Business testimonials are one of your most valuable marketing assets. They show your prospects that you can produce results and leave an impact. Keep reading to learn how to collect better business testimonials from your clients so you can keep growing your business!

Do you need the low down on something before you spend your hard-earned money on it?

Maybe you’re trying to decide on a new-to-you restaurant for date night, pick out an AirBNB for your upcoming vacation, or figure out if you need to size up in that cute oversized sweater from Aerie.

You peruse the food pictures on Yelp, devour experiences of past guests, and skim through reviews from customers who already made the purchase.

You’re using something called “social proof” to help you make buying decisions—AKA you’re letting other peoples’ opinions and experiences influence whether or not you buy something.

And why wouldn’t you? It’s nice that we all look out for each other in this way!

(At least, that’s what I like to think. I know some people have a complex about leaving nasty reviews for no good reason other than to hear their own voice. But let’s remove those people from this conversation.)

Social proof—or business testimonials—can help attract new clients to your service-based business for the same reasons!

Why Business Testimonials Are Your Most Valuable Marketing Asset

Utilizing business testimonials from your customers in your marketing (as seen towards the bottom of the page here under “What People Are Saying”) is a great way to boost your credibility and show your prospects that you’ve helped people like them in positive ways.

We love to hear and read success stories and imagine ourselves in them—especially when we’re excitedly considering an investment!

Someone on the fence of hiring anyone will want to know if others felt the investment was worth it and if it solved their problems.

And your choice to include them on your website, on your social media, or in your inquiry/pre-onboarding process can be the reason someone hires you over your competitor.

Business testimonials are also a great way to show your referral network that you’re the real deal and they can trust you’ll care for the friends, family, and clients they send your way.

The Structure of an Effective Business Testimonial

Sometimes we ask our clients to share their experience working with us and receive something like this:

“I hired Val to write my website. The process was great and I’m really happy with how everything turned out.”

While I would be so grateful to receive a testimonial like this from a client and learn that I made them happy, I also know my client could be a little more specific about what made them really happy and why they recommend me to others.

And of course, I’d never blame a client for a providing a vague testimonial like this! It’s not their fault. They were asked to share their experience, and they are in the best way they can!

This is why we should put in the time to make sure our process for collecting business testimonials reflects the type of testimonial we’d like to receive—and keeps in mind a strategy for generating new leads and sales.

An effective business testimonial should provide context and help a prospective client understand the full picture of the experience someone had.

It should speak to the following:

• What type of service was offered
• What drew this person to work with you
• How this person felt before working with you
• How this person feels now after working with you
• Why this person would recommend you to others

More like this:

“If you’re looking for a copywriter, look no further! I had a website copy audit with Val and it completely shifted my vision on how to align my messaging with myself. Not only did I have a fantastic experience with the audit, but I also asked Val to come into my membership to speak to my clients and share her knowledge of copywriting. She delivered with such eloquence. Not only would I trust Val with my own copy, but I also trust her with my own clients. I am so grateful and cannot recommend Val highly enough!”

–Rebecca, The CEO Crowd

From this testimonial, we know that this client

1. Had a website audit
2. Felt unaligned in her original messaging
3. Feels more confident in the direction her copy is going now thanks to my guidance
4. Had such a great experience that she invited me to speak to her clients
5. Trusts me with not just her own copy, but her client’s copy

What a way to show others the impact my services can create for them!

For Better Business Testimonials, Ask These Questions

Instead of asking your clients to just write you a testimonial about your work together, ask them specific questions to help them explain the transformation your work together helped them experience. For example, you may want to ask questions like:

• What kind of project did we work on together?
• What drew you to work with me?
• What were you struggling with that made you reach out to me?
• What solutions did you try in the past to solve your problem that didn’t work how you wanted them to?
• What does your life or business look like now after our work together?
• What would you say to someone on the fence about working with me?

Testimonials that provide context beyond, “I hired Val to do X,Y,Z” boost your credibility by showcasing what changed and tying your name to real results.

These more specific testimonials also help your referral partners better understand what to listen for when interacting with their network so they can send better-fit opportunities your way.

You can add all of these questions to your client off-boarding questionnaire or feedback form and ask your clients to provide a testimonial after having all of the answers to these questions top of mind.

You can even use them to put together your own testimonial and get your client’s approval before sharing.

To conclude…

Next time you ask for a business testimonial, remember to ask specific questions! Your clients will be thankful for the direction…

(Seriously. Writing about an experience when you aren’t a natural writer can be hard.)

…and you will be so excited to see the benefits of effective and story-like testimonials on your business.

Photo by Sam Lion