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How to ask for testimonials and why they could be huge for your business – Small & Supercharged Podcast

How to ask for testimonials and why they could be huge for your business - Small & Supercharged Podcast

Testimonials. Do you feel icky at the mention of the word? Do you start sweating when you think of having to ask customers for them? In this episode of the Small & Supercharged podcast, all about testimonials, I tell you what they are, how to gather them, how to ask for them, why they’re valuable… and how to use them too.

I start off by talking about how I use testimonials in my business and why they’re of value. I have a number of them in my Testimonials tab. I have to say, even talking about the testimonials I have and reading a couple out (to show the nuggets that I wouldn’t be writing myself!) makes me feel weird. So I completely understand any negative feelings you have about doing this… OK? But trust me when I say that I wouldn’t feel weird if I was reading something about you… I think it’s something that only bothers us – the person they’re about!

How to ask for testimonials and why they could be huge for your business – Small & Supercharged Podcast

In this episode of the Small & Supercharged Podcast, I talk all about testimonials. How to ask for testimonials and why they could be huge for your business. In this episode, I will…

  • Explain how testimonials show a different side to you and your business, and the value they can bring to potential customers.
  • Walk you through a couple I have and show the elements contained within them that are real gold when it comes to potential customers. I’ll share with you the nuggets in these testimonials that will really speak to your customers.
  • Talk about why testimonials can be really useful because they can uncover ‘pain points’ that potential customers might have… and the reason that they might be coming to you anyway.
  • Explore the other things that testimonials can also share about you… because it would feel like you were being cocky and arrogant if you said them yourself. Things like working as a team, increasing business, being dedicated, etc.
  • Explain how, from your point of you, they can be really valuable feedback. They can show you things that your customers really love about you and places you excel. You can then look to use these in your copy (in a non icky way!!), or put additional thought behind creating the content you do to promote what you’re doing.
  • Talk about how testimonials can help to reassure potential customers – yes, they address pain points, but if you have customers concerned about aspects of the business or product you sell, you can either ask customers to write testimonials around the subject or just hope that these come up.
  • Explain the difference between what a testimonial brings to the party vs. an about us page or a products or services page.
  • Talk about who to ask – and why if you pick the right people, you’ll be unlucky to meet a problem.
  • How to ask for testimonials and why it’s not a weird thing to ask. You can just explain why you’re looking to gather testimonials, the section you’re looking to grow online, and that you’d really welcome their input. You can also tell your customer that there’s no pressure for them to do it.
  • Discuss different ways to use testimonials – from a video testimonial to written, connecting to a blog about the client or extracting snippets for social media.
  • How you can use your email signature as a place to promote your latest testimonials, to help connect with your customers.
  • How you can use testimonials in printed material, like in catalogues, on flyers, etc.
  • How bloggers and vloggers should be using testimonials too. The influencer space is competitive, so if you can get feedback from businesses you have worked with, showing how well you’ve worked with them, it will help you.
  • How media packs connected to magazines often use testimonials to help promote their publication and ad rates. It brings a real life element to it all.
  • The importance of getting permission to use people’s words to promote yourself. Sending a message via email or DM saying a nice thing is lovely, but it doesn’t mean that you should use their words in a really public way without their say so.
  • And I finish by talking about why you should never, ever, ever fabricate a testimonial or endorsement.

And if you liked this, make sure you have a look at this blog all about six was to use testimonials.

Thank you so much for listening to this week’s podcast – if you’d like to leave a review on iTunes and/or subscribe, click the link below!

Subscribe to the Small & Supercharged podcast on iTunes
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5 ways to use testimonials

5 ways to use testimonials

Do you ask your customers for testimonials? If you don’t, now’s the time to start! You might feel like you’re asking people to stroke your ego, but you’re actually providing a service to potential customers. How? Well, think about testimonials. Do they normally share the same kind of information that you share? Mine don’t – have a look at some of my testimonials here and you’ll see. Would I say any of these things about myself? No. I wouldn’t. But more than that, these words show what it’s like to work WITH you, which is something I can’t really do. So you might be wondering what you can do when you have these amazing testimonials. So I’m here to help with five ways to use testimonials…

  1. On your website. I have a testimonials section on my website and I also feature a section on the homepage with a testimonials in a slider. This means that if someone wants to come to my website and find out what it’s like to work with me. They can. The side benefit of this area is that people get to see who I have worked/do work with too.
  2. On your social media. Add your testimonial (or a bit of it!) to a nice graphic (something you can do on Canva) and use it on your social media. Again, don’t feel icky about this. You really are providing a service to your potential customers about what it’s like to work with you.
  3. On your email signature. Signatures can be dead space. I know mine has my contact details and a disclaimer, but I have seen some people add testimonials here and they can look really good, and also link to your website too.
  4. In a blog. Yes, you can use a testimonial as the foundation of a blog all about your amazing client who shared the testimonial with you. It’s a great way to talk about their business, what they do, how good they are and so on. Add your testimonial at the bottom and thank them too.
  5. On printed material. Yes. Business cards, flyers and brochures can benefit from well placed testimonials alongside specific services and products. You don’t want to overdo it, but it can work really well!

As a tip, always make sure you have proper permission to use testimonials from clients. An email saying you’re amazing isn’t permission. Be really clear how you are planning to use their words and make sure they’re happy you do this. Also, it goes without saying that fabricated endorsements are a big fat no too… they have zero value if they’re not real!

Rhea Freeman Newsletter
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How to use testimonials – Six ways to use testimonials

This blog is all about how to use testimonials, helpfully assisted by an infographic I created for Pinterest. If you click on the infographic, you’ll be whisked over to Pinterest (well, you should be!) or,How to use testimonials if not, you can follow my pins here.

What’s the obsession with testimonials?

