One of the most challenging things in the realm of marketing that I watch people run up against is getting testimonials from clients. Why should you get testimonials?
Well, on the side of your business, they are extremely powerful. Good, honest, authentic, clear, specific testimonials build your credibility, show that you actually have done what you say you are doing, and place in you firmly in the market place as a business that is following through.
But there’s more to it- I would argue that one of the biggest reasons you would ask for testimonials is that you are actually helping your clients or customers when you ask them for one. Helping them? How can this be?
Things I hear from my clients who are reluctant to ask:
“I don’t want to bother my clients with this.”
“If they liked me they would say so.”
“I did get some testimonials, but they were too general, they didn’t say much.”
What’s going on?
Most business people, when they go to ask for testimonials, start by thinking, “Oh my God, I’ve got to get a good testimonial- I hope they say something good. How can I get them to say what I need them to say?”
The problem? I see at least three different needs that are being brought to the customer. The need to have a “good” testimonial, the need for approval from the client, and the need to have the customer say something specific.
Where is the giving?
A couple of weeks ago I was talking with a former client, and she was sharing with me some really hard times she had gone through recently. Severe depression, feeling disconnected and hopeless, one of those dark night of the soul times. She came through it having really walked through a tremendous healing in her soul, and she thanked me for our work together.
She also had shared with me some big triumphs she had in her organization. She had surprised herself by excelling in an area of business where she had been extremely collapsed and uncomfortable before. And she had not only excelled, but she had become a leader in her organization, leading many other people to produce outstanding results.
I asked for a testimonial. She gave it to me, but she still sounded a little down. And then I had the inspiration to say to her:
“You know, of course it’s great to have a testimonial about my business- it’s helpful. But the real reason I’m asking is because your story is going to give hope to people that feel hopeless. You are letting people know that they CAN travel from where you were to where you are now.”
She paused for a moment, and then said to me, “That’s really profound for me. Just a couple of weeks ago I thought I was really going to end it all- I thought I had nothing to give anyone. And the idea that what I went through can help people, that I do have something to give, is huge for me.”
We ended the conversation a little after that. But it wasn’t until a few hours later, as I was telling my wife Holly about it that what she said really sank in, and I started crying.
I know this is a dramatic story. However, your business, no matter what you do, if your heart is truly present, can have a dramatic effect on people. Asking for testimonials allows your customers to participate in your business, to give back what they have received.
Go get your testimonials. Your clients will feel better for it.
Keys to Asking for Testimonials
* Identify your needs first. Common needs are: approval, security, love, validation. Handle these needs with the Remembrance before asking.
* Make a list of your recent clients or customers that stick out in your mind. Which ones did you really enjoy? Which ones did you see get results, have a good time, which ones were really affected? Remember those specific times, and talk to them about it. Get them to tell you their version of it- their story. And ask if you can share their story as a testimonial. Take notes.
* Resist the urge to edit testimonials. Not only is it putting words in people’s mouths- generally whatever you might want to change, thinking that it doesn’t sound good, actually sounds REALLY good, because it sounds authentic.
