How to Get More Testimonials and Use Them
Testimonials are an exceptional selling tool. They tell potential buyers that you’re trustworthy. They tell potential buyers that your product or service fulfills its promise.
Testimonials tell potential customers that you have credibility. And they tell potential customers what they want to hear – that you really can solve their problems.
Testimonials are an effective buying trigger because they offer information about your product or service that you just can’t offer yourself. It’s like a personal recommendation, and it’s worth the effort to get quality testimonials and to use them.
How Do You Get More Testimonials?
It’s quite simple, actually. You ask for them. Most people are afraid to ask for testimonials. They feel it’s pushy or they fear being rejected. The truth is, most customers are happy to give them; they just don’t think about offering.
Think about when you have a good or bad experience with a company. If you have a bad experience, you want to shout it from the rooftops. You write reviews; you tell your friends and associates. Maybe you even write a complaint to the company.
When you have a good experience, you say thank you. Generally, we don’t talk as much about the good news as we do about the bad news. However, if someone asks us, we’ll go on for hours about our positive experiences.
So in order to get more testimonials you have to ask. You’ll, of course, ask all of your happy customers. However, consider also asking experts in your industry to provide a testimonial. Send them a free product or offer a service, then collect the testimonial.
It’ll have more power because it’s coming from someone people like and respect. Can you imagine what a ringing endorsement it would be if Martha Stewart wrote a testimonial for your home organization business?
Be Prepared
Many people just don’t know what to say, so consider being prepared with a pre-written testimonial. If they agree that they stand behind the information, they just need to provide a signature and a link. You can then post the testimonial and consider it valid.
Position Your Testimonials Well
There are some key places to position your testimonials. One such location is on your sales page. The testimonials will serve to support a prospect’s buying decision. You can also use them in your newsletter and in email communications.
Consider also creating a separate page on your website with testimonials. Place the strongest and most compelling testimonials prominently where they’re sure to be read. To your success!
How to Get More Clients Fast
If you’re a service provider or coach, you may be looking to grow your business quickly. After all, the fuller your schedule, the more you can be sure you’re financially secure. To get more clients fast, there are three sure-fire ways to go about it.
Referral System
Referrals are when someone, generally a happy client, tells another person about your business. As a service provider or coach, you can have an informal referral program or a formal one.
An informal referral program is pretty easy. You simply ask your current customers if they know of anyone who could benefit from your services. They may send people your direction or give you a few names to contact. Many businesses grow this way.
A formal referral program is a reward-based program. Anyone who refers a new customer to you would receive a reward. The reward could be a discount on your services or it could be a freebie.
For example, if you’re a writer you might offer anyone who refers new clients to you a free ten-page report or $25 off their next order. A formal referral program requires that people sign up for the program. You might send a monthly newsletter to members to remind or motivate them to refer new clients.
Regardless of the system you choose, referrals work quite well to get more clients fast because they’re coming from a trusted source.
If you ask someone where to go to eat and they tell you the name of a restaurant they like, you’re more likely to go there than to an unfamiliar place because it’s been recommended to you. You trust the information.
Affiliates
The second way to get more clients fast is to start an affiliate program. Affiliates are people who agree to promote your services in exchange for a commission. It requires a bit more work than a referral program; however, it can be extremely effective.
Affiliates market your business for you and they drive traffic to your website. For every new client, they earn a paycheck. It’s a good system. To help them succeed you may provide them with marketing content, advertisements and other information to use on their website.
Partnerships
The third and final way to get more clients fast is to forge a partnership with other complementary businesses. For example, if you’re a writer you might partner with a website designer. Their clients will need content for their website and your clients may need a website redesign. It’s a win-win situation.
To get more clients fast, take advantage of your current assets. What partnerships can you forge, and what clients can you ask for referrals and recommendations?