Customer Testimonial Tips
By Ariel Heart
Using customer testimonials can be very effective in securing business, especially from your website. When a person visits your website, they have very little idea about what to expect from you or your service. Testimonials from other customers can be a tipping point in a decision. Think of how many books you were persuaded to purchase because of a testimonial quoted on the book cover. The television shopping networks regularly have people call in to tell how they liked the product. The largest video exercise outlet (Collage Video) uses customer testimonials throughout their website and catalogs. In essence, you are making a more formal request for that "word-of-mouth" advertising from your satisfied customers. So how is the best way to start collecting such valuable quotes to use on your website?
1) Identify who you are going to ask for testimonials.
Satisfied customers of course. Especially any persons whose profession is in some way complimentary to yours or if their names are recognized by others in your community.
2) Decide the questions you want them to answer.
Don't simply ask if your customer could write you a testimonial, but be specific. Examples of what to ask for include:
* Their opinion of your product/service
* A description of how they used your product/service and what happened as a result
* How often they use your product/service
* Why they use it
* What they think the best things about it are
* Who they would recommend it to
* What they would recommend it for
3) You can clean them up.
Often times you only need one nugget from all the material you get. You must keep true to the meaning and intent of the original. For instance you can remove unnecessary wording such as "Basically", "I would say", "I guess" just to tighten it up. You are only tidying the quote, not writting it to your preference.
4) Ask for permission when you have the quote you will use.
Once you have tidied up the responses, you will want to send a thank you for their taking the time to answer the questions and mention that you are considering using some quotes from customers on your website or in your brochure. Mention that you would like to use "yada, yada yada" from them, if they have no objection. You may even wish to give a deadline, "if I don't hear otherwise from you by mm/dd/yy then I will expect that you have no objection to my using your quote."
5) Keep customer approved quotes together in a file.
6) Use them in any print or online marketing effort.
Have a testimonials page on your website. Intersperse them throughout your print media. Remember, this is your word-of-mouth advertising. You may even have a flier, pamphlet, or sign that is mostly testimonials. Consider the usually blank back page of a brochure becoming filled with testimonials! Put one or two on the back of your business cards.
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