Picture this: you’ve just received a glowing testimonial for your service. You’re thrilled, your ego has had a healthy boost, and the world seems a tad brighter. But then… silence. No surge in new clients. No noticeable bump in revenue. So, what was the point exactly?

It’s time to do client feedback differently.

Let’s explore how to transform your testimonials from mere ego-boosters into compelling, business-boosting tools.

I spent 15 years as a youth worker and school counsellor. And I’m going to let you in on the tricks I learnt to steer conversations and get to the heart of what people are really thinking.

And then I’m going to show you how to take that information and use it to get more clients!

How to get the information you need

Framing the Conversation

Before you even think of getting on a call or sending out a survey, it’s time to set the stage – a process called ‘framing’. This is your chance to manage expectations, laying out:

  • Time commitment
  • The purpose of the feedback
  • How your client’s feedback will help you (people like to be helpful!)
  • How the respondent can be most effective – letting them know that you want honest answers, not just nice fluffy platitudes.

Your aim is to foster a safe, trusting space where clients feel comfortable sharing honest, thoughtful feedback. A few useful phrases to use include:

  • “It should only take you…”
  • “There are no wrong answers”
  • “Your feedback will help me improve…”
  • “Honesty trumps flattery. Don’t worry about my ego, I value your real opinion.”

Asking the Right Questions

The power of your feedback lies in the quality of your questions. Here’s a quick guide:

Closed Questions: These provide data that you can use to segment your audience, or check understanding.

Open Questions: These allow clients to express thoughts in their own words, revealing insights you may not have anticipated.

Hypothetical Questions: Perfect for understanding big goals, desires, and frustrations. This is where you’ll gain insight into what was going on inside your client’s head before they started working with you. And this will tell you what could be going on inside your potential clients’ heads right now.

The trick is to know the type of information you need, but remain open to unexpected insights.

Employing Empathy

Empathy isn’t an emotion. It’s a state of genuine curiosity and a willingness to understand the world from another’s perspective. It’s about listening attentively and being ready to learn.

For more on empathy, and how it’s the secret weapon in your marketing, check out this article:

Why your marketing needs empathy

How to Craft Strategic Testimonials

I’m going to be controversial: not every testimonial that a client gives you belongs on your website. Instead, choose testimonials that best convey your unique selling proposition. Do they highlight your expertise, connection, or trustworthiness? Do they really illustrate your value to potential clients?

Your goal isn’t to amass an army of “They’re great!” testimonials. Instead, you’re looking for rich stories that express how your service truly impacted your client’s life or business.

The Power of Narrative

Humans are storytelling creatures. We use stories to understand our world, our capabilities, and our potential. Testimonials offer you a peek into the narratives your clients were living when they decided to work with you.

Your job is to find common threads – what struggles your clients had, how you helped, how they felt before, during, and after your collaboration, and how you helped them rewrite their narrative.

Now, take this narrative gold and weave it into your business’s story: through social proof, case studies, and even your website copy.

You can use them as headlines, subheads – anywhere that you’re trying to show your potential clients that you are the right person for them.

Weaving Voice of Customer magic

Because when your potential clients see language on your website, emails, and social posts that reflects what they’re saying in their heads, then you jump straight from “random service provider on the internet” to “person who just might understand me!”

It doesn’t make the sale – you still have to provide credibility, deliver on what you promise, etc.

But it gets you more than halfway there.

Looking for help with collecting feedback? Want someone else to dig into your testimonials and find that Voice of Customer gold? Let’s talk about getting you a Brand Messaging Guide, so you can benefit from this magic yourself.

Fill in the form, and we’ll have a chat about how I can best help you.