Testimonials, or as they are sometimes called, case histories, can be amazingly helpful, or bland and boring.
Unfortunately, if you just ask clients for testimonials, they often do come out bland, if you get a response at all. It’s not your client’s fault, they your need support! What’s more, clients usually love to be interviewed.
Our star practitioner Jason Stein walks you through the three steps to get a killer testimonial from the heart, including portions of the actual video Skype interview he did with a client.
It’s fun. It’s doable, and it’s one of those things that can add tremendously to the safety a potential new client feels when deciding whether to enroll with you or not.
Click on the video to watch it, and then share your questions, comments and especially if you have any tips to add.
30 Responses
Great vlog, Jason – I’ve generally tried to get my clients to follow a “this was my challenge / this is what you did / these were the results I got” structure for testimonials. I really like the idea of adding in “this is what I was worried/sceptical about before I started” and “these were the benefits of the results” into the mix too.
Thanks for the great information!
Blessings
TANJA
@Tanja – Adding skepticism and benefits, sounds like a perfect sandwich to the questions you’ve been asking.
Oh wow, Jason. I loved this from the word ‘laundry’! what I got out of it is that the process (of getting testimonials, sure, but as a whole too) is about heart, about working with things as they are, and not about perfection. Your (lovely) client is so clearly thrilled with the results, and looking forward to more sessions with you in the future – I can totally see how having it as a video is way more effective than a quote on a page as viewers get a chance to know you better and also have a sense of the person that the testimonial is coming from. Look forward to being able to apply this some time in my own business. Thank you for making the vlog!
Hey Jason and Mark,
Thanks for posting. I’ve recently moved to a new location and requested testimonials from clients I had been working with before I moved. I got lots of flattering comments like “best healer I’ve worked with”, “incredibly helpful to me and my family”, “helped with illness I’d been struggling with for a long time”, but knowing what I know about the progress my clients have seen, I know there is much more specific info that can be shared (without getting too personal) to help potential clients make their decisions about working with me.
This info is incredibly helpful. I will put it to use right away.
Blessings,
Debra
@Debra – You nailed the teaching. The more specific and authentic the testimonial the more safety is created for your potential audience to trust taking steps forward to work with you. Best wishes in your new space.
I am in the midst of procuring testimonials myself, I sent several requests out just this week. Your video was very informative and has helped me add structure to what I have already been asking of my clients.
You mention that we should check out our “Scope of Practice for what you can and cannot say in your testimonials”. I have no idea what you are talking about here. Can you help me out with this? Thanks.
And I would love to see the edited video testimonial, is it posted anywhere? I’d love to see how you pared it down.
Thanks so much! Have a great day to you too!
Latifah
Hi Latifah,
A scope a practice is determined by the regulatory body that oversees a licensed practitioner like an MD, Acupuncturist, Chiropractor, Psychologist, Mediator, etc.
Certain states and areas around the world have regulations on what you can and can’t do with marketing a licensed service. In addition, recently new regulations are coming into place about marketing services and products.
What I like about recording the testimonials is the client is giving you permission and it is them sharing their experience in their own words.
This was just done last week, so we don’t have the final testimonial posted yet, but I think we will by next month.
What a fantastic video lesson, Jason!
My challenge is this, the people that work with me are sharing very intimately about themselves, because I work at the conjunct between spirituality and sexuality. I have been hesitant to ask for testemonials because of this. But in a way the delicate nature of my work is EXACTLY why I need testemonials about the safe container and the maturity my clients regularly give me feedback on! Can you imagine that these questions answered in text would just be way too long to publish on my website? I’m always a bit annoyed when I see really long written testemonials on websites, but for coachs and therapists, they might be the way to go. Would love your comments.
best, Christina
@Christina, You can take their answers compile them and edit to have it flow, then send back for final input and approval. Also, I understand the sensitivity of sexuality, but you may be surprised by what clients are willing to share if you ask for specifics and you frame with with a context to create normalcy and a witnessing for others who may be struggling and not getting help.
Hi Jason,
Great video lesson (and also very timely for me)!
I have couple of questions about the video production process:
* Do you record the skype session? If yes, what’s the best way to do it?
* Do you recommend editing yourself out of the video and only leaving only the clients responses, or rather publishing the whole conversation?
