It is a well-known fact to Virtual Assistantns that by building credibility with your followers you will stand a higher chance of selling your services to them.
Establishing credibility working virtually is as simple as asking your current clients to give you testimonials which you can then display on your website or in your marketing materials.
Testimonials are, in many ways, a lot like case studies. A case study is designed to present a problem or challenge, to demonstrate how the problem was resolved, and then to highlight the results. Great testimonials also contain those three elements. Let’s take a look at them individually.
CREDIBILITY = BUY YOUR SERVICES
#1 The Challenge
What problem was the person facing and why hadn’t they solved their problem?
“My email inbox gets 1000’s of emails in it every day which takes me hours to sort through and deal with. I’ve tried many different ways of organizing my email but I’ve been unsuccessful to date. I’ve lost more hours in my day sorting through emails when instead I could be utilizing this time marketing my business and selling my products!”
#2 The Resolution
The resolution is where the client simply states how your product or service changed their life. How did it solve their problem? This is also a great place to quantify the results. Results are always more powerful when they can be quantified.
Here’s an example of a resolution or the middle part of your testimonial.
“ABC Virtual Assistant Services changed it all. They remotely log into my email accounts every morning before I get into the office, prioritize what I need to deal with and rid of the oodles of spam I used to have to wade through each day. I don’t dread my email inbox anymore. I’ve now gained at least two hours more per day that I can use to make money in my business.”
#3 Conclusion
In the conclusion, you’ll use emotion to truly persuade the reader. How has this success made your life better or easier? How did this success make you feel?
“With ABC Virtual Assistant Services by my side, email is no longer a battle for me and I look forward to it. I have more time in the day to not only work but spend with my family doing the things we couldn’t do before because I was always on the computer trying to respond to my massive email mess. I wish I’d known about ABC years ago but I’m glad I found them when I did.”
How to Motivate Your Clients to Write Testimonials Like These
Sure, it’s easy to see why testimonials with these three core elements are successful. But how do you motivate your clients to write their testimonials in this powerful format? It’s difficult. Many clients don’t understand how to write an effective testimonial. They probably want to write one for you but chances are they just don’t know how.
Write it for them!
One of the easiest ways to make your client’s life easier and to ensure you get the testimonial you need is to write one for them. For example, you might create a folder with three to five different testimonials in it. Your client can choose the one they want, make any changes they desire, and sign it. You might be surprised how many clients appreciate this convenience.
Create a template.
Another way to accomplish the same thing is to create a template testimonial. Your client can fill in the blanks and make changes to the template as they see fit. It gives them a little more control over the testimonial but still helps ensure you get the content you need.
Finally, if you receive a testimonial from a client and it doesn’t quite fit your needs, you can ask a few questions like, “Could you tell me how you were dealing with the problem before you came to me?” and “How did you feel once you’d tried our service?” You can then simply ask if you can add that information to the testimonial. Be sure to get their approval before you publish it.
Testimonials are essential tools to help persuade, build credibility, and strengthen your brand. Make your testimonials strong with these three core elements.
