows people on the selection team!

The relevant testimonial should be either a key project or a recent one showing updated techniques used in the project process.

Definitely put your testimonials in pull quotes throughout your proposal. Include additional testimonials on the project descriptions!

For A/E/C proposals I recommend including relevant testimonials in the relevant sections. For instance, I’ll place an accolade related to quality control within the quality control section. I first look for accolades from the same customer.

For commercial/B2B proposals where you can include links/embedded files, use video testimonials from your clients. They are much more powerful than written testimonials as social proof.

Remember that just like every RFP opportunity is different, so should the testimonials. There is no right or wrong way of selecting client testimonials, and with each RFP, client references will differ. Sometimes RFP teams get hung up on selecting the "best" client references but the reality is that will be subjective in the eyes of the evaluation team, but by following some key criteria/principles, the decision becomes easier.