A good testimonial goes a long way.
Not only can your clients’ glowing feedback make you feel all warm and fuzzy, when you share their testimonial with the world, they can actually help you get new clients.
But how do you get testimonials? And how can you be sure they’re good?
First step: Ask!
Write to your client directly. Better yet? Ask them in person. Either way, let them know you enjoyed working with them, that you hope they had a similarly great experience, and if so, would they consider writing a testimonial for you? If so, let them know you’ll send them an outline in order to…
…Make it as easy as possible for them.
Your client should know that you know their time is valuable and making the whole process as easy as possible for them is a great way to demonstrate that you value their effort. Bonus? The easier you make it, the more likely they are to actually do it.
Create your outline or list of questions.
I actually created a form my clients can fill out on my website. It’s a series of statements they can complete. I let them know that they can choose as many or as few to fill out as they’d like (if you’d like to see it, click here). The statements I came up with for my outline are:
- I hired Loki Loki because…
- Good brand design is important for business because…
- Working with Cody and her team at Loki Loki is…
- Cody and Loki Loki are exceptionally good at…
- Since launching my new brand and website…
- If you’re thinking of hiring Loki Loki, I would say…
- Three words I would use to describe Cody are…
- Is there anything else you’d like us to know about your experience working with Cody and her team at Loki Loki?
- Are you willing to post your testimonial as a recommendation on LinkedIn? (If YES, I will send you an edited version of your responses along with a link to make it easy-peasy!)
Each of these give an opportunity for the client to give honest feedback about their experience and results while giving them a framework so they’re not starting from scratch.
Not sure a form’s your thing? You can email the questions/prompts or invite them to a shared GoogleDoc. The point is just to give some direction and make things as easy as possible.
Edit to suit your needs.
It’s okay to edit a testimonial as long as the writer’s intention remains. If you are using the outline format like I do, chances are you’ll need to make some adjustments in order to group certain pieces together or ensure all your testimonials don’t sound exactly the same. Even if it’s relatively short and sweet, it might have a greater impact if you just use one line. Or maybe there will be some much good stuff, you’ll want to split it up and use different pieces different places.
For example, here’s an unedited testimonial I received from a client who is a fine art photographer:
“As an artist I can say that Cody not only understands my requirements for my branding, but has an intuitive artistic approach to her graphic design. This is not merely a matter of skill and technique; but hers is an eye that sees the bigger picture of your business. Hers has the mark that has characterized great design historically.”
Here’s how I edited it to fit in the space allotted for the rotating testimonials in the footer on my site (scroll down to see!):
“Cody has an intuitive artistic approach to brand design that is not merely a matter of skill and technique; hers is an eye that sees the bigger picture of your business. Hers has the mark that has characterized great design historically.”
The spirit of the sentiment remains, but it’s a bit more concise and speaks more generally to a potential client that might come across my website and read it.
Get it as a recommendation on LinkedIn.
Not sure LinkedIn’s worth your time? Stay tuned for my up-coming Mind Your Business entrepreneur’s guide to LinkedIn!
You’ll notice the last item on my outline is a question of whether or not the testimonial leaver would be willing to leave said testimonial as a recommendation on LinkedIn. If they say yes, I’ll edit their responses into a LinkedIn-appropriate recommendation and send it back to them with the following note:
Hi Client X,
I hope this finds you well. Thank you again for the thoughtful testimonial you wrote for me and my business. I so enjoyed our time working together and I’m so glad you feel the same way.
I’m currently working on updating my LinkedIn profile; if you have a moment today and wouldn’t mind, could you share your testimonial as a recommendation for me on LinkedIn?
I know your time is valuable, so to make it as easy as possible, I’ve included your original testimonial below, so all you have to do is follow this link (https://www.linkedin.com/recs/give) and paste it in and we’re all set.
If you have any trouble with this or questions for me, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Thank you for your time, consideration, and continued support,
So-and-so
YOUR RECOMMENDATION: “It is a rare thing nowadays to encounter a professional firm with the creativity and skill base that So-and-so possesses. Beyond that, from proposal to final product, she was extraordinarily detailed and professional. She listened well, understood what I was after both visually and functionally, and delivered it all on time! Terrific experience.”
If appropriate, respect your clients’ wishes to remain anonymous.
One of my clients is a psychotherapist. Another is an executive career coach. Both have clients who adore them and are happy to write glowing testimonials, but aren’t necessarily thrilled at the idea of their names being used, since they don’t necessarily want the world to know they’re using the services of either. And that’s okay. Ask if you can use a first name and last initial, just initials, or something descriptive that makes sense in the context of their testimonial like “Writer, NYC” or “Mother of a Kindergartener and a Fourth Grader.”
Remember that this is a favor they’re doing for you.
Presumably, your clients have already paid you for your services. They are under no obligation to write you a testimonial. If they choose to do so, they are doing it as a favor to you. Honor it as such. If they agreed and a few weeks have gone by, a gentle check-in is fine. Do not pester them for it and do not treat it like it’s something that they owe you; they do not.
Similarly, if you are someone whose clients simply adore you and they would do anything you asked them to, be mindful of this power and take care to not take an unfair advantage of your influence. If your professional relationship is on-going, make sure that it’s clear that a testimonial (or lack there of) will not impact your working relationship. Try taking a step back to see outside of your own marketing needs and make sure you’re not asking someone to do something that might reflect negatively on them or their business or just plain make them uncomfortable.
Say thank you. A lot.
When they agree to do it, thank them. When they have done it, thank them. When they let you know they don’t have the time and will try to get to it eventually, thank them. Start each email with a thank you and sign off with another one. Thank yous are free, they’re appreciated, and they’re completely appropriate when someone’s doing something so generous for you.
About a year ago, I followed my own advice and asked a bunch of clients for testimonials, but with a twist: I wanted them to record themselves and provide me with a video testimonial. This was a big ask, I knew. So in addition to my email and verbal thank yous, I did send each participant a small gift, under $20 each, as a token of appreciation. I did so after they’d recorded their video so there was no thinking that I was somehow trying to bribe a good testimonial from them. I just honestly really appreciated what a lovely thing they had done for me and wanted to say thank you.
Share!
In terms of putting them on your website, testimonials tend to be most effective when they’re used in context, so if a client is gushing about a particular service you offer, consider sharing it near your description of that service.
But overall, you’ve gotten here, so the hard work is done. Now get those testimonials up on your website. Share them on social media. Bask in your glory!
What’s the best testimonial you’ve ever gotten? How did you get it? Please share your testimonial stories in the comments below!