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Improve your sales and attract new customers by using these testimonial examples as inspiration for collecting your own

Word of mouth is a powerful tool in sales. Every salesperson knows that their reputation can make or break them. Every business knows how important it is to keep their customers happy.

Why? Well, many consumers rely on feedback from their peers before they decide whether to purchase from a company or salesperson. In fact, a stellar testimonial can actually lure new leads to you.

You already take the time to advertise your business in a variety of ways, and retain those customers when you get them, but have you considered testimonials? They’re a different form of marketing because they come directly from your customer’s perspective.

Advertising your business through word of mouth is like a spreading wildfire – once it’s lit, it’s hard to contain. Testimonials are similar in that way. You can get people to write about you on social media, in videos or any other platform. If you have customers that are willing to give you testimonials, be sure to include them on your website and print copy as well. In fact, why not outright ask your customers if they’re willing to give you a recommendation. You’ll find that most are happy to do so.

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Choosing the right collection of testimonials to post on your website can be tricky. One may be too long, the other may be as short as a sentence. Some may sound generic and not detailed enough for the type of customers you want to generate. When asking for recommendations from your current and past customers, you may want to consider sending along some testimonial examples to help them realize exactly what you are looking for. Try these suggestions:

Testimonial Examples with Personality

The more authentic your testimonials are, the better your prospects will relate to them. Remember, real people took the time to do a write-up about your product, services, company, or sales staff. If possible, include their name, age, location and the date next to the testimonial. If necessary, follow up with these recommendations to ask additional questions, such as what the customer’s favorite feature is. Specific details show value. Your prospects will see that the product or service is functional, and the need will be obvious immediately.

Two tips on including detailed information on the testimonial sharer: be sure you have permission to use their complete information. They may request you only use a last initial instead of a full last name or skip their location all together. Respect their wishes!

Home Services Testimonial Example: The whole experience was terrific! There is nothing like coming home from work and seeing your house look and smell so great. Kelly and Jen did such a terrific job and I can’t thank them enough for all their hard work. -Heather A., West Chester, OH on MollyMaids.com

Business Services Testimonial Example: “We have called Ace Plumbing on two separation occasions. The first was a flooded basement. Josh gave us a competitive quote and installed a sump pump that works great. It was great to find a reliable, honest plumber who wouldn’t take advantage of your dire situation. Ace Plumbing also installed our hot water tank. And they did it quick and with respect for our property – leaving no mess behind. In both cases, we received professional installation. And more importantly, both projects stayed within the estimate, and our budget. If you’re looking for a plumber you can trust, and afford, I highly recommend Ace Plumbing.” Mike Bilik on AcePlumbingUSA.com

Financial Advisor Testimonial Example: Since working with Terry Sullivan and Trevor Pugh they have met and surpassed my expectations of working with financial advisors. They take the time to really know their clients which gives me every confidence that not just my financial goals are well understood but also my comfort level. They regularly provide updates and have always been available to answer any questions or to explain options within my portfolio. Transitioning into retirement has been much easier thanks to Terry and Trevor’s guidance. – RH, Guelph ON on StarviewFinancial.com

Also, including the date on testimonials can be both a positive and negative thing. Dates can help you if you have very recent recommendations. However, if a prospective customer is on your website and sees testimonials from five years ago that haven’t been updated, they might wonder if your product has plummeted in that time frame. Keep refreshing your testimonials or take the dates off them completely.

The New Age of Testimonials

Posting on social media on a whim has become an integral part of daily life, and likewise we see what everyone else posts–the good, the bad, and utterly unnecessary. When you think about it, seeing something positive on these social websites is actually refreshing and intriguing.

If someone posted on your company’s Twitter or Facebook pages, or tagged your business in a picture, don’t hesitate to have that be a part of your collection of testimonials. And remember, it’s always good practice to ask them to share it on your website before doing so.

Frame.io does a great job at visually displaying testimonials from social media on their website. They’re focusing on Tweets, but if you have Facebook comments and reviews, or Yelp reviews, you could use the same approach.

 

And testimonials don’t only have to come in written format. Pictures and videos could be shared by the consumer and uploaded to your website.  Think of it as a visual and tangible reaction to a successful business transaction.

Putting Testimonial Examples on Your Website

Okay, so now you have collected your best testimonials. They’re personal, detailed and all different.

The next step is to edit them. It’s never a good idea to shave your testimonials down too much. Keep them true to the voice of the customer that authored the blurb–streamline it appropriately so that it makes sense logically and grammatically.

The beauty of having different testimonials, is the ability to break up your page filled with these customer reviews. Display them so that each testimonial stands out on your website. Here’s how URLProfiler.com does it:

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Hotjar.com follows suit, with the photos, showing that real people have real opinions on their product. They include logos, too, since the logos are even more recognizable than the photos and add more credibility to the testimonials.

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Or, you can have a lengthy one followed by a Tweet, then a video, and finally a sharp, one-sentence review. It’ll keep people moving around on your page. People will be invested while breezing through the content.

If you want to add a little more pizzazz, turn testimonials into mini case studies. Take a look at how Basecamp does it:

Customer Testimonial Examples

Take some time to gather testimonial examples for your business. While you’re busy getting awesome recommendations, Blitz can stay busy collecting new leads and assigning them to your sales staff.

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lead-managerLet our automated software simplify your sales process.  Sign up for a 30-day FREE trial of our lead management software and turn more leads into customers with less work!

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What are other testimonial examples every business should look out for? Leave an answer for us in the comment section below!