Thanks again,
Mark
Hi Mark,
1. I use screen flow and I’ve heard have some clients who use ecamm
2. I do recommend editing rather than publishing the whole thing and editing you out is a great idea.
Dear Jason
I like this. Thank you. Do you edit the video or do a transcript? In your email to Sassy you didn’t mention the recording or “may I use this as a testimonial” piece. When do you ask that? In my experience, there can be a difference between what people are willing to tell you privately and publicly. And when you are coaching someone to increase their business you can give specific results but for healing work it can be much harder to quantify (and believe me I have tried to get “I’m feeling so much happier” to be specific). Any tips on this? xx
Hi Claire,
I do edit the video or transcirpt then send it to the client for final approval. It’s a good idea to ask if you can use the testimonial in the initial request and then remind them when you begin the recording. You can even create a release if you’d like to cover all your bases. With healing it can help to be specific too. For example when someone says, “I feel so much happier.” You can ask are there things they weren’t doing before seeing you that they are doing now? Also with healing there is often symptomatic relief that can be quantified like my pain is now 2/10 whereas before it was a 10/10 or I’m taking less medication or sleeping without waking in the night. The beauty is when you hold the space for more specifics often clients reveal things they weren’t fully aware of themselves consciously until sharing it.
Sorry to put a spanner in this brilliant post, my only qualm about testimonials is that we can’t prove they’re genuine, for all anyone knows, I could’ve written the testimonials myself, how can we prove they’re genuine?
Hi Andres,
One way to avoid this is to have clients record testimonials and have documentation of them signing a release of information. If a client wanted to prove it was genuine they may need to do an extensive background check, find the person, and verify. 🙂 The main point is when done with integrity, testimonials help to create a relationship and safety for your potential audience to take a step forward and try your product or service. I’d be curious if product sales would increase if Redi-Medic had a page of video testimonials of real customers that used the products to advert crisis or save lives. Imagine if you found users that used the app or kit. This goes back way before video and books, to storytelling. A client sharing a personal story often gets transmitted deep into our hearts of the listener and creates connection.
Regarding Andres’ comment, I will be putting actual names of clients and their locations next to their testimonials, with their permission of course. This helps add some reality and hopefully some integrity.
Honestly, if someone is going to be overly skeptical about doing business with someone, it might not be the right time for them to work together anyway.
I agree with you Latifah. If someone is too skeptical and it’s not the right time, it can end up being a huge drain on the biz owner.
Great vlog, Jason and great haircut! (Vlog? That’s a new one on me).
I’ve always asked for a debrief of coaching with clients as part of our process of closing and during this I’ve asked if they would be willing to offer a testimonial. I’ve found that clients really like to offer this and hesitate to write it themselves, so I’ve learnt to use their feedback as the basis for drafting something and to pass it by them and get there agreement for it to be published (usually as part of a blog posting and on LinkedIn).
I love the ease, brevity and directness of your approach – also that a video can indeed be more personal. As it happens, I thought seeing you as part of this could be a bonus for a potential client because it gives a sense of who they might be working for.
Great stuff!
(And no, I wouldn’t want to sign up that super-sceptic either!)
Thanks Dorothy both on the vlog and haircut comments 🙂
hey jason~you lost me on this. the quality of this video was poor enough in the first few moments, i just turned it off.
Hi Meg,
Thanks for your candidness. Interesting that I tried to visit your site but my filter warned me of potential phishing. Feel free to drop your website and local in the reply below.
hi jason~thanks for the tip, but i don’t have a website. ~best, meg
Testimonials play an important role in the sales process because they serve as the feedback of how well is products and services are. It also build your reputation as an online marketer.
Testimonials and Ratings are such an important part of validating your product or service. Most of us have not taken the time to gather them.
Thanks for giving us a way to manage the process in a way that is easier and also has the recorded session to make it real to new clients.
Thank you Kate
I’m facing similar problems with testimonials. My clients don’t have time and when they do they write something that often needs to be edited quite a bit to even be grammatically correct 🙂 I have to work on another tactic, even for written testimonials I started publishing on my website. I’m not even trying for video testimonials now. Maybe it’s different in web design business, but it’s a problem to get high quality testimonials for me.
Hi Roman,
Curious if your new tactic is working. As a web designer and SEO biz maybe pictures speak louder than words. I can see a page of before and after sites so the audience is really left with the power of your work or a before an after Google rank for the SEO side.
Jason, I just watched this for the second time, and I wonder if you ever got around to talking about the internet marketing laws. I realize that I don’t know anything about what is verboten in a testimonial. Please point me in the direction of this information.
Thanks!
Love and magic,
Sue
HI Sue,
There are two pieces you need to look at.
1. are you operating under a scope of practice that is regulated by state. If so check state regulations.
2. are you operating within federal guidelines. Here are the newest guidelines: http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus28-advertising-and-marketing-internet-rules-road
Thanks, Jason!