Small Business Boomers

I firmly believe in the power of testimonials.  You know, those “I lost weight and so can you” things you see on ads for weight loss programs.

What is your first though on seeing this “before and after” photo?

Was it “Wow! How did she do that?”  or was it “They must have altered that photo” ?  But even if your response was skeptical, didn’t you wonder how she did it?  Before-and-After photos may not be believable to us, on one level, but deep down we think, “Gee, it worked for her/him, maybe it will work for me.”  Testimonials are probably the best way to get referrals for your business, which in turn are the best way to get quality repeat customers.

How Testimonials Work. Testimonials work because of an influence factor called “Social Proof.”  This comes from the work of Robert Cialdini, a book called Influence that I would encourage you to read.  Cialdini showed that we are most influenced by what others say and do, more than any other factor.  We model our opinions and actions on the opinions and actions of others.

For example, if you want a good barber/hairdresser, do you just look in the Yellow Pages, or do you ask people?  If you see someone with a great haircut, don’t you want to find out who gave it to them and how to get one yourself?  Even if we say we don’t believe testimonials, we subliminally do want to believe them.  That’s the power of testimonials – they are direct ways for people to say, “I tried this and I approve, so you should too.”

Why Your Business Needs Testimonials. If you have a business, you need testimonials.  You need to get people to sign up for your products or services, and testimonials are the best way to get them.  Look at any website selling something (there are plenty of examples out there). You’ll notice that they all have testimonials on them. Many of the testimonials include photos, and they all include direct quotes.  The most believable show you the name and the city or the website of the person giving the testimonial.  Without these testimonials, I’m sure many of these products simply would not sell.

How to Get Testimonials. It’s simple, really.  The way to get testimonials is to ask for them.  We are often afraid to ask people to tell others about their great experience with us.  But I have learned, over and over, that you only get when you ask.  When I was starting my business, I originally was hesitant to ask people to give me a testimonial, but the more I did it, the easier it got.

Tips on Getting Testimonials. Here are a couple of tips I’ve found helpful for getting testimonials:

• Ask when you hear praise.  If someone says, “That was great!  Thanks for your help,” I say, “Would you be willing to put that in writing?”  Most often, they are.
• Ask after positive outcomes.  If you are coaching someone, for example, and the first few coaching sessions have produced some positive results for the person, ask for the testimonial.  If you wait, the relationship might not be as productive later, and you will have lost the opportunity to get the testimonial. I’ve never had someone take back a testimonial, but you never know.
• Follow up, but just once.  People will say they’ll do a testimonial, but some are just saying that and they won’t follow through.  If someone promises to give you a testimonial, you’ll have to gauge their sincerity.  If they sound sincere, and they don’t send it within a week or so, follow up.  If they still don’t send it, drop it.  They probably won’t.

Get used to asking and it will come naturally to you.  By the way, there is no such thing as too many testimonials.  Even if you just look at them to get yourself re-motivated, you can always use them.

Image source: StockExpert

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