Do you know how to ask for customer testimonials?

When building your website, creating a brochure, or showing a video, your business will benefit from having testimonials from past customers.

Testimonials are social proof!

You can talk about your business, the nuts and bolts you sell, the type of training you have, and what type of drywall you install until you’re blue in the face, and people tend to let their minds wander. Show some social proof, in the form of testimonials from happy past customers, to your potential customers and they’ll start to listen.

Here are a couple of my business testimonials:

Andrea is wonderful at really making a vision come true. She goes above and beyond what I ever expected out of projects. She's been doing my company's flyers for years!

Abby Thompson, Mid-State Auto Auction, New York Mills, Minnesota

Andrea can take an idea or rough outline of an idea and bring it to life. Every time I have asked she comes up with several ideas to choose from. She has been prompt in supplying ideas and make changes. All projects she has done for me have been done quickly. I highly recommend AH Grafix for any marketing project.

Wayne Isaacson, A Clean Plate Local and Organic Grocery, Menahga, Minnesota

If you don’t have any testimonials for your business, use this process to get at least one. Look through your past sales and find a few people you feel comfortable with asking about their experience.

Modify the questions below to make them relevant to your business and your customers.

Ask these three questions:

1. How has your experience with (my company) amazed you in ways that other companies haven't previously?
2. What would you say to a friend who was thinking of purchasing from/working with me — but wasn't quite sure yet?
3. What change did you experience while working with me? (before versus after, etc.)

Then, add this statement: If you feel it is warranted, leave a glowing testimonial for (my company).

Make it a habit to ask new customers these questions after they’ve worked with you or purchased from you. Add this step to your follow-up process. Ask them when the project is fresh in their memory. Not only will you get honest testimonials, but you'll also find areas in which you could improve — without waiting for problems to show up. And please, ask if you’re allowed to use the testimonials (no one likes to see their name or words used without their permission!) 

Comment below and let me know if this process works for you, or if you like to use other prompts.