Days til the Next WRT/ASD Combo Course on July 23-27, 2012

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How Can I Get AWESOME Testimonials?

You can tell your potential clients all day long about how amazing you are.   You are different than the competition, you care about them, and you do the best job out there.  The truth is, they expect that coming from you.  Why wouldn’t you say that?  You want them to buy something.  But, if one of their close friends tells them, or they find out someone had a wonderful experience using you then all of the sudden they are listening.  It builds confidence.  It is like getting a great introduction from someone else.  The audience automatically feels more at ease because someone they are familiar with is vouching for you.  It can inspire action which is exactly what you want.

This involves more then adding testimonial or two to your website that says “They were great, I would use them again.”  One or two weak testimonials are worse than no testimonials at all.  “How do you get the best AWESOME action inspiring testimonials?” you ask? Here are just a few simple tips in no particular order.

• Learn how to ask.  Instead of asking for a testimonial - ask the customer to tell their story.  You never want to put the customer on the spot.  Even though a client may have LOVED you and your services, they may feel uncomfortable or unsure of what to say.  You can make them feel more at ease by asking them questions to learn their story.  Ask if you can take notes, record, video, etc to share with others.  Another great word to use instead of testimonial is feedback. 

• Learn to time it right.  So you just finished a job that you know went perfectly.  You are focusing on getting testimonials and you know this would be a great one.  They customer walks in excited about your work so you pull out your phone or video camera and start recording!  Right??  Wrong!  (Unless you think that deer in a headlights look is effective.) Although they are probably very excited about your work you never want someone to feel forced to put in a good word for you.  It will leave a bad taste in their mouth, and you definitely won’t get the desired result.  Figure out when the best time to hear their story.  This may very well be when you finish the job, but it may be later during a follow up call or another time.   

• Get Permission.  Make sure you get the author’s permission to use the quote or testimonial. Take care that their name and title is correct. If you have nowhere to show the quote or video at the moment you can store it with a date and details for use later.  If you don’t, it is only a matter of time before someone complains that you are using them without asking.  You will rarely have someone say no if you ask permission first.

• Be Prepared.  It will make it much easier on both you and the client willing to tell their story if you have a few questions ready.  This way they can answer them naturally while you are getting the best material to build a strong testimonial.  Here are a few that you can use to start out.

• • “What was it like before you used our product/service?” (Define the problem.)
  • “What objections did you have before working with us? What reassured you?”
  • “What was it like working with us?” (Feelings, thoughts, concerns, etc.)
  • “What specific results did you get from using our product/service?” (CRITICAL. Details are important.  Find out out how the problem they initially had was resolved and how this made them feel.)

• Edit and Get Approval.  If you are using a direct quote or a video and you already got permission (tip #3) you won’t need to do this.  However, if you used a feedback form or took notes then you still have a chance to spice the testimonial up a little bit.  Don’t be afraid to do this as long as you get approval.  The quickest way to get the approval you need is through email.  You can send them something like this:  

Hi {Name},

Thank you for taking the extra time to tell us your story and give us feedback on our services.

Your feedback was so great that I’d like to use what you said as a testimonial on our website - would you mind if I did this?

Here’s how I’d like to quote you:

—
{Place their testimonial here}
{Name}
{Town, State, Country / Website / Title of significance}
–

(Feel free to edit this if there’s something in there you don’t like)

Of course, at any stage if you wanted to “withdraw” this testimonial, just let us know and we’ll take it off all of our marketing materials, with the exception of printed materials (such as brochures - we’d need to wait until the next printing run to do this.)

Anyway, let me know if it’s OK to use this in our marketing materials.

Thanks again for your great feedback - I’m glad you enjoyed our services. 

Once you receive a response with approval, you are free to use the testimonial to excite your new prospects.

• Say Thank You. Twice.  Before you ask for a testimonial you need to thank your customer for being an important client.  You can put this however you would like.  Make them feel important.  First of all, because customers are the reason you are in business, but also because it will make them much more likely to agree to help you out and share their thoughts about your company if they feel valued.  Then, once they have helped you out by taking out a few minutes to share their story, you can thank them again with a card or even a gift if you would like.  Make them feel appreciated.

What Can I Do to Earn a Customer for Life?

The function of every business is to get and keep customers. - Ted Levitt, Senior Professor at Harvard Business School.  Consequently, it is also the function of every employee of every business to do the same.  Keeping customers long-long term is crucial to the success of any business.

It can cost, on average, four to six times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one.  Once you have attracted a new customer, how can you build customer loyalty and build a long-term relationship?

What are some tips to getting this done you ask?  Viola!  We have found several ways to help you build customers for life.

