Leveraging Testimonials

Below is a recent testimonial I have received from Libby Wagner, President of Libby Wagner & Associates.

“Don’t think for a minute that having a great, value-laden website is a nice-to-have business tool but doesn’t really impact your business results or revenues. My website has increased my brand and credibility, created opportunities for new business, including a six-figure contract and two keynotes just in the past 6 months! Potential clients are calling with their buying decision already made!”

This testimonial was also featured in our most recent newsletter.

Pretty powerful stuff you would probably agree. Not only do I take tremendous pride in receiving such testimonial, but the true essence for me, is our ability to lead and help our clients generate powerful results and reach higher level of success in their business and be rewarded for that.

So with that in mind, how effective are you in soliciting testimonials from your clients and how do you then leverage it in your business. Here is my take:

1. It is great to receive unsolicited testimonials from your clients. The way I believe to increase such is to share stories with your clients of the ones you have received. And when that testimonial arrives, I like to follow-up with a thank you note to my client.
2. When I hear my clients share their success story with me, it is the trigger I need to hear to request a testimonial. The language I usually use is: “Thank you for sharing your success with me. It delights me to hear this. If I may, I would like to share something with you. The way our business grows is when others hear success stories, such as the one you just shared with me. It would me the world to me, if you would be willing to write us a testimonial outlining the outcome we have generated for your business and place it on your letterhead.”
3. When presented with the opportunity, I would also ask my clients for their willingness to video record a short testimonial. I would suggest you bring a professional videographer or use a flip video to do it yourself. The perfect opportunity to do this is at the end of your speeches such as in my previous post.
4. Pull out the most powerful sentence or two and display on your testimonial page as well as on various applicable pages. If the testimonial refers to your consulting, why not place it also on that page.
5. Scan the testimonial letterhead received and place a link for the visitor to be able to view the entire scanned testimonial.
6. Why not frame the testimonials and hang them to display proudly and prominently in your office.
7. Include them in your PR kit when you need to send it out.
8. Blog about them.
9. Refer to them in your discussions and speeches. “I was chatting with one of my clients who proudly shared with me that …”
10. Finally, make sure to share with your clients what makes for an effective and powerful testimonial. Let them know that it is not the one that talks about how many years your are in business or how nice your new web site looks. You are looking for the one that describes the outcome and results you have generated for your clients.