Testimonials are very good to use in your business to show credibility, proof of delivery and increase trust for your service or product. Here are some tips on what to think about when asking your customers for testimonials.

Tips When Asking For Testimonials

Testimonials are very good to use in your business to show credibility, proof of delivery and increase trust for your service or product. I want to give you some tips on what to think about when asking your customers for testimonials.

Why and for whom

The aim is to have your potential prospects to recognize themselves in the testimonial.
Testimonials should mirror images of objections and workaround perceived objections that your prospects might have before making a purchase decision.
Good testimonials don’t just capture the end result, they capture the struggles and objections at the beginning too. Describe customer experience.
Who is your “target customer”- remember – that’s who your testimonials should be aiming for.

Structure the testimonials

Here is a suggestion on how you can structure the testimonials. Use it as a guide so that your customer know what to talk about when you are asking for a testimonial. There are three steps: Before, Then and Now.

Before

Describes what life was like before they started working with your product or service.
Was it chaotic? Stressful? Frustrating? Be specific – detailed but concise. Use facts (sales figures) and emotional content (frustration, stress).

Then

Spell out what the process of working with you was like. If you’ve got a specific system for solving your typical customers’ problems or solution, have them mention it, by name if possible. What did you help them do that they couldn’t do on their own?

Now

The ultimate benefits, both tangible and intangible by using your product or service. What improved? Does your customers’ accomplish more now in less time or with less effort? Be detailed but concise, and don’t forget to have them mentioning intangible benefits like peace of mind.

Guiding questions

Here are some questions that can help your customer when they create a testimonial for you:

What was the obstacle that would have prevented you from buying this product? (or What was your main concern about buying this product or service?)
What specific feature did you like most about this product or service?
What are three other benefits of this product?
Would you recommend this product? If so, why?
Is there anything you’d like to add?

Make it easy for your customer

You want to make it easy for your customers to make testimonials. Give them questions that they can deliver value in. Here are other questions you can use:

What was the moment you “knew” you had made the right choice with choosing/using this product or service? What was it that proved to you that you were getting real value out of the product or service?
What was the problem you needed to solve?
How did the product or service solve your problem?
How would you summarize the experience as a whole?
Would you recommend the product or solutions to others? If so, to who?

Another template that you can use is a template that your customer just need to fill in the blanks in:

I approached [businessname] because …

[businessname] helped me by …

The result was …

One thing I liked was their …

I found the experience …

I would recommend [businessname] to people who need …

When recording the video

Make sure the video duration isn’t less than 40 seconds and not longer than 120 seconds.
60-80 seconds is a perfect duration.
Don’t forget to have your customer state:
Their name, title, company, and location
Talk about how positive experience they had with your product or service.
Or work with questions earlier identified.

What kind of testimonial?

There are different kinds of testimonials that you can ask your customer to make. Make sure that you know how to use them and where. The different kinds are:

Video
Interview testimonials
Mashup testimonials
Influencers testimonial
Written
Social media (recommendations LinkedIn)
Quotes
Case studies/success stories
Interview
Shall you include a picture?

Testimonial sign off

Signing off the testimonial with your customer is the most important step in the whole process, always sign off with your customer. They have the right to ask you remove it at any time.

Think of this:

Have the testimonial approved by the individual in writing.
Describe how you will use the testimonial and where.

Good luck with your testimonials.

All the best,

Carina Asp

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