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about testimonials, in light of receiving three really lovely ones over recent weeks that made me smile a lot. It’s nice to have happy customers, and when they’re happy to write about you and tell the world their thoughts, well, it’s enough to make anyone feel warm and slightly fuzzy. Getting the testimonials is one things (and let’s not underestimate how nice the warm and fuzzy feeling is!), but what’s even better (for your business at least!), is utilising these testimonials properly, How to use testimonials? Well, you can use them in lots of different ways, but here are six easy ones and a crafty little tip too. Well, I say crafty. It’s not really crafty, but you’ll find it can work wonders…

How to use testimonials

  • Put them on your website. Make a special section for them (like this testimonials section) and point people to this area from your blog (see what I did there?)
  • Email signature. Want to take your testimonials to your customers? Consider including the most recent/best as part of an email signature.
  • Graphics. Who doesn’t love a graphic? Adding your testimonials to graphics is a great way to use them and, when done well, adds a nice touch to your social media mix.
  • On products. If your testimonial relates to a product, why not add it to your packaging? Or create some cards/flyers with your latest reviews and testimonials?
  • On video. Yep. Written testimonials are great, video testimonials are even better. And this actually opens a whole new door in the how to use testimonials house!
  • With credit. Always credit the person the testimonial came from. It adds more to it than you could think, and also lets you publicly thank the person who provided it.

And, if you’re really on it – why not encourage your customers to share their testimonials with their social media following? Add an incentive, thank people, be genuine, and you’ll be amazed at what you (and your customers) might be able to achieve and who they might be able to reach!

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How to get testimonials

How to get testimonialsIf you read my previous blog about testimonials, you might be wondering how you can get them. And I’m here to help you with that. So how do you get testimonials and how can you ask for them without feeling ‘weird’? Here’s a quick guide to how to get testimonials.

First of all-  do a good job. Yes I know goes without saying, but before you ask anybody for a testimonial, you need to make sure they’re happy with what you’ve done. Not least because the testimonial received back is likely to be a bit noncommittal if they aren’t! It’s also going to be a bit awkward if they’re not entirely happy! Moving on from this though…

  • Ask people for testimonials. Yes, you read that correctly. Ask people for testimonials. Don’t just assume that they’ll think to send them over and offer them. If you know that they are pleased with the work you do/have done, just ask if they’d mind sending over a few words that you could use. You’ll be amazed how quickly people say yes if they’re happy with the work you’ve done.
  • Make sure all testimonials are genuine. Do not fabricate them. They lose all value if they are made up.
  • Display a testimonial with pride – ideally create a section on your website where you can put the testimonial so people can find out more about you. Also say who the testimonial came from and, ideally, link to that person’s website too.
  • Thank people for the time they’ve taken to leave your testimonial and help you. Even if it’s just a line – they have decided to associate their brand with yours, so make sure you thank them.
  • Use your testimonials. Yes, put them online, but use them on your social media too, to reach your hard earned following – these people have already become part of your following, so let them find a bit more about you. You could also look to add them to your email signature (in rotation), on newsletters… you can actually make quite a lot out of a testimonial if you think about it the right way.

Do you have any tips? What was the best testimonial you have ever received? Please comment below! And never one to miss an opportunity (!), please have a look at my reviews and testimonials page here if you have a few moments to spare!

 

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Do testimonials matter?

Do testimonials matter? Actually, testimonials are more than a way to sell your services, they can give people confidence in what you do and also let people learn a little bit more about you without having to commit to hitting the ‘contact’ button. And if you’re not entirely convinced and feel a bit odd about testimonials, please have a read of the blog below. I think it might just change your mind.

Isn’t it boasting?

A while ago I did a video about power of testimonials. I’d had a brilliant testimonial come in from a client of mine – but I didn’t want to put it online. I know it sounds stupid, but I just felt that it was boasting. I had helped this lady and I loved working with her, and when I got the testimonial through it really did make me smile. But there was something that stopped me from sharing it. I didn’t want people to think I was boasting. How stupid is that?! I would metaphorically slap any client around the face who told me they were not going to publish a testimonial because they felt like that! The testimonial was in my inbox for number of weeks, just there, waiting for me to do something fitting with it. I kept looking at it and smiling. But I still couldn’t put it online. That was until something made me think.

What if you look at it differently…

A few weeks later, I was on Amazon looking at books. I am have a bit of an obsession with business books. I’m always looking for the next read. But how do you choose? There are literally thousands onDo testimonials matter? Amazon. You can read the description – but then what you do? Reviews. You look at the star rating each book has and then you click to see what people have written about it. You’re looking for them to say something that’s relatable to you, for you to think ‘yes that would be perfect for me – that is the area I would like to read more about’. As I was reading through the reviews left about a particular book, it didn’t cross my mind that author of the book was boasting. I was using the reviews to educate myself about what the book covered. And then it struck me. Testimonials are reviews. And how do people know what your services are like unless you tell them? Well, unless you find a way to let your clients tell them?

How do testimonials help potential clients?

I’m very lucky many of my clients actively tell people about me when they’re at shows and events. I really value this. But what about the people that don’t cross the paths of my clients? What about them? How do they know what I’m really like? Yes, there’s social media and my videos, but to work with – how do they know? When I thought about it properly, I decided that the testimonial was a review. These reviews added value to my clients, and they help my potential clients and interested parties. It was at that point I decided to put it online.

Did I receive hate mail and people blasting me for boasting? Nope. Not once. And has it helped my business? Oh yes. So in answer to the question ‘do testimonials matter?’ – I’m very confident in saying yes, they matter a lot!

I would love to hear your thoughts on testimonials and how you use them. Do you see them as reviews? Do you see them as boasting? Has this blog made you think a little differently?

 

 

 

 

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