By: Jeannie Spiro
You’ve completed your work with a client, they’ve gotten terrific results and now they’re thanking you for the work you’ve done together. It doesn’t end there—in fact, those thanks and results need to be showcased.
The best way to showcase the results your work provides is to ask for outcome-oriented testimonials that clearly spell out how your work has benefited someone else. Once you have them you can display them in your marketing materials and website to show that your work can help others achieve the same outcome.
Where I see most service professionals miss the mark in their sales process is in not capturing an outcome-oriented testimonial.
May it be in pounds lost, time saved, earnings gained or health improved; people want to know exact results to know what’s possible for them as well.
Even before you obtain your best testimonials you must be committed to doing two things. First, focus on delivering what you promise and second, go above and beyond what is expected.
People will hire you with the expectation that what you say you are going to deliver you will. Make sure that your work does, in fact, provide what someone is expecting.
Next, don’t just meet someone’s expectations, exceed them by wow-ing them.
What’s the best way to capture a results oriented testimonial? By creating a Testimonial Process and here’s how:
- Conclude Your Work by Asking for a Testimonial- If you’ve met and exceeded their expectations then they will gladly take the time to do so.
- Make the Process Easy for Them– Tell your client that you will follow up with them by email and ask them to complete several simple questions so that they don’t have to spend a great deal of time thinking of what to write.
- Create Questions to Offer Results Oriented Answers-Ask them questions like, “Where were you before you began working with me?” “What were your challenges before we started?” “What is one specific result you’ve gotten from working together?” “Would you highly recommend this work to others?”
- Display Them– Tell them that when they provide their testimonial that it will be featured on your website, newsletter and marketing materials. Additionally, you can create a separate website page featuring each of the services that you provide and include the specific testimonials that correspond to those. Make sure to fully disclose where you plan to feature their testimonials. You want to make sure they are aware of what you plan to do with them. If they have a business then this may make them want to complete the request so that they gain even more exposure.
Ask them to provide their photo, title and possibly their website so that others can learn more about them.
That’s my simple process for obtaining and featuring results-oriented testimonials. If you’re creating great results for your clients you’ll want to feature them. The better the results you provide, the more likely you’ll attract more clients wanting powerful results as well.
To see a result oriented testimonial in action you can review mine at www.JeannieSpiro.com.
Bio:
Jeannie Spiro, is a Business and Marketing Coach guiding career women from their corporate careers into freedom based entrepreneurs and former career women into thriving entrepreneurs. You can learn more about her work at www.JeannieSpiro.com.
For my marketing business (www.zimm.com), my method of collecting testimonials is often to gather together some of emails client have sent expressing their pleasure, then cobbling that into a testimonial for their approval. That way, I’m using their words, their thoughts and making it easy for them. I do love your idea of being outcome-oriented. Some clients have been reluctant to share certain metrics (e.g., new distributorships opened as a result of a trade show), but it’s a great idea to focus on those specifics. Thanks! Now, I need to come up with a new system to gather testimonials for my new business (www.JewishHolidaysInABox.com), though the ones I get are lovely. But I like the idea of systematizing process.
Yes, Ellen, having collecting testimonials a part of the process of working with a client ensures that it doesn’t slip through the cracks when you get too busy. For you maybe it will make sense to include a little card asking the client how they liked your product. Adding an envelope with a return address will make it very easy for someone to give you feedback. The best comments you can post on your site individually or even create a collage out of the cards… Just a thought 🙂
Lovely idea, Natasha! Although I sent a survey last year to buyers, that happened far after the fact of their receiving the product and distant from their initial emotions on opening their boxes. Definitely will do! Thanks so much 🙂