Trusted Advisor Blog

Whether applying to college, self-employed, seeking a new career or climbing the corporate ladder, you need to be able to sell yourself. One powerful way to accomplish this is through testimonials. Testimonials are valuable marketing tools requiring only two simple rules. 1) Get the testimonial, and 2) Use the testimonial. The good news is…all you have to do is ask.

Think of anyone you’ve had a great work or educational experience with over the past year, and ask for the testimonial. Send them an email with your own variation of the following request:

“Good morning Mary – I know you’ve mentioned that you’ve really enjoyed working with me, and I’ve enjoyed the relationship too. Would you mind giving me a short blurb I could use in some of my marketing, so that others can get a feel for the service that I offer? I know your time is valuable, so I really appreciate it – thank you!”

Because it’s in email form already, they are likely to take a minute to fire off a quick response to you on the spot. If you don’t have their email address, then just give them a call and ask, but make it easy for them. Let them know that you’d be happy to have it typed up for them if they wouldn’t mind giving you a line or two. Ask questions such as “What did you enjoy most about our experience together?” “What do you remember?” “What would you tell your friends or family about me?” then jot some lines down as you speak with them. Be sure to ask for their email address and send it to them for their approval if you don’t already have this. Always make sure to ask permission to use their comments “in complete or edited form,” along with their name, relationship to you, and their city.

If you’re just getting started in your industry and don’t have a wealth of past clients to call on, ask your peers, your manager, your professors, or your mentor to write a short personal endorsement. You’ll want to replace them with client testimonials once you have them, but in the meantime, they will be useful for your promotional efforts.

To simplify the process altogether, approach the strategy proactively. From here on out, every time a client makes a positive comment about your service, say “Thank you. That would make great testimonial line for me! Would you mind if I write that down and attribute it to you?” Make notes so you have an accurate reflection of their words. Additionally, you may consider implementing an evaluation form for you clients and referral partners to complete after meetings.

Now that you have the testimonials, how do you use them? Your testimonials should be featured in all of your marketing materials. This includes your website, your brochures, presentations, and even posted in your office in sight of visitors and employees. You can also include testimonials on the bottom of your letters and email correspondence. If your collection includes interesting stories of how you helped someone solve a particular problem, worked through a difficult issue or helped make a dream become reality, don’t be afraid to send a note out to your database highlighting the story. Once you get in the habit of asking for the testimonial, you will be surprised at how many you receive, and how easy it is to make this powerful, free marketing strategy work for you.

Adapted from the Business Boosters Collection