How to write a testimonial that shines

I don’t know about your business, but I do know that for us the #1 reason we get new clients is because they heard something about us that they liked. Sometimes that’s a first person endorsement but a lot of times it’s something that they read online.  It is a challenge to get those good testimonials, right?  So  today I wanted to create a resource on:

How to write a testimonial that knocks socks off

Sometimes you’ll write your testimonial and then ask people to endorse it as their own (yup, that’s how it’s done) or sometimes you can ask people and just give them a little guidance (like link them to this blog post) on how to do that.  For the purposes of this example I’m actually going to write a testimonial for Jenny The Flower City Fashionista who was over at my house Monday helping me figure out how I should be putting some outfits together.

Step One: Think of a few powerful lines that you (or the person you’re glowing about) could use on social media.  Make sure you include the name of the service they provided and how what they did made you feel.  Social is all about engagement and feeling.  Go for the feeling.

Examples:

  • Jenny just owned my closet – I went from feeling like I had nothing to wear to so excited to get dressed for weeks and weeks.
  • The Flower City Fashionista Stylist is the real deal – I’d never had a professional stylist in my closet before but it was great! She covered everything from the reassurance that some of my favorites are in fact awesome and new ways to wear them to letting go of stuff that just was not working on my body. An honest opinion and permission to love everything in my closet? HUGE WIN.

Step Two: Think about what you gained from this experience.  We are talking about this big concept: What do people value? So you want to hit on the following: It made me or saved me Time, Money, Efficiency, Increased Productivity, Days, Happy, Healthy.

Examples:

  • Jenny easily saved me 15 minutes every single morning for the next month of my life because I will no longer be staring in my closet saying “I have nothing to wear”.  
  • I refreshed my fall wardrobe and have a new look at my closet thanks to Jenny – she saved me hundreds of dollars!  Thank you so much!
  • I ordered my pumpkin spice latte and had a little spring in my step this morning – feeling pulled together and fresh feels so good – Jenny, you’re the best!

Step Three: Pull it all together.  Add the feeling and the value.  And send all three to the person you think is the bomb (yeah, I said that, I can’t take it back).  They can use them as they need to land their next client.

Example:

  • Jenny, The Flower City Fashionista, came in to assess my fall wardrobe. I was honestly one more frustrated morning away from going on a shopping adventure that would likely have cost me $1,000 because I had the “I have nothing to wear” feeling.  Jenny came in and worked up outfit after outfit that I absolutely loved from things already in my closet.  On top of that she sent me links with 3 pieces (a rust colored pair of pants, a more versatile statement necklace and a moto jacket) that I could get for 1/3 of the cost that would really extend my wardrobe into the next few seasons.  Between the money she saved me and the frustration of avoiding the “I hate everything I own” feeling, this was more than worth the cost of her visit.

 

Testimonials are a little thing you can do to pay it forward.