Get stellar client testimonials for your website!

Credibility sells. Think about it- when you're trying to decide between options on Amazon, how often do you consider the number of reviews to make the final decision? And not just the quantity, but the quality of reviews is also a factor in the decision making process. This is why it's so important to collect testimonials from your customers or clients to display on your website, on marketing materials, and to share on social media.

Here are 6 questions I've used to craft enticing testimonials from clients.

Question #1 - What made you book with/buy from [your name/business name]?

This will hook potential clients in with seeing that others were having the same problem they are!

Question #2 - What were some concerns you had before working with [your name/business name], and how did we help?

This is a great opportunity for clients to be honest about any reservations they had, and then to share how you completely surpassed their expectations. Here's an example of the results of this question from my personal training days:

"[I was concerned that] I wouldn’t see results as soon as I wanted. Melody helped me with my reservations by encouraging me through every level I was at physically. I feel stronger!" –Amy E.

Question #3 - What did/do you most like about working with [your name/business name]?

This is not just great information for potential customers to see how amazing you are, but it's also good feedback for you to know what to keep doing, and consider how you can make it even better!

"Whenever I have a 'bright idea', and no clue how to accomplish it myself, I call or text Melody. She often says 'hmm, let me look into it'. A day or so later, she has a plan to execute." – Michael Hall, The Point Restaurant & Lounge

Question #4 - If you were to recommend me to a friend, what would you tell them?

This question can deliver GOLD for a testimonial- it will show some personality, and have that feel of a more personal recommendation rather than a forced, formal response.

Question #5 - What did you like least about working with [your name/business name]?

While you likely won't share the answers to this question publicly, it will be good feedback for you to have so you know how you can improve. It may not always be fun feedback to receive, but in the long run it will help you become even better at what you offer and how you operate. #professionaldevelopment

Question #6 - May I quote you?

Always get consent to share! Depending on your industry, some personal details may be shared, and sometimes people just don't want their names shared publicly.

Next Steps

Ok, now that you've got your questions, how do you package them up and send them out?

A super simple and free way is to create a Google form. I like this because it's easy to set up, easy to edit, and all your responses are collected right there in one place. I recommend NOT making all the questions mandatory, except the permission to quote. Let them write however much or little they want to. It should feel voluntary, not forced.

When you have your form set up, copy/paste the link and craft a nice email to send out to your clients or customers! You don't have to send it to everyone- The testimonials you display on your website should be the shiny, rock star reviews, so consider who your best and happiest clients have been and personally email them and ask if they'd be willing to spend a few minutes filling out your testimonial form.

When you have responses in, some will be longer and more thorough than others. If you have permission to share their responses, now you can copy/paste into one paragraph that tells the story from the beginning: the problem they were facing, what concerns they had, what they liked about working with you, and how you helped them overcome the problem. Notice in the example I gave under Question #2, I used brackets to help the sentence flow. It's best to be as transparent as possible and not add/take away words, but you can use methods like bracketing or ... to add context and make it flow. You can choose to just share excerpts when you have less space like in a brochure, and share expanded versions on a testimonial webspage.

Ok, you got this. Go get those testimonials!

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