How to Ask for Testimonials

With all the new things you're doing to grow your business, have you given much thought to testimonials? They're a great way to show what you can do and inspire new clients to put their trust in you. Today sales expert Colleen Francis shows you the right way to ask for testimonials and start getting business from them!

While there are many, many ways to collect testimonials from clients here are 3 easy ways to get started right away.

1. Keep your ears open wide

When you're talking to your customers, does anyone ever share with you a little story about how they were able to make great use of your product or service? Check your email. Has anyone ever sent you a note just to say "thanks for the great work" on that last job you did for them? Or have you ever received glowing feedback from a client who responded to a survey that you sent out? Each of those is a testimonial, just waiting for you to act on it. And that takes me to my next point...

2. Ask and you shall receive

Remember our friend W. Clement Stone? He once famously said: "If there is something to gain and nothing to lose by asking, by all means ask!" When a client says great things about you, about your work or the products you sell, give them the opportunity to turn that praise into a testimonial. Simply ask: "I'd really love it if I could include what you just said in my client testimonials. Would that be okay?" People generally like to be helpful to other people, but they'll never get that opportunity to give you that all-powerful testimonial if you don't ask first.

3. Make it easy for people

One of the most common comments you'll hear from clients when asking for testimonials is "Well I'm really not much of a writer, so it's hard for me to put it in words." The real power of testimonials comes from the fact that they're not polished...they're authentic and from the heart. A marketing professional I know quite well recently shared with me his secret about how he addresses this issue in his business. "I borrowed an idea from John Caples - one of the great copywriters of the 20th century. When asking a client for a testimonial, he'd simply say 'Finish this sentence in 25 words or less: I really like (product/service/person) because...' This really works because it gets right to the point about the feelings people have for you, for what you do and for what you're selling."

Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions. Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line. Start improving your results today with Engage's online Newsletter Engaging Ideas and a FREE 7 day intensive sales eCourse: www.EngagingIdeasOnline.com.

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Use Testimonials to Attract Prospects and Win Sales - Part 2

Yesterday sales trainer and author Kendra Lee gave us some excellent advice on how to acquire testimonials from your current customers. So, now that you have them, how do you use them effectively? Here are a few more tips from Lee to make the sale:

Integrate testimonials into your sales kit

Now that you have testimonials, don't forget about them! Incorporate them into your selling activities throughout the sales cycle. Go beyond including them in proposals or offering them as references during the decision process. Rather, use your client's voice and share the good word to attract and win new prospects!

Mention them in a first meeting to demonstrate credibility and create interest. Introduce a specific testimonial or two early in conversation when you recognize similarities between a client and a prospect. Use them as examples to help uncover potentially hidden needs.

The next time your prospect mentions an issue they're grappling with, you'll be able to say, "You know, we helped a client just like you save $x by..."

Leverage your testimonials to attract new prospects

Put a plan of action in place to maximize their power and get the message out there! Think about how you can communicate your testimonials in your prospecting activities.

Add them to emails, cold calling scripts, marketing materials, or an upcoming event. Make one or two an offer after a webcast. I often refer to testimonials during prospecting calls, picking out the results or a good quote. They become my stories when I'm delivering a webcast, and examples when I talk about how we help other clients.

Strong testimonials make prospects long to engage you - especially when times are tough and companies are cutting expenditures. They see you as the answer to their prayers. Add them to your sales kit and you'll soon find prospects asking you to engage with them.

Kendra Lee is author of the award-winning book "Selling Against the Goal" and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group helps companies rapidly penetrate new markets, break into new accounts and shorten time to revenue with new products in the SMB segment. To find out more visit http://www.klagroup.com

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Use Testimonials to Attract Prospects and Win Sales

How often do you include testimonials in your meetings with prospects? All the time? When you remember? According to sales trainer and author Kendra Lee, they should be one of your top selling tools. A testimonial is a vote of confidence; a stamp of approval from your clients telling others they can trust you with their business. Read on for Lee's suggestions on using testimonials to close the deal.

Identify key influencers who are happy with your offerings

Everyone has access to unending stores of information about you: from your own press releases, annual reports and websites to social chatter in Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, FaceBook, iReports, Plaxo, LinkedIn, and blog postings.

Getting through prospect filters requires building their confidence in your past successes and current promises. Use your delighted customers to tell their stories, share the results they've experienced, and promote the value of working with you.

Capture quotes and examples, validate, and gain approval to use them

Beyond their satisfaction, current customer testimonials will help you build your credibility and protect your reputation. During client meetings and in email exchanges, watch and listen for expressions of their pleasure with a project and ask to quote them.

With emails, I'll frequently respond to a client with thanks for their kind words, then ask if I can quote them. I'll let them know how I want to use the quote, and if it isn't clear, will paraphrase the quote I'd like to use.

Consider capturing quotes for email signature lines, podcasts, webcast stories, article bylines, press releases, blogs, and social networks as you use them.

Check back in with us tomorrow for more advice from Kendra Lee on how to use testimonials to win more sales.

Kendra Lee is author of the award-winning book "Selling Against the Goal" and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group helps companies rapidly penetrate new markets, break into new accounts and shorten time to revenue with new products in the SMB segment. To find out more visit http://www.klagroup.com

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Negotiate a Testimonial

Are you about to give your customer a price break?

"If so, it doesn't hurt to ask for something in return," says sales trainer Al Uszynski. "When lowering your price, propose to your customer that you would consider it a personal favor if they were to provide you with a testimonial quote about their experience with you, your product or your company. Of course, you'll explain that they would deliver the quote only after they've received the goods and are completely satisfied."

"Customers are more apt to type a quick email with a testimonial quote than to print and mail a formal business letter," says Uszynski. "Take the quotes and make a testimonial sheet that summarizes the experiences of the customers that you've personally served."

Al Uszynski is a sales trainer and professional speaker. He delivers speaking programs that deliver smart and insightful sales strategies – designed to help your people and your organization sell more, earn more and profit more. Visit his website at www.uszynski.com for more information.

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