As a mom, personal recommendations are a constant lifesaver. When my boys were younger, knowing what teething tablets or diaper rash cream to buy made all the difference between smooth(er) days and sleepless nights. And now that they’re older, I still rely on recommendations from other moms to get them what’s tried and true.
It all comes down to trust: If these moms say a product is effective (and worth buying!), then I’m a convert. And I’m not alone: 70% of Americans say they look at product reviews before making a purchase.
You can use the power of trust when it comes to marketing your business. Reviews and testimonials are the gateway to building that trust with your potential customers—and quickly deepening a relationship that might have been started with a simple “like.” Plus, when you consider the fact that 63% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product reviews, you start to realize what a huge impact these strategies can have on your business.
But how do you collect the right reviews and testimonials that both build trust AND convert leads? I’ll show you how in my newest blog video.
Enjoy—and make sure to let me know about your latest rave reviews in the comments!
Great share, Pam! I love the idea of keeping a customer database of client success stories. Great way to not only keep track of testimonials and/or prospective testimonials, but also to ensure we are creating happy, satisfied customers. We can use it as a ‘measuring stick’.
Personally, I often get caught up in my own success, not my customers’, and keeping THEIR successes at the forefront of my business sounds so much less burdensome and like a lot more fun! Thanks for the post! Have a great weekend 🙂
Thanks Susan! That’s definitely the big thing – it makes business more fun and less stressful when you’re focused on helping others and making your clients and customers the stars – as that is what we’re in business for! Have a great weekend yourself! 😉
Great info. Love the 5 step approach.
I’m a mortgage lender in the Sacramento, CA area. I’ll be applying your information to a video testimonial from a recent client. I’ll send it along if you like.
Again, great job. Much appreciated.
Steve K.
Steve – would love to have you send it over! Great job in asking for the testimonial – that is certainly the most important step. 🙂
i am used to just the working part, now than I’m a business owner I am experiencing a huge learning curve to say the least. My first puter was in 09 now I write this on my iPad so I am making progress in some areas. Much more to learn and I follow you through your emails to help me learn and see a different perspective, men and women think a bit differently.
My goal is to create more time to do what I want and like in life and in my business I get to do what I love, working with live sound. It is a fun way to earn a living but I want more.
Thank you for words of wisdom and your pearls.
Dave
Kessaudio
Thanks for your comment Dave! The entrepreneurial journey is definitely not a straight line but the benefits are so very worth it! Just take it one step at a time and create a strong support network around you. Community is so important as many business owners try to “go it alone” and that makes things a lot harder. Keep in touch!
Great post, Pam and a really timely one. Thanks for the doc outlining the five steps. Your thoroughness is much appreciated! I love that you covered this topic. For a while I’ve been loosely referring to this as the Age of Recommendation because as you point out, referrals are sooo important. What’s even better is to be able to direct those recommendations, as you’ve outlined, so that they accomplish great things for our businesses. Thank you, again.
Thanks Margy – I LOVE the phrase “Age of Recommendation” – well done! The more advanced and prevalent technology becomes, the more people crave connection, transparency and trust. I appreciate you taking the time to share! 🙂
Hi Pam,
thanks for sharing. Coincides with Jeanne’s email to the MRM Certs highlighting the same topic.
Given that I still have relatively few clients / successes with clients it’s even more important.
Do you have any experience / recommendations related to LinkedIn and how to use it there?
Thanks.
Hey Michael, yes this is a great way to build trust and social proof especially when you’re smaller and growing. I don’t have a ton of experience with LinkedIn. I’m sure there’s a way to maximize endorsements there but from my limited experience it seems like everyone endorses everyone for everything so I just don’t think it carries the weight that a personalized testimonial (ideally video) does that you can share on media you own (which is much more powerful) – where your client can lay out there whole story. I think getting some recommendations there are good but I think that stand alone endorsements, or even case studies, are much more effective. Putting it together in a testimonial reel if you can get video is a great thing to add to your sales presentations. Let me know if you run across any strategies specific to LI there!
Pam thank you
Always very good advice that I begin to apply here in my area.
Here in France, local businesses are still too focused on their products or services.
From my side, and as a client recently told me “I take my responsibilities.” I have nothing to hide. I decided to talk first of my clients and the results they have achieved with my services.
It’s not easy to do here because it is a change of paradigm!
