Introduction
In today’s digital landscape, customer testimonials have become the holy grail of marketing. Potential clients are far more likely to trust the word of your existing customers than any self-promotional claims you make about your products or services. In fact, 79% of shoppers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
This shift in consumer behavior means that your business can no longer afford to overlook the power of testimonials. But the key is not just to have testimonials – it’s to actively solicit them from your satisfied clients. After all, as the old saying goes, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore six proven strategies to help you effectively ask for and collect testimonials that will drive more sales and grow your business. From crafting the perfect email request to leveraging the power of video, you’ll walk away with a toolbox of tactics to turn your customer base into a team of brand evangelists.
1. Identify the Optimal Timing
The first step in your testimonial-gathering process is to pinpoint the right moment to reach out to your clients. Ideally, you want to strike while the iron is hot – when your customers are feeling most satisfied and enthusiastic about your offerings.
Take a close look at your client journey and identify key milestones or moments of success. Perhaps it’s after they’ve onboarded your software and started seeing tangible results, or maybe it’s following the completion of a high-profile project. Whenever that point of delight occurs, that’s your cue to pounce.
“Analyze your customer base and the journey they take with your product or service to determine when might be the optimal time to ask for a testimonial,” advises the experts at HubSpot. “Ideally, you ask for testimonials after the customer experiences success with your product or service — so they’re happy with their results and with your working relationship when they sit down to write or film a testimonial.”
2. Decide on Automation vs. Manual Outreach
Once you’ve pinpointed the right timing, you’ll need to determine whether an automated or manual approach will work best for your business.
Automated email campaigns can be an efficient way to collect testimonials at scale, especially if you have a large customer base. By setting up a series of triggered messages, you can ensure that every client who hits a certain milestone receives a polite request for a testimonial.
On the other hand, a more personalized, one-on-one approach may yield higher-quality testimonials, particularly from your most valued customers. This could involve a phone call, a handwritten note, or a face-to-face meeting – whatever aligns best with your existing relationship.
“Depending on when you determine the best time to send the testimonial request to your customers, you might find email automation to be a better fit,” says HubSpot. “However, if you’re a customer success manager or account manager who works closely with customers on a regular basis, it might be better for you to determine when is the optimal time to send the request based on your conversations.”
3. Offer Incentives (Tastefully)
Let’s face it – your customers are busy people, and asking them to take time out of their schedules to sing your praises may feel like a big imposition. That’s why it’s often helpful to sweeten the pot with a little incentive.
Now, we’re not talking about outright bribery here. You don’t want to create a scenario where customers feel compelled to say nice things in exchange for a reward. Instead, think of it as a token of appreciation for their time and effort.
This could take the form of a gift card, a discount on a future service, or even just a shoutout on your social media channels. The key is to make it feel like a genuine thank-you, not a quid pro quo arrangement.
“An easy way to do this is by providing an incentive for submitting a testimonial — like a gift card of their choosing, or company swag,” explains HubSpot. “If that isn’t possible for you or your company to do, write out a compelling request email (hint: use one of the templates below) to explain how you will both benefit from their submitting a testimonial to convince them.”
4. Offer Multiple Submission Options
When it comes to collecting testimonials, one size does not fit all. Different customers may prefer different methods of sharing their feedback, so it’s important to give them options.
Some may feel most comfortable jotting down a few sentences in an email, while others might prefer the opportunity to record a short video. You could even invite them to participate in a live interview on your social media channels or contribute to a guest post on your blog.
The key is to make the process as seamless and convenient as possible. Provide clear instructions and easy-to-use submission forms, and be willing to work with your customers to find the format that works best for them.
“Give your customers the option to write or film their testimonials for your website,” advises HubSpot. “Personal preference or accessibility might make different methods of submission easier for different customers, so make sure you’re enabling customers to give you a glowing testimonial, no matter what the format.”
5. Craft Thoughtful Interview Questions
The specific wording and phrasing of a testimonial can have a huge impact on its effectiveness. That’s why it’s important to carefully craft the questions you ask your customers, guiding them to share the most impactful and persuasive details.
Rather than simply asking, “How did you like working with us?” try posing more open-ended, story-eliciting questions. For example:
- “What challenges were you facing before you discovered our product/service?”
- “What made you decide to partner with our company?”
- “Can you describe the specific ways our solution has benefited your business?”
- “What has surprised you most about your experience with us?”
By encouraging your customers to share their personal narratives, you’ll end up with testimonials that feel genuine, relatable, and highly compelling to prospective clients.
“Open-ended questions work best so that you can avoid one-word responses,” says HubSpot. “Choose questions that not only reflect on their sentiments about working with you but also draw out their story: the pain that led them to search for a solution, what made them choose you as a provider, what they hoped to gain, and what their experience was like along the way.”
6. Leverage the Power of Video
While written testimonials certainly have their place, video testimonials can be an incredibly powerful tool for building trust and credibility. After all, there’s something undeniably compelling about seeing and hearing a real person share their positive experience.
If you have the resources, consider offering to film a professional-quality video testimonial with your clients. This could involve a formal in-person or virtual interview, or a simple “selfie-style” recording on their end. The key is to make the process as easy and seamless as possible.
“Video testimonials are usually more powerful than written testimonials,” notes the reference article. “Most people won’t do video testimonials, but some are fine with it. You won’t know unless you ask. A video testimonial can be a simple 15-30 second video selfie.”
The Satisfaction Guarantee Guide to Light Up Your Strategy
Conclusion: Elevate Your Testimonial Game
In today’s competitive business landscape, customer testimonials have become an essential ingredient for success. By proactively soliciting feedback from your satisfied clients, you can tap into a powerful source of social proof that will help you attract new customers and solidify your reputation as an industry leader.
The six strategies outlined in this guide – from optimizing your timing to offering incentives to leveraging video – provide a comprehensive framework for building a robust testimonial collection process. By implementing these tactics, you’ll be well on your way to unlocking the full potential of this valuable marketing asset.
So what are you waiting for? Start reaching out to your customers today and let their voices do the selling for you.