3 Ways to Get Great Customer Testimonials and Why You Need Themsubmitted on 7 February 2018
In today’s digital environment, it is more important than ever to get great customer testimonials. Of course, you will always get that one or two dissatisfied customers - and that is natural. You can’t please everyone all the time, no matter how hard you work at it. So, don’t be afraid of that handful of negative comments because your strong followers will come to your defense. It’s been proven time and again. Seek positive testimonials because you don’t want to end up on Business Insider’s worst customer service list!
However, if you doubt the importance of customer testimonials, you need to understand how trust factors into all this. Whether you are a b2b company or a b2c venture, trust isn’t something which will be given freely. We no longer live in a time when we do the bulk of our shopping at the local mall or hire the local handyman to make home improvements. Most of our business is done in the digital realm, so building that trust factor takes special effort. Customer testimonials will have the biggest impact on gaining trust of any strategy you can employ.
1. Go Above and Beyond with Customer Service
It has come to a point in our world where customers no longer get the kind of customer service their parents and grandparents received. Perhaps part of that is because of the lack of face-to-face communications in a digital environment, but there seems to be a lethargic attempt to offer customers the service they need for total satisfaction. All it takes is going that extra mile to give them something they can hold onto, and you will have a satisfied customer who will be one of your best salesmen!
For example, you are selling home appliances online. You offer free shipping and a hotline in case anything should happen when the customer is trying to install that appliance. Questions will always arise so prepare to answer them. Also, you know that Murphy’s Law applies when it comes to electronics, appliances, and vehicles. When you least expect it, usually after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired, a problem will arise. Show your customers how to get that extended warranty on sites like warrantyguides.com and you’ll have a customer for life – one who will be happy to give you a positive review!
2. Seek Social Media Followers
If you ever doubt the veracity of word-of-mouth advertising, just take a look around Facebook or LinkedIn. When a customer is happy with your company, they are also equally as happy to share. However, on the flip side, if they are disenchanted with your service or product line, they will also be more than happy to talk about that. If you go above and beyond with customer service and your products do what you say, seek social media followers who will provide great testimonials. Social media is like wildfire that spreads quickly and out of control in many cases. Do you want great viral reviews? Get on social media for a new age in word of mouth advertising!
3. Ask for Testimonials and Offer Rewards!
Never be afraid to ask your customers to provide testimonials or reviews. Savvy business owners know the importance of those testimonials and so they offer some kind of reward to customers who take the time to write them. It could be a discount on their next order or it could be giving them something of value. Maybe let them earn points for each review they write so that they can eventually use those points towards a new product or service.
You would be surprised at the number of great customer testimonials you can get just by asking for them. Don’t be lulled into thinking that word of mouth is dead. It is alive and well and it’s up to you to get those testimonials that will be a huge part of your marketing strategy. However, it’s up to you to get the ball rolling, so start asking for them today!
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