Since today is Valentine’s Day 2017, it only seems appropriate to talk about love. We love our family, friends and that special person in our lives. But is it possible to love the people you do business with? Yes it is, at Elevology we are told on a consistent basis “we love working with you”, or “I just love working with Stacey or Terry”. Nothing provides a greater sense of appreciation than when you hear such praises from your customers. The only challenge as a business owner is now how do I get that business owner to stop what they’re doing and put that in writing for me? I’m going to explain the value, provide you several suggestions and steps to get great testimonials.
Since opening Elevology in 2005, I have found the testimonials provide an excellent source of credibility because they are a candid endorsement of your product by people who actually use your product. In my experience, I either receive only a one sentence quote or I get a full-page dossier. To be honest I’m happy with anything my customer finds time to give me. But in the end, we typically utilize a quote with customer’s name and company.
Let your customers speak for you. I find testimonials help with four key parts of your sales process.
- Testimonials build trust – Selling is easy when others vouch for your services
- Testimonials connect customers – Buyers are more receptive to customers they resemble
- Testimonials overcome skepticism – Demonstrate a benefit, but be specific
- Testimonials aren’t salesy – Solving a complex problem for a client is an ideal testimonial
Don’t forget to leverage the popularity of social media. Getting customers' testimonials online is very easy and is easily accessible. Pull a screenshot from a Twitter update or Facebook post and you have an instant source for a testimonial.
The next time you finish a project, ask your client whether they’re happy with your services and whether they would recommend your company to others they know. If the answer from your client is “YES”, then you’re doing something right. Smooches. Take a moment and feel the love!
Once you gather your testimonials how you use them, and where you position them, is key to your success. Using them on your home page, product, pricing and plan pages of your website, and sign up pages are great locations to strategically present your testimonials.
