Let your satisfied clients help you sell your product or service.
Prospective clients often look for “third party” endorsements of potential vendors. Prospects want to be assured that the individuals and firms they buy from are not only technically competent, but also credible and reliable. So why not gather client testimonials to demonstrate past clients’ satisfaction with your products or services?
Client testimonials are frequently displayed in a variety of ways:
- As framed letters in high visibility locations in your office.
- In marketing materials (as excerpts or as attachments to proposals).
- On company websites.
- As recommendations on social media services such as Linkedin.
To gather client testimonials, make quality assurance interviews a routine part of your ongoing communication with clients. Whenever they say something positive, ask them if they would be willing to write a testimonial for you. Ask for either a written letter or an online recommendation (whichever you prefer), and tell them that you’d like to post it on office wall and website as well. Most often, satisfied clients will be happy to help.
Here’s a couple of tips for using client testimonials effectively:
- Frame client testimonial letters, on their letterhead, and hang them in your reception area and conference rooms.
- Offer to clients to write a rough draft for them – and be sure to summarize what they said, not adding your own comments.
- Be careful not to edit your client comments when transferring to your website. Excerpts are expected, but editing can appear that you are “putting words in their mouth.”
- Make it a habit to write Linkedin recommendations for others. Make your recommendations truthful and sincere, and the favor will be returned.
- Get permission in advance to use your client’s testimonial in various forms (web site, marketing materials, etc.).