Create VIP’s. Human nature is such that people want to receive courteous, accommodating, hospitable, genuine customer service when and where they decide to spend their hard-earned money. Studies have shown that people are even willing to pay a little more for a product than they would pay your competitor in return for white-glove treatment. Every human being has a need to feel special.  Do you keep this in mind? Why are you different?  What are you known for?  If your customer were to go to your competition, they would not only expect, but demand the same level of service they get from you.  Are you merely matching your competition currently?  Or are you going above and beyond in order to teach your customer new standards so that they feel special and well taken care of in your hands?  If you are truly creating an unmatched experience for your customers they won’t even think about turning to someone else for a fear of inferior treatment.  Plus, they will appreciate your efforts!

Guarantee Your Products and/or Services.  Take responsibility for everything you do.  This can make a huge difference especially if the customer has complaints.  Make sure the customer knows you mean it.  If a customer has a problem use it as an opportunity to stand behind everything you do and differentiate yourself from others they have done business with in the past.  Many people expect to be ignored or pushed off to the “Not My Problem” line.  It is like a breath of fresh air when someone acknowledges their issue, attempts to correct the error, and makes sure they have been updated with the results.  Also - be sure to be honest.  If you made a mistake, own up to it.  We are all human and are aware that no one is perfect.  Many times it is your reaction that decides their feeling towards the situation.  This leads me to the next tip. 

Survey Your Customers.  I mean for honest answers.  Find out if you are doing a good job.  If there is a problem, react quickly.  Most customers are not very likely to complain to you if they are unhappy.  They are more likely to tell someone else or just move on to the next company to take care of them.  Ultimately, you should find out from them what they thought.  You can do this through a survey, phone call, email or text, or other more creative methods. 

Say “Thank You.”  You may have “wined and dined’ them to get their business.  They finally purchase and then what?  Don’t forget to say Thanks!  This can be done over the phone, through a mailed thank you note, and email, etc.  Leave an impression with them that will keep them coming back. 

Deliver a Clear Message.  What are you known for?  You are the guys that ______?  How would one of your customers finish that sentence?  How would you like them to finish that sentence?  Is your message clear?  Make sure the customer knows why you are different and why they are smart for choosing you over others.  Your entire team should know why you are different and be able educate and reinforce this to your customer.  Your customer will be confident in their awesome decision to choose you! 

Follow the Golden Rule.  Put yourself in your customers shoes.  Sit down and take a moment to think of what a good experience would be like with your company.  Go through the process.  Write it down.  Now, what would make it great?  What would make you tell someone else about it?  What would make you keep coming back for more?  Try adding just one of these steps into your process at a time and see the positive effects it has on customer loyalty.

To Blog or Not To Blog?

I figured no better way to start writing better blogs then writing a blog on blogging.  (Confused yet?)  Let me clear it up for you.

By now you have all heard of it.  “Blog” is one of the most searched words on the internet today.  This is probably because people are still trying to figure out how to do it right.  Why should you care about blogging?  When well planned, this can be an awesome and FREE marketing tool.  (Woohoo that’s right, FREE!) As a restorer, you can use it to help get your name out there as the expert in your community.   

A blog is a web log, or an online public diary or journal that is written for others to read. You can create blogs for personal reasons, educational and informational reasons, business and corporate reasons or a multitude of other uses and purposes.    

You can add to them anytime and they have a nice long shelf life.  They stay online until you decide to remove them.  If you do not already have a blog that is associated with your business or your website, then now may very well be an excellent time for you to start blogging.  

Here are a tips to helping you get the best results out of your blog:

1. Make a List.  Sometimes the hardest part of blogging is figuring out what to blog about.  Before you start your first blog make a list of all of the things you think would make great topics for your readers.  This will help save a ton of time and frustration.  The easier you make it for yourself, the more likely you will be to keep doing it.
2. Blog on a Consistent Basis.  Not necessarily daily, but pick a schedule and stick to it.  People will start to expect your new blog posts.  Make sure to deliver.
3. Get your name out there.  If you are brand new to this people may not know who you are yet or that your blog exists.  Comment on other blogs or social media sites.  Network among your peers.  Check message boards and drop your links multiple places.  
4. Exude Confidence.  You are the expert.  Research before you write and make sure you are giving people content they can use.  Don’t stress if you don’t feel like you are an awesome writer.  There is a ton of information on blogging out there to help you.  Here are a few: Copyblogger, Problogger, Zen Habits, Smart Passive Income & ViperChill .
5. Think About Your Readers.  What would you like to hear about?  What are key words that they could be typing in to find your blog?  Will this information help them?  Don’t be too generalized.  Specific blogs will give you more to write about and offer more help to those looking for it.
6. Plan ahead.  If you are in a writing mood and have the time, knock out multiple blogs.  Why not?  This way if something comes up you are already set, and you aren’t leaving your regular readers looking for your next blog.  You will have better information and be able to deliver it consistently. (Tip #2.)

Class Photo - Jan. 2012