“When you say something about yourself it’s bragging. When other people say it about you – it’s proof!” (Jeffrey Gitomer)
How good are you at collecting testimonials from your happy customers?
Great? Then well done, keep it up!
You’re in the minority though! Many business owners simply never get around to it, or are a little bit nervous about asking or don’t do anything with them once they’ve got them.
Here are some ‘off the top of my head’ thoughts when it comes to testimonials.
Ten Testimonial Tips
1) ASK! Even your most satisfied customers will need a friendly prompt.
2) Construct a customer feedback form that makes it easy to gather juicy quotes – and have a tick box that asks if you can use their quotes in public. This means you’re gathering their positive feedback at the very moment you’re completing a fabulous job for the customer.
3) Double check you have permission to use the quote.
4) Never make them up! If you’re the sort that has to make up testimonials, I’d seriously worry about your business model!
5) Make sure you quote the giver’s name (and company if relevant) – this gives much more credibility than unnamed quotes.
6) Try and get a testimonial that overcomes a typical buyer objection i.e. something like…”initially I thought the price was high, but bought it anyway and soon came to realise that it was fantastic value for money”
7) Capture off the cuff remarks. The next time a customer tells you something great about your product ask “Can I quote you on that?” Then – write up their quote, email it to them for their approval and there you go – another wonderful testimonial!
8) If you can get a video testimonial these can be very powerful. No excuse nowadays with inexpensive flip cameras and even smartphones providing good enough quality. A one minute video testimonial can be extremely powerful to your sales success.
9) Never think you’re too late to get a testimonial. Sometimes the effect of a testimonial can be more powerful if you can harness a comment that contains something like “now, six months after xxxx, the benefits are really coming through”. Depending on your product or service these can mean much more than an instant testimonial done at the time.
10) USE THEM! Don’t just collate testimonials and keep them in a folder. Use them on your website, flyers, brochure, exhibition boards, the bottom of emails, the company van!
Hope these help!
Until next time.
Leigh
PS: You can now get the Essential Sales System DVD’s on a Download!!! (Just £29.95)
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Leigh Ashton 
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