Does your website feature up-to-date testimonials that convert prospects to clients? In this episode, Grace Griffith joins us to discuss how to gather testimonials that can serve as social proof for your business. We talk about what kinds of questions to ask, different ways to collect testimonials, and how to gather testimonials for a brand new launch.
Grace is a copywriter and messaging strategist for small businesses. She believes that marketing should be grounded in empathy and that good listening makes businesses stand out. She has so many insights to share and I know you will love our conversation.
Using Testimonials as Social Proof for Your Business
Testimonials are a valuable part of your website copy strategy, and it’s important to update them often. It’s easy to think about gathering testimonials as a one-and-done activity. However, as your business and offers evolve, it’s important to maintain up-to-date testimonials that will connect with prospective clients who land on your website.
How to Collect Testimonials That Say the Right Thing
There are several ways to collect testimonials, including:
Sending your clients a Google form to fill out
Collecting testimonials during webinars (in the comments)
Writing down what clients said during a face-to-face conversation
It’s important to be intentional about the questions you ask when you request testimonials. Think about the answers you want, and then phrase your questions so that you receive strategic responses.
You want your testimonials to “show don’t tell,” so you need to ask specific questions. Craft open-ended questions rather than yes or no questions. You want the answers to tell a story.
Start by taking your clients back to the problem they had before they hired you. Ask them:
What were you feeling at the time?
What was going through your mind before we started working together?
What were you looking for when you purchased this product?
Next, you want them to speak to the value that you provide and how you stand out from your competition. Ask them:
How was I able to help you?
What did we do together that really made a difference for you?
What about this product stood out to you compared to other solutions you’ve tried?
Can you tell me a story about this experience that really stood out for you?
Customers love filling out a list, so you can also ask them to list their answers. For example, you could ask them to list three things that stood out about your product or the experience working with you.
How to Ask For Quantifiable Data in Your Testimonials
You can craft testimonial questions that guide your customers to share about the specific returns they received from working with you. If you offer business coaching services, you can ask them to provide progress on specific KPIs that you expect your service to help them with.
How to Gather Testimonials For Your Next Launch
Launching a new product is always nerve-wracking because you don’t know how it will be received. Since you haven’t launched this particular offer before, you can’t collect testimonials about it. However, you can collect testimonials about your previous work that can help your next launch.
Start by thinking of ways you have provided value in the past. If your business is new, think about how you’ve used your skills in a past job or profession. Then, go to people you’ve worked with in the past and ask for a testimonial. Keep the questions focused on you and your contributions rather than a specific product or service.
Unpopular Opinion About Testimonials
Don’t be afraid to write testimonials for people. If someone said something kind to you, don’t be afraid to write it down and then send it to them for their approval. People are busy and often don’t have time to write testimonials themselves, but they still want to help you. Capturing what people say out loud and then asking them to approve the written version is a great way to gather new testimonials, and they will appreciate that you’ve saved them time.
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