One of the most influential and inexpensive marketing tools available is WOMM. Now, you might be asking yourself, “what’s a WOMM?”
WOMM stands for word-of-mouth-marketing, and at its core, WOMM is just a referral. In today’s digitally connected age, WOMM often happens through email and social media, but before COVID, we heard this actually happened in person.
As great as referrals are, what happens when one of your potential clients doesn’t have a connection in their network that has used your services? They look to online testimonials and reviews. If other people say good things about you, your prospect is more likely to turn into a real client. Not only are client testimonials and reviews good for building trust, you can also use them as promotional content on social media, and most importantly, they can help you identify areas where your business can improve.
How exactly do you get high-quality testimonials? These five tips should help.
1. Timing is everything
You don’t want to ask for feedback too early but also not too late. If you’ve just started working with a client, it’s probably too soon to ask, but if they’ve been a happy client for more than six months, ask away.
There may be times your relationship is intentionally brief, and in those cases, ask for that testimonial once the project is wrapped up and the client has confirmed that they are satisfied with the final outcome.
2. Offer an incentive
People are busy, and writing a testimonial about your company isn’t at the top of their to-do list. Incentivizing testimonials can be a great way to pique someone’s interest, but you don’t ever want your incentive to be viewed as paying for good WOMM.
When asking for that testimonial, let your client know that you realize it will take time and that in exchange, you’d like to send them something as a way of saying “thanks!” It could be as simple as a cup of coffee or an in-office lunch, but if you’re exchanging reviews for iPads, you deserve some side-eye emoji.
3. Make it effortless
Some clients may not write testimonials because they don’t know what to say. A good indication of this is if you see the generic “They’re great!” reviews. Help guide your clients by providing a feedback survey with question prompts like these:
- What problems were you having that made you investigate our product/service?
- What results have you experienced from using our product/service?
- What has been your favorite experience so far, and why?
- What made you choose us over our competitors?
- Would you recommend our company to others, and if so, who?
It’s also a good idea to give an estimated time for how long it will take for them to fill out the survey. The last thing you want is for someone who is interested in giving you their thoughts to change their mind because the survey is taking longer than expected.
Once they’ve completed the survey, be sure to send them a thank you note and ask their permission to use their testimonial on your website and in your marketing efforts.
4. Three is the magic number
There’s a good chance you didn’t make the “reminders” list on their phone. Send out at least three emails asking for their testimonial and reminding them of how important their specific feedback is for your business to create a better experience for them in the future.
Just don’t be pushy. Let them know you understand their busy schedules and offer an option to remind them at a later date.
5. Target your perfect client
Prospects are looking for their perfect partner just as much as you’re looking for your perfect client. Try to collect testimonials from your ‘perfect’ client, especially those who have already expressed their love for your company in prior conversations. When a potential client sees others just like them raving about your company, they’ll want in on that action too.
Not all testimonials are created equal
We realize that not all clients will be happy 100% of the time, but even if they’re not, you’ll still want their feedback. The not-so-good news can help you understand any perceived or experienced weaknesses or flaws in your service so that you can improve in the future. It goes without saying that we recommend not be posting these on your website, but you should still thank them for the feedback and let them know how helpful it is for your business. Even though it didn’t work out this time, there may be a chance to gain their business again in the future.
If you weren’t sure where to start or you’ve been struggling to get quality testimonials, these tips can help you get started to understand how your clients feel about what you provide.
If you still feel lost or just don’t have the time to take this on, reach out and let us launch your client testimonial campaign. Hell, we may even leave you one ourselves.
