One of the things I am always flummoxed about (flummoxed – now isn’t that a good word? I should use it more often!) – is when I talk to fellow business owners about testimonials & they tell me they either ‘don’t need them’ or ‘feel awkward asking for them’.
Say WHAT? Are you NUTS?!
Not gathering testimonials for your business is just madness. But gathering testimonials that are always the same is equally nuts. Why? Because they become repetitive, unexciting & unbelievable very quickly.
You see there is a difference between gathering testimonials and gathering GREAT testimonials, and with just a few tweaks to how you approach it, you can start to make your testimonials really shine.
First, let’s remember what these testimonials are for:
It’s not an ego fest for you, it’s a way to show that you know your onions, that what you provide can make a real, tangible difference to who bought it from you, and an enticement for potential customers to make that jump from thinking about it to deciding to work with you.
Second, this social proof is one of the most valuable tools you have to establish & maintain credibility in your field. It’s all very well to call yourself the ‘best’, ‘the one and only’, ‘the UK’s number 1’ blah, blah, blah. But frankly, the proof is in the pudding and there is no escaping that. If your social proof doesn’t back up your own self promotion and hype, you’re going to look a right twonk.
And that’s the fastest way to destroy your brand AND your credibility.
Think about the last time you heard a testimonial being shared in a networking meeting for example. When somebody shares a testimonial in their networking introduction, they are immediately putting social proof out there for you to absorb and respond to.
As long as it is evidential.
Saying, ‘someone who worked with me said I was amazing’ sounds, well, unconvincing. How do I know you’ve not just made that up? How can I substantiate you are amazing if you are not going to tell me who else thinks you are?
Don’t hide behind ‘someone said’ – make that social proof really make it’s mark by telling people exactly who it is who thinks your amazing and what they said about you:
Thirdly – think carefully about where and how you share it. There is nothing worse than suddenly seeing every social channel that someone is active in being flooded with the same image & text at the same time. That’s just a very lazy share, and it dilutes your message.
Before you start sharing it, think about where it is going to be hosted. Which is your website. Create a dedicated Testimonials page to show off your social proof that you are, in fact, fabulous. Then think about where you are going to share it – and think strategically.
If your biggest and most engaged audience is on Facebook, then your first share should be to them. Don’t give the whole game away, pick a nugget, share that, and point them back to your Testimonials page:
‘Are you a waffling fool? I can help with that! Find out how now!
Then think about your other platforms and a drip feed of the same testimonial, just at different dates and times to spread the message around and target your audiences when they are most likely to engage.
Then rinse & repeat – take every opportunity you can to gather and share testimonials – you can download my tip sheet, 5 Steps to Great Testimonials right here, and a guide as to what to post and when across your social channels here too.
After all, if your customers think you are totally amazeballs – you don’t want to keep that to yourself, do you?