The Power of Testimonials and What It Took to Get Them.

“Testimonials describe what has been, and are a promise of what is to come” - Ron Kaufman

Hey. Drew here.

This time around, we’re going to touch on testimonials. Y’know, why they’re important, how you can get great testimonials, that type of stuff. However, before we got into this, I’d like to make one thing clear:

It’s okay to ask for testimonials.

“But what if they say no? Or think I'm rushing things?”

Well, that’s probably never going to be the case. At least not if you do things right. I mean, You worked for someone. You delivered results and you put in time and effort. What makes you think they won’t want to say something good about you?

(By the way, we’ll be generally focusing on service providers. However, it’s still going to be relevant, whether you’re a SaaS or an E-com store. Just a few tweaks and you’ll be good to go!)

Anyway, let’s get straight to it.

So, Testimonials.

Before you start working on getting them, let’s first understand why they’re important. Have a look at this:

“93% of customers will read online reviews before making a purchase” - dixa.com

Sounds pretty powerful, right? You can go ahead and do self-promos, talk about benefits, subtly persuade them to ‘try’ your service, give out freebies, run ads…

But if you don’t have social proof or feedback from previous clients, then you’re going to have a tough time making progress quickly.

” Uh, Drew? I still don’t understand why they’re important. Like, ads, SEO, and other things still get results. So…”

Well, they do and will continue to get results. However, think about the number of meetings and follow-ups you have to have before you can finally send over that invoice. Think about how easily you’re able to increase your rates.? Think about how hard you have to try before trying to onboard them.

Let me give you a better example.

Suppose you want to buy a good phone. Would you trust a phone from, say, a generic manufacturer? You might buy it if you have a tight budget. However, if you have a decent amount of money, what’s the first thing you’re going to do?

You’re going to look for brands with good reviews. For people praising the brand. In other words, you’re looking for social proof. Why? Because, if a lot of people are saying good things, what are the chances that all of them are fake?Close to none, right?

That’s the same thing you can think about for your brand.

Whether you’re a business consultant, a service provider, or an e-commerce brand, having social proof from people in some way, shape, or form - from praise posts on social media and short tweets to lengthy testimonials and reviews - helps consumers make better and more purchase-oriented buying decisions.

And that’s not where things stop.

Sure, you can use them to help people make buying decisions. Is that it? No.

If you decide to develop an offer, testimonials help give credibility to what you’re offering, whether it’s a one-time or a recurring service. If you come out with a new product, having previous testimonials and reviews can give your customers the credibility and confidence to trust that you’ll deliver on your promise.

Does it make sense?

“Yup. Got it. Now, the only thing that remains is, how do I get them? What’s the chance I’ll get them without asking?”

Well, for the most part…

You’ll have to ask them. Nudge them. Remind them (politely). You’ll have to gently ask your clients, consumers, and customers for the review. How? That’s what we’re going to explore next.

There are four parts to this:

1. Make sure the time is right. You’re asking for a review of your hard work, right? Make the most of it and ask for it when the time is right.
2. Ask for it. Some might leave a compliment or two, but to get a powerful testimonial that you can benefit from, you’ll have to ask for it.
3. Make it as easy as possible for them to say yes. That includes everything from writing something for them and getting them to sign off on it to you giving them the pointers and then writing it based on that.?
4. Ask them the appropriate questions. You did a good job, right? Well, will that help you get more clients? Or will something more specific help? Ask the questions that will get you the answers you want.

So, first of all, the time.

The best time to ask? After you’ve delivered good results, of course. That could be AFTER you’ve worked with them, or during a project when they’ve recently experienced exceptional results. That’s when you should work on getting them to write you some words of praise.

“What about people I’ve worked with in the past? Can I ask them for a testimonial or two as well?”

Absolutely. Nothing is stopping you from doing that. After all, whatever results you helped them achieve, whether major or minor, they're still worth mentioning, aren't they? They’re still going to help you get that credibility you need, that social proof that’ll answer the objections that prospects might have before deciding to work with you.

And then, when it’s time, actually ask for it.

Don’t just expect them to write an amazing review and send it over. Sure, they’ll probably send the odd message and email about a big or small win they had. About the results they got. About the benefit they had from working with you. Or from a purchase they made from your store.

However, you’re going to have to let them know that you’d appreciate it. You can use many different reasons. Maybe their review will help you help more people. Maybe it’ll make other people’s buying or decision-making journey easier. Maybe they’ll be able to trust you more easily, simply because someone else had a good experience.

Let them know you want something from them. You’ve gotten results for them, right? Then, what’s stopping you from asking them for it? In most cases, they’d be happy to do so. However, that brings me to my next point.

Make it as easy as possible for them to say yes.

If you’re a service provider, they probably hired you for something they couldn’t manage themselves right? They’re probably busy doing other things.?

When you send over that email asking for a testimonial, they'd likely be more than interested in actually writing something out. However, chances are, they don’t have the time for it, or don’t want to end up writing something wrong. So, make things easy for them.

Maybe send them over a relevant review you wrote on their behalf, and just ask for them to have a look. Maybe they’ll rewrite it. Maybe they’ll make some changes. Maybe they’ll simply approve it and let you go ahead and use it.

You could also send them some pointers. That way, they don’t have to think about WHAT they have to write, and if they’ll get things wrong or not.

However, for them to be truly useful for you…

Ask the right questions.

How were things before they worked with you? What did things look like before and after you joined hands with them? What changed? Would they recommend you to someone else? What was the one thing that made them choose you? What were their objections or hesitations before working with you?

Asking questions like these will not just help you make the most of an existing client, but also help you set yourself up for success with prospects. A simple glance at testimonials will answer the questions they’ll have and make it easier for them to make the decision and start working with you.

And… that’s it for today.

It’s really that simple. Ask for them. It could be through email, Whatsapp, Messenger, or whatever works for you. Simply ask for it. And ask for the right thing.

After all, you have some sort of relationship with them, right? Why hesitate?

Anyways, I hope this was of use. If there’s some way I can help you set up your strategy or if you’ve got some questions, you’re more than welcome to reach out and let me know.

Till next time,

Drew out.