3 Tips for Getting Better Testimonials for your Signature Offer
If you run an online business, you know how powerful social proof can be:
This study by the Spiegel Research Centre found that:
Reviews have a greater impact on purchase likelihood for higher-priced items than cheaper ones. Our research found that when reviews were displayed for a lower-priced product, the conversion rate increased 190%. However, for a higher-priced product, the conversion rate increased 380%.
The takeaway?
If you're selling a high-ticket coaching program, the testimonials you share can have a MASSIVE impact on your bottom line.
And yet, as you've probably noticed...
Not all testimonials are created equal.
Vague statements like, "This program is great... I loved the modules and the coaching calls" are never going to be as powerful as specific references to dollar amounts and percentage points.
And sometimes that can be frustrating.
Whether you're a coach, service provider or course creator, you might not always be able to get your clients or customers to tie your offer back to a symbol of some kind...
Still, there are ways to make sure you're getting the best possible feedback from your clients, so that you can inspire your audience & attract more of the people who are ready to pay you for your work.
To help make sure you're getting the kind of feedback that will make future clients jump at the chance to get the kind of results you offer, I’m sharing my top 3 tips below.
But first, a question for you:
1) Ask specific questions (don't just ask for feedback)
Sending a simple email that asks people to "tell us about your experience" puts the onus on them to craft an eloquent statement about what it was like to work with you.
You don't want giving this feedback to feel like work!
That's why I always recommend my clients use a beautiful tool like Typeform to send their clients/customers an easy-to-answer survey. (Head’s up that that is my affiliate link specifically because I love love love Typeform as a tool.)
Not only does sending a survey full of targeted questions give you the chance to:
Direct the conversation where you want it to go,
Maximize the odds that people will actually reply, and
Collect all your answers in one easy-to-access spreadsheet...
You'll also get more authentic answers because your people will be more likely to write the way they speak than they would if you put them in a situation where they're trying to sound “good”.
2) Ask about specific wins—and not just the ones with $$$
If you struggle to get your clients to mention specific ways they benefitted from your work together, consider asking them questions about the various kinds of results they may have gotten.
Not all compelling answers have to include a dollar sign!
You might ask people about the emotional benefits of working with you, how your work together has improved their relationships, or given them peace of mind.
Yes, buyers are often motivated by income claims or percentage bumps...
But if you can't provide those or have a mixed bag of testimonial types, the next best thing is specific references to tangible ways your clients’ lives have changed as a result of your work together.
3) Ask at the right moment
When you ask for a testimonial is almost as important as how and what you ask.
There are 2 times I always recommend you ask people to share their results:
i) Right after they experience a big, exciting win:
If your client shares a win, send them your feedback form right away. This is also an excellent time to screenshot however they shared it and/or ask for a quick video message to tell you more about it. You want to capture their excitement and enthusiasm in their words—that kind of thing is contagious. Readers will be able to feel it radiating off the page.
ii) Towards the end or right after you finish working together:
I often have to send my clients chasing after their past clients for testimonials, and while many people are happy to oblige after the fact, you'll always get the best results if you ask promptly, while the process is fresh in their minds.
Should you ask for the testimonial before your work together is complete?
Not too early. Asking too far before your time together is up can actually have a negative impact on your responses because people will be holding out for your final calls or want to see what the end of the experience is like before they give their final say.
Ideally, you'll build the collection of Voice of Customer data into your daily operations.
This is a practice I teach inside my messaging-focused mastermind, Your Signature Promise.
Your Signature Promise helps established business owners elevate their signature offers, streamline their sales processes, and refine their marketing assets, from the opt-in you use to attract new leads to the checkout page (and upsell) people see right before they buy.
Over the course of 6 months, we make sure your intake, onboarding, and testimonial collection forms are optimized to get you the most mouth-watering results possible...
And you'll have direct access to my strategic messaging support & sales funnel expertise to help you sell your scalable signature program with ease.
If you currently have a group coaching program or a signature 1:1 package you LOVE to deliver, but you feel like you're not yet marketing it to its full potential...
I can help you gain the clarity you need to finally communicate the full value of your offer—in words that help you stand out from the crowd and connect with your perfect people.
Your Signature Program: Summer Break Edition
…is currently open for enrollment.