How to Get Better Testimonials from Your Clients

Getting better testimonials from your clients can sometimes mean the difference between the success of a business and the failure.

Competing with well-established businesses online is no walk in the park. You think you’ve seen it all, but for someone relatively new in the online marketing landscape, you have a lot of catching up to do.

You have a website and presence across multiple social platforms; still, there’s a lack of interest in your brand.

You need social validation – proof that someone out there bought a product or availed of your service and was satisfied by it.

The average consumer spends at least ten minutes searching for reviews and testimonials for a brand or company before deciding to do business with them.

They want to learn if other people had at least a satisfactory experience with you and your brand in the past.

Testimonials from previous and existing clients are like the holy grail of marketing. It’s a business currency that’s more valuable than any marketing strategy. Social proof is especially crucial for brands that are way behind the competition.

But beware – customer feedback is a double-edged sword. It can work for or against you, depending on whether it’s a positive or negative take.

How You Should Ask for a Testimonial

The key is to ask without being unsavoury or sleazy. Not every business owner or marketer has a knack for it, which is why some people can do nothing but wait for a satisfied client to post a word of praise.

Before you start asking your customers (most of whom are preoccupied with many things) for a testimonial, prepare yourself from the pressure of waiting for feedback. It’s not a sunny day every day, so don’t expect every testimonial to be enthusiastic.

Having a plethora of satisfied customers means everything to your business as it’s indicative of your legitimacy.

The goal is to obtain testimonials from gruntled clients. As much as having unsatisfactory reviews is good for transparency’s sake, it won’t help your reputation in any way.

Gathering testimonials online is challenging in itself as most of them are way too short for prospective customers to know what your business is all about. So, bring balance to quality and quantity.

It’s not the number of reviews that matter, instead the information contained in each. Don’t expect customers to go into the details about their experience, but there are several ways to convince them to give better testimonials. Here’s how you do it:

Create a Fail-Proof System

Come up with a system for getting customer feedback in an instant. If you have an existing system to wrap up projects with your clients, see to it that it incorporates testimonial requests.

You’re likely to get a favourable testimonial if the project is still fresh in a client’s mind. Nothing is more valuable than a first-hand account of the client’s experience working with you.

Open-Ended Questions

Obtain better testimonials from your clients by interviewing them. This way, you have control over what they’ll say about your brand by asking the right questions.

Use open-ended questions to get as many details as possible. Create a landing page where new customers conveniently submit their testimonials without going through your website’s inner pages.

Conduct a Survey

Consider sending out a survey to your previous and existing clients via email. Filter your recipients – only email those clients who had something nice to say in the past and promptly ask them to fill out a quick survey.

The focal point of your email is to ask questions that lead to a favourable response. Use your clients” answers to write the testimonials but be sure to send them the draft for approval right before posting.

Do the Writing Yourself

Some people are annoyed when companies reach out to them for feedback or review; you’re probably one of those who’d rather ignore those requests instead of spending a minute or two writing a testimonial.

Don’t blame your clients when they feel that way; after all, there are too many things to do other than commend a business or company for its product or service.

A client’s lack of enthusiasm in sending a testimonial may work to your advantage. Come up with a brief yet meaningful testimonial, send it via email, and ask permission from the customer to use it.

You’d be surprised to know that many customers prefer it rather than being forced to write a testimonial in their own words.

Strike While the Iron is Hot

Take full advantage of positive feedback from an email. When a customer emails you with some praise on your product or service, get on your feet and respond immediately.

Ask that person if you can use their feedback as a testimonial. This is as natural as it gets – you just wait and hope the customer allows it.

Make Use of Social Media

Use your legion of followers (assuming you have one) on social media to spread the word about your products or services. Social testimonials are effective in specific platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

• Ask for recommendations from your existing clients and followers on LinkedIn.
• Embed a Facebook comment on one of your posts or a tweet from a follower. People quickly notice these social networking icons on your blog or website.
• Up the ante by convincing your clients to share a video testimonial on YouTube; you can even create a playlist containing all the gathered testimonials and put them on your channel.

Getting better testimonials and reviews takes effort and a lot of patience – it’s a waiting game for the most part.

But if you know how to make a proper approach and ask the right questions, you most certainly will get meaningful and valuable testimonials to help push your brand.