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How to Get Clients Testimonials for Your Services and Products ...

What convinces you to buy? The price? The quality? Or is it the testimonials .. ?

Business referrals in the form of testimonials are probably the most overlooked and under-appreciated form of marketing ...

People read sales pages different ways ...

  • There are the "skimmers, who just read all the headlines while scrolling through a page.
  • There are the price conscious, who read the headline, and scroll through to the price.
  • Some people actually read the whole page ...
  • and then there are those who study any testimonials.

Perhaps not for you, but for many people, testimonials are what push potential buyers in to making a purchase.

But how to increase the odds of getting usable testimonials?

I know from experience that even by selling great products, very few people are bothered to say thank you --- they just want to get on with their lives.

So here's something to share with you that may help you get those customer testimonials -

Originally put together for a friend who runs his own Garage, a simple form that can be handed out with the product/service receipt, perhaps with a stamped addressed envelope, and your best winning smile! (Or turned in to an email request!)

How did we do?
Let Our Future Customers Know - Share Your Thoughts Here:

1. Helpful Suggestion -
What makes Garage Names's service different to other garages …
Example:
Garage is great at advising me what needs to be done on my car in the future, does a great service on it for now, and doesn't try to over sell me on anything.

 

2. Helpful Suggestion -
Why is your last statement so important to you …
Example:
I know that my car is going to be in good health, can plan for any future expenses, and save money!

 

3. Helpful Suggestion -
Compare the service you get with Garage with previous garages ...
Example:
I'm now spending less on my servicing with Garage than before, and my car is running better.

 

4. Helpful Suggestion -
What is the one thing that makes Garage stand out for you compared to other garages …
Example:
I trust "John"at Garage with my car - not something that I could have said with some other garages I've used.

 

Full Name:
Address:

Date:

Signature:

I agree that Garage may use my testimonial for advertising as long as only my initials and not full name are used.

 

How to get Client Testimonials ... What convinces you to buy? The price? The quality? Or is it the testimonials? Business referrals in the form of testimonials are probably the most overlooked and under-appreciated form of marketing.

 

If you want to design your own testimonial request from scratch ... here's the formula:

  1. Get the customer to say what's in it for them - what benefits do they get from using XXX.
  2. Work on those benefits - why are they so important to the customer.
  3. Get the customer to make a comparison with other services/products.
  4. What is unique/special about your service/product

More you can do ...

Is the customer important - in society, in your field ... a doctor, managing director ...
Ask their permission to use their full name, title, company name ...
Offer a description of their service and your own mini-testimonial alongside theirs ... mutual benefits ...

Once you've started amassing these, use them to imply longevity - "back in 2003 XXX used our service and said ... "

How the company has improved -
" xxxxxTestimonialxxxxx - We now offer even more/for less blah de blah "

Theme them - Group testimonials into themes / niche marketing:
Cost cutting potential
Profit potential
Life enhancing

General
Tailor each testimonial form to deal with specific topics you want testimonials for.

Information that you may consider including:

Relationship disclosure
There was no known compensation or other consideration given to the writer of this testimonial.

You may feel that this brings up a subject that you'd rather not remind the reader about - or may consider it better to pre-empt any thoughts the reader might have about the authenticity of your testimonials - it's up to you ...

Have a website?
Just turn it into an online form!

Good luck.

 

 

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