What Kind of Testimonials Do You Ask For?

Ones that matter! Ones that communicate VALUE received!

Testimonials that say you are wonderful are good for your ego but virtually worthless as a marketing tool. Strive to get testimonials that extol results, benefits, increases in positive changes, or decreases in negative effects. The more specific a testimonial clip is about benefits and outcomes, the more powerful they are to use to sell to others.

See if you can tell the difference between these testimonials:

“You were wonderful” vs. “Your ideas reduced our costs 20%!”

“I loved your service” vs. “The attention given by your people saved us hours and hours of work.”

“Thank you for a job well done” vs. “Your extra efforts made me a hero with my boss and will result in more business for you!”

I almost always give my clients an example of the kind of testimonial I’m looking for to help them write them in such a way that makes them most useful to me as a marketing tool.

By the way, I always ask for permission (in advance) to use a testimonial. And, I always say thank you at the time in receive them—in person, by phone, email or even a postcard.

You’ll find that the sooner you ask your customer for a testimonial following your interaction, the more likely you are to receive it AND the more specific they’ll be about the benefits they received by working with you.