Testimonials Enhance Your CredibilityTestimonials help reduce the hestitation that may prevent strangers from doing business with you.If you talk about how good you are, most people will ignore your self-promotion. If however clients say good things about you, prospective clients and contacts will find it more believable. As third party endoresements, testimonials confirm your competence and trustworthiness...they enhance your credibility and make you more believable. Collecting TestimonialsLike all marketing activities, gathering positive feedback from satisfied clients is an on-going process. Since clients do not always praise you voluntarily, you will have to ask for feedback. Ask clients what they like about your service. But also ask how you can get better at what you do...how you can change your service so it helps them more. This this way, you are monitoring client satisfaction, not just asking for positive feedback. The best testimonials are in clients’ own words. If possible, encourage clients to give details on how you helped them. Ideally, client feedback will detail or at the very least suggest how clients benefit from your services. Top More & Better EndorsementsIf you have not started to collect client feedback, start now.Be on the look-out for positive, specific comments in personal meetings and correspondence. When a prospect tells you that some one else referred her to you, call the person who made the referral. After thanking him for the referral, ask if he could offer comments that you could use as an endorsement. Top Asking For Clients' CommentsWhen monitoring client satisfaction, make provision for positive feedback.Satisfied clients are the best source of offer testimonials. If you to feature specific aspects of your service, ask questions like these: • Why
did you choose me as your real estate agent?
• How easy was it to work with my staff? • How did we help make the transaction proceed smoothly? • How does the quality of our service compare to other professional services you have used? Top Using Clients' CommentsGet written permission to use themA simple request for permission to use the comments is usually enough.This can prevent any misunderstandings once the comments are published. Keep them specific Specific comments tend to be more believable and as a result, more effective. For example: “Joan
kept us up-to-date and well informed on what was happening on the
sale of our house...some days she as many as 4 emails reporting on
showings...”
On the other hand, vague comments are not very helpful: “Joan
did a good job.”
Top Identify the clientsHow do you feel about the endorsements for John and Jack?“John
quickly found 5 houses that were perfect for us”
R. Chainee
Washington D.C “Jack
had the first open house soon after we signed
the agreement.”
SP & TP
Part of your marketing communicationsCarefully crafted and strategically placed, testimonials can be effective additions to all of your written marketing messages, from personal profile to website, from brochure to e-book.Adding clients' comments is like adding salt...you have to add just the right amount. Add too few and they don't get noticed; add too many and they detract from the overall message. Top Walking The TalkBy way of practicing what I preach, I have included a form to let me know what you think.This form is a simple illustration of how you can ask for testimonials. After you have scrolled though it, please complete and submit it to me....I'd appreciate it. If you like, I can send you an MS Word copy of the 'What Do You Think' Form...at no cost or obligation. You can can customize this form for your own use. Use the 'What Do You Think?' form below to request your outline. Top Top Return to
'Client Service'
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