Testimonials are powerful.

Well, they can be, but the truth is that for many companies, they’re flat, vague and meaningless and add little value.

No one really wants to hear the nice things you have to say about your business. Of course you’ll say great things about your company. Why wouldn’t you? But you have no credibility.

That’s where your customers come in. They have lots of credibility. They can say much more in far fewer words than you ever can.

Why be average?

Too many testimonials lack specific results. Others hide the identity of the speaker. None of these motivate a buyer.

Build powerful testimonials

Many companies approach testimonials all wrong. They ask their customer if they would please provide a few sentences on what it was like to work with them.

The customer comes back with something bland like, “This Company provides an excellent service. It has helped us in our business.”

That’s a plain vanilla testimonial that’s forgotten as soon as it’s read.

It’s not the powerful, testosterone-charged variety that will make an impact and encourage people to buy.

You need to direct your customers. Otherwise, they’ll come back with bland generalisations that miss the mark. It’s not their fault. How do they know what you’d like them to say if you don’t tell ‘em?

Ask them to focus on an aspect where you really excelled, such as delivery, customer service, innovation or choice, say. Ask them to include numbers. . .

ROI matters most!

The best testimonials are quantifiable. They speak to the return on investment of working with you. How much more money did they make or save because of your business? How did you help them grow? Get hard numbers in you testimonials whenever and wherever possible. It makes a big difference.

These are what motivate other buyers.

Confront objections head-on

What are your prospects’ apprehensions about working with you? Maybe it’s your relative high price or your newness to an industry. Use your testimonials to confront and trump those objections.

This is where testimonials can be really persuasive.

Resist the urge to edit

Testimonials are most effective when they’re delivered the way people talk. I’ve battled with too many internal over-eager grammar police on this one. You know the types, the people whose contribution to the organization comes from their superior knowledge of split infinitives, correct use of apostrophes and verb forms. BO*@***S.!

They get all worked up over the placement of the comma in the testimonial. And the stupid customer said “that” when they really should have said “who.” Please. Unless the wording makes your customer look illiterate, leave it alone. People don’t always use pristine English. People talk like they talk. Let them! It gives the testimonial much more credibility.

Make it visual

When possible, include the speaker’s photo. For the most impact, of course  a video testimonial is best. . Have your customer discuss how you’ve helped them be successful. Encourage specifics. Edit it so it puts you and your customer in the best light. Video testimonials are increasingly affordable—and incredibly high impact.

Be on the lookout

Your sales and accounts people should identify the best sources for testimonials. They’re the ones on the front lines talking with customers. When customers praise your work, ask them to put it in writing—with a little guidance of course. (You have been reading, haven’t you?)

Always be on the lookout for powerful, meaningful testimonials.

The kind that can and will grow your business. 

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