The French do not like to communicate their success in general.
But it is clear that in a few months, I myself stood out from the competition! My company continued to gain credibility. Social proof is very powerful.
Luc
PS: Very Happy Birthday ^^
Merci, Luc! It’s a great point about different cultures and it makes total sense. I think finding the ways that you can get your audience to communicate in ways that the culture will respond is important – as I’m guessing your market will also respond to a different type of testimonial, too. Thanks for bringing this up!
Excellent video Pam and very timely as I have now completed a number of successful book projects that I can get testimonials from. I love the interview questions but if we are only able to grab one short testimonial because of time, how would we structure that question to get the most out of it.
Could you add your sample release to the transcript so we have a good example to work with.
Getting a signed release is important, but most of my clients are interacted with over skype and often on the other side of the planet. I guess they could sign a word doc and the take a picture of it and email it. Thinking about how to make that process as easy as possible
Great information, thank you
Hey Bruce, Thanks for your note! I’m not an attorney so rather than provide the release I use I’m going to recommend that you work with a licensed professional (I will say that personally I believe a short, 1 page release works best). There are also a lot of companies who provide e-sign capabilities (inexpensively). Also scanning and email docs with signatures is pretty common practice – I know I do it all the time for clients and financial stuff. If I could only ask one question here’s what I’d ask: “What specifically is the single biggest result/change/benefit you achieved as a result of this program?” I also believe in the power of getting out 3 questions as part of 1 question – i.e. stack them as one question – “Where were you before this program and what has been the single biggest result/change/benefit you achieved as a result?” Great questions! Thanks!
thank you Pam, good idea on the stacking your questions
thanks,
Love It Love It.. Need Your Help.. Promoting CHINA To Tauranga New Zealand 200 M Chines Traveling This Year.. Take Care out.
I got a great, unsolicited, testimonial but it’s for my consulting, not a derived web-based product. Is it worth referencing?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvuzPQ44kME
Cheers!
-D
Thanks for sharing! There are 3 types of testimonials that you want to get: (1) overall testimonials about you (credibility and trust) (2) testimonials about your company (3) specific testimonials about your product or service. So only using a testimonial about a product that’s different from what you’re selling would be a disconnect but I would keep this for future use (when selling consulting) and also go back and ask if he’d give you a personal testimonial about you as well. If he did this much for you unsolicited, I’m willing to bet he’ll give you a good personal testimonial as well. Finally, I’d suggest creating a simple one-sheet that gives some instructions for how to record good web video that you can send out in advance to anyone recording for you. For example, there’s an app (apple itunes store) called “Webcam Settings” – it’s a few dollars and I recommend it to anyone recording a video for me from their computer (if they don’t have a webcam) – this helps folks adjust their settings off their built-in camera. I also point out where to put the light (in front of them), how to ensure eye contact, etc. In other words 3-4 simple things they can do to produce a higher quality video. I know this testimonial was unsolicited (which is awesome) so you didn’t have the opportunity to give that kind of input – but if you go back to him, you can make some suggestions on lighting. Great job – it’s always nice when people reach out proactively to acknowledge the impact you’ve had!
Thank you!
Excellent advice, and I will follow up with Jim; AND acquiring “WebCam Settings.
Today.
-David
Pam,.
Thank you for those powerful tips. I feel suspended, as I am transitioning from Mentoring Parents (written a book on that) to working with Women in transition. I feel that I can’t really partake of any information as I am seeking to repurpose the book. I sense that I can use the Mentor aspect as a
mainstay, but don’t feel ready to reach out to market anything amdist this confusion.
Arlene Karian
Hello Pam, I really enjoy the information that you share here. Mainly because you can implement the suggestions into your business right away. The nuggets you provided in this segment struck home because a lot of times when you start a business and you’re trying to make it grow, you will tend to focus on the product(s) or service(s) more so than engaging with the customer(s). I know I had to change my mindset about it because eventually people will see through it and your business will end up suffering due to your concentration business, business, business, and not the consumer who matters the most.
Hi Pam – great video! Thanks for this info on obtaining testimonials. I am wondering if you could advise – I have changed the focus of my coaching business in the last couple of years so don’t actually have very many testimonials regarding this exact business focus.
What would your suggestions be for presenting the testimonials I do have so that current prospective customers can relate?