Are you too shy to ask for testimonials?

June 28, 2013

Are you too shy to ask for testimonials?

In this day and age of social media, everybody seems to love calling attention to themselves. Photos, updates and TMI abound.

So why do some entrepreneurs have a difficult time asking clients for testimonials?

Almost every client has said to me, “I don’t feel comfortable doing that” or “I don’t want to bring attention to myself” or “I’m too scared to ask.”

I don’t know why this is, but I always try to insist that clients bust through their fears simply by just doing it.

No doubt you know this already — testimonials are crucial because it’s the difference between having sales vs. no sales.

In fact, this is true in the entire retail world. Have you ever skipped purchasing a book because it didn’t have any reviews on the back cover? Or, because no one has said a word about it on Amazon? I have.

Looking back at my career, I consider myself to be a pioneer for my use of testimonials. Back in the day when I was interviewing for a job, I remember for every 10 resumes I sent, I got 7 phone calls back. Every interview I went on, I got job offers 100% of the time.

It became a game to me. After a while, I went on interviews just to see if I could close the sale, even if I wasn’t interested in working there. As soon as I got a job offer, I would chuckle and move on.

I feel horrible now for wasting others’ time! But I guess my game wasn’t so pointless after all. Unknowingly, I had given myself early sales experience on how to communicate my value and close deals. It gave me a chance to practice when I wasn’t attached to the outcome.

The other factor of my high success rate was due to my use of testimonials. You see, instead of attaching the standard list of references, I gave people an entire page of testimonials. I knew that no one else was doing it except me, and I loved it.

Just like reading the back cover of a book to see what others say, I included reviews from higher ups of other firms. People recounted how I had been able to transform their department, make their jobs easier or bring more sophistication to their operations.

How did I collect that page of testimonials? I asked. It was not hard, because I always made it my business to do great work.

This page of testimonials landed me an awesome job eons ago. Later, the CEO, who I have stayed friends with over the years, retold the story of how I got hired. He said to someone, “Ana did something I’ve never seen before. It was amazing. She had a page of testimonials attached to her resume, and it said something like, ‘If you don’t hire Ana, you’re an idiot. Signed, MTV Networks.’ I had to call her.”

Asking for testimonials is one of the best sales actions you can take today. Most customers may not read them — they just want to know they’re there.

Testimonials inspire trust and credibility, both of which take a long time to build one–on–one with someone.

But when credibility comes through a testimonial, the transfer of trust happens faster — a lot faster.

If the reviewer is someone the potential customer trusts, then the transfer of trust to you is immediate. As in, “If this person says she’s good, then she’s good.”

Transfer of trust spreads like wildfire. When Oprah transfers her trust to a recommended product, it literally blows open a company’s sales demand through the seams.

So, today, pick your most recent client and ask her to open up her heart.

Say, “If you found my service to be valuable, I’d love to have your feedback for my website. Was I able to meet your needs? Are you happy with the results of our work together? Did I change your life positively? If so, please let me know what your experience was like. I would sincerely appreciate hearing your comments to help me improve. I’d love to feature your photo on my website too, if I may have your permission.”

Does it feel a bit shameless? I would have to say, no it doesn’t, at least not to me.

If you ask from a place of genuinely caring about your service and hearing the client, it is not shameless in the least bit. In fact, asking for client feedback is how you can deepen your compassion for your audience and reflect on your soul gifts and how you want to serve.

When a client tells you how you can improve, what she’s really saying is, “I would love to buy from you again if you can meet my needs even further.”

What you can also find out from client feedback is the way they perceive your value. Intuitive Picture was named because I noticed that client after client told me how I instinctively understood their visions and created designs that fit their business like a glove.

I didn’t see this about myself. I didn’t even know I was intuitive. Thanks to asking for testimonials, I got a new marketing direction that resonates with people and closes sales.

When we set out to market ourselves, we often don’t know what the audience will respond to. By asking for feedback, you’re helping people who need you to recognize you. