Top Tips for Scoring Testimonials

BY Jessica Helinski
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How do you go about getting testimonials? Are you at ease with asking for them? Or, feeling uncomfortable, do you just wait until a client offers one? If it’s the latter, you may be missing great opportunities to increase your network and your sales. On his blog, Ian Brodie discusses the importance of good referrals, noting that a recent eConsultancy survey found 61% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision. Using reviews on your site could result in an 18% sales boost!

If you aren’t using reviews or testimonials to their full potential, it’s time to start! Brodie shares five detailed steps to getting usable, quality quotes from clients and other professionals. And, the first step is surprisingly easy: “Recover and reuse” past testimonials. Comb through past communications, such as emails, for compliments from others. Also, check for any potential testimonials on your LinkedIn page or social media posts. Get these hidden gems out in the open for others to see by posting them to your business page, social profiles and email signatures.

Prominently featuring testimonials sets the stage for even more testimonials. “One simple way to make sure you get more testimonials when you ask is to make sure your clients are expecting you to ask,” Brodie explains. Set expectations early, and then asking won’t be uncomfortable later. Showcasing testimonials lets others know you regularly ask for them and they are part of how you do business.

Look over his entire article to read other ways to set expectations, as well as the rest of his tips. And, as he reminds readers, “even though this might all seem like a lot of work, testimonials and reviews are among the most important drivers of sales…".


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