We all enjoy when someone gives a little love to our professional efforts. It’s nice to be complimented for a job well done. Don’t let those warm fuzzies fade, testimonials are assets to your marketing.
Strong, sharply honed comments about your work help your reader/visitor/potential client understand the scope of your offerings. They inject energy and enthusiasm into your brochure, website, ad and other collateral. Here are tips for making testimonials work for you.
Vary the focus of the testimonials. Several comments of “Quinter Design did a great job” or “We’re so pleased by the great work completed by Robyn and John” dilute the value of the message. General testimonials have more limited use in projects that reach readers once or twice, such as ads, mailers or home pages, such as this example.
Avoid vague, generic statements and narrow each testimonial’s focus. One compliments Quinter Design’s creativity, another talks about its stellar customer service and a third shares some specific, positive results generated by the project. This approach allows you to provide additional substance to your products and services.
Use your testimonials carefully. Many websites include a page of testimonials. IMHO, it’s a waste of space! Of course, the testimonials are going to be complimentary; why should I invest time reading them?
A more effective approach is to sprinkle the comments throughout the website or document, placing each near a relevant service or product. In Quinter Design’s collateral, clients’ testimonials about the success of our publicity services are next to the overview of those services. Compliments for our creative graphic design appear near samples of those projects, and feedback about successful trade show displays is right next to photos of those units.
Sometimes your client’s excitement when a job is completed yields a colorful verbal quote. Use it! A testimonial doesn’t have to be a formal written letter, capture the delight of the moment by using his/her personal quote.
A KISS is part of this love, too. KISS, as in keep it short and simple. Stay away from boring jargon and heavy, bureaucratic language. Edit the word-for-word testimonials into a vibrant, easy-to-read sentence or two.
Your clients may be raving fans but the compliments aren’t forthcoming? Don’t be afraid to ask. Or offer to write the testimonial and send it to your client for his/her review. Minor changes might be made, but it’s likely the gist of your statement will remain. This also allows you to concentrate on one aspect of your services and products, as mentioned above.
Freely give testimonials. Everyone likes to be on the receiving end of the love. Surprise someone with a testimonial on his/her LinkedIn or Facebook page. Write a thank-you note with colorful compliments that could be used on someone’s website or in a brochure. By sharing the love, you and your company benefit from the attribution, and you’ll bring a smile to someone’s day.
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