Testimonials are so important because prospective clients and customers are always looking for “social proof” before they pull out their credit cards!

It’s one thing for you to talk about your clients’ results, but it will never be as powerful as what they say about their results.

Social proof can take the form of case studies, success stories, testimonials, endorsements, press mentions, and even social media “kudos.”

In today’s social world, information travels faster and reaches further than ever, and happy clients and customers are your best, unpaid sales force. This gives you even more reason to give your best in everything that you do, and it also makes social proof no longer optional.

Testimonials also provide an excellent opportunity to answer customer and client objections before they buy. The biggest question on their mind is: “Does this really WORK??”

They want to see success stories… but do you have amazing testimonials to share with them?

Here are three simple keys for getting incredible testimonials about your products, programs and services.

1. Make it Complete.

People are naturally skeptical when first deciding to make a purchase. It’s important to use testimonials that include the customer’s first and last name if possible, as well as their location, website and photo. A prospect’s mind is eased when they see that other “real” folks have come before them!

By the way, if the product or service is new, you can use testimonials you have received about other offerings until you’ve gathered new ones. Also, consider asking colleagues or clients to be “beta testers” of your new offering in exchange for feedback.

2. Make it Results-Based.

There are two different types of testimonials: the kind that simply says: “Jane was really nice to work with!” and the kind that focuses on bottom-line results.

In order to be sure that a client or customer’s feedback is the results-based kind, it’s very helpful to prompt them with specific questions when asking for a testimonial.

For example, in order to show what their biggest objections were (which others will most likely have), you can ask: “What hesitations did you have about joining/purchasing/hiring me for ______?”

To showcase tangible results, ask about what changes they experienced. Percentages, numbers or anything quantifiable is what you’re going for—this helps prospects picture themselves achieving similar outcomes.

Additionally, asking about how they’ve benefited, what specific features they most enjoyed, and whether they would recommend you, the product or the program to others will help create a very powerful testimonial for you.

3. Make it a Habit.

Ask for feedback regularly, and gather and showcase it every chance you get! Make it a habit to ask for testimonials during or immediately after someone has used your product or service or taken your program. It’s a good idea to also include a deadline by which you would like to have their feedback.

You can also capture testimonials on video if you deliver services in-person, or via audio by calling your client or customer and letting them know you will be interviewing them and recording it.

For social media kudos, if you’re a WordPress user, you can use the Tweetstimonials plugin. For testimonials left on your blog or Facebook, taking screenshots works great.

Additional testimonial best practices:

• Do bold or highlight specific results and objections
• Do get permission to edit testimonials if needed
• Do be sure your testimonials speak to the desires, challenges and results of your ideal clients and customers
• Don’t forget that part of the appeal of sharing your client’s testimonial is any amount of exposure they would not have otherwise received on your site, in your newsletter, etc. Be sure to mention this to them!

Most of all, make collecting testimonials a HABIT going forward in your business!

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below about how YOU get amazing testimonials!