Strengthen your marketing strategy with testimonials from satisfied clients.
Testimonials on your website, brochure or other marketing materials give your business credibility because they come not from you, but from objective sources. And they can give you a competitive advantage, says Rosemary Smyth, coach and owner of Victoria-based Rosemary Smyth and Associates, because relatively few advisors use them.
Smyth offers this advice for adding testimonials to your marketing plan:
> Ask clients who offer feedback
Clients who already sing your praises are the best sources for testimonials.
When someone gives you unsolicited positive feedback, whether over the phone during a meeting, that’s a good time to ask for a testimonial, Smyth says.
> Guide the process
Give the client guidelines for what should be in the testimonial.
Suggest questions to steer the client toward the kind of content you’re looking for, Smyth says. Ask questions such as:
– Why would you choose me as an advisor?
– How have I helped you?
– What qualities about me stand out for you?
Ask the client to write three or four sentences.
> Tell them what to expect
Reassure your clients by telling them exactly what information will appear with their testimonial, and where it will appear, Smyth says.
Tell your clients specifically whether the testimonial will be used on a website or a newsletter, says Smyth. Also, let them know when it will appear on those marketing materials. If you tell a client his or her testimonial will be on your website on a certain date, be sure to keep your word.
Specify how you will identify people in the testimonial. Will their full name and occupation show up next to the testimonial, or will it only be their initials?
> Place testimonials strategically
Think carefully about where you want to place the testimonial.
Put the testimonial where you think it will be work best for your marketing goals, says Smyth. For example: Where would it be most effective — in a seminar or in a welcome package?
Don’t overdo the testimonials. If you are including testimonials on newsletter, for example, include two or three in a sidebar, Smyth says. Don’t fill an entire page.
> Keep a steady supply
To make testimonials a regular part of your marketing plan, ask for them continually, regardless of whether you use them all. You can’t have too many on reserve.
Aim to have a variety of testimonials for different marketing materials, says Smyth. Concentrate on clients from your niche market, to help focus your prospecting efforts.
Remember, testimonials don’t have an expiry date; you can keep an older one on your website or newsletter for as long as it is effective, Smyth says.
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