The power of a testimonial
Chances are you’ve been asked to provide feedback or review a case study or write a testimonial recently. Did you roll your eyes and push it to the bottom of your list, or did you jump on it?
Feedback matters. Here’s why.
Feedback is how we learn. Finding out how a piece of work really went, exploring areas for improvement, understanding client expectations – all questions that we shy away from because we might not like the answers. But we can’t improve without that insight.
People buy from people. A testimonial creates emotional appeal by connecting the reader with someone in the same situation. A potential customer trusts another person’s words more than a company’s.
Amongst the consideration of budget, effectiveness and trust, the testimonials of peers carry a lot of weight.
Testimonials on your website provide evidence that you are trustworthy, that others have had a great experience and you are a real, viable business delivering great service. A good testimonial backs up the claims you’ve made about your product or service.
Whether you’re purchasing a new car, considering changing your law firm, putting your construction project out to tender or choosing a new pair of headphones… I guarantee you’ve sought someone else’s opinion.
Types of feedback
There are so many ways to present client experiences. Here are our top three.
Testimonials
The simplest forms of testimonial are quotes from current or previous clients about their experience with your firm.
A great testimonial is short and snappy, and attributed to a real person. It should reference the service, the outcome and how you made that client feel.
Whether long or short, these words can used on your website, social media and marketing material. Particularly powerful when connected with a…
Case study
Bring your work to life by showcasing your work: what you did and the results of it. Real-life examples that are informative, attractive and more detailed than a testimonial can ever be.
Done well, a case study presents the challenge, what you did to overcome it, something warm or innovative, and some tangible results. Make sure you describe your work in the same way that you talk about your service offer.
As with the testimonial, keep it short. Every word needs to earn its place.
Videos
Bring your client experience to life with video. Impactful, believable and memorable communications with body language, nuance and emotion. Furthermore, most people are visual learners, absorbing information more effectively from a video than by reading.
This doesn’t have to be a complicated endeavour (although Covid-19 isn’t helping). Most smart phones are good enough to capture a straightforward testimonials. Check out our guide to making better videos using your smart phone here.
Gathering feedback
Herein lies the rub. We’re all asked to provide feedback, all the time. Bought a cinema ticket or been to a restaurant? Cue five emails asking for feedback on your experience. Yes it’s annoying (and counter-productive).
So how to seek feedback in a way that isn’t annoying; in fact in a way that benefits everyone.
In person.
If a person has spent over £1,000 with you, they deserve more effort from you than an email survey. You can gather more information, enhance your relationship and increase your chances of repeat business ten-fold by picking up the phone and listening than by sending them an email that they don’t want.
Incentives can help. But most clients are incentivised enough to help you improve your business not to need a £15 Amazon voucher or to be entered into a prize draw.
Just think for a moment – what would it take for you to complete an online feedback survey compared to making time for a 10-minute conversation with a real human?
A caveat.
If you really want good feedback, ask somebody else to do it on your behalf. People will be more honest with a stranger than with you. And you really do want that unbiased insight, don’t you?
Feedback matters
When you ask a client for feedback or for a testimonial, you’re proving that her opinion matters to you. It goes a long way toward building a lasting relationship. And improving your business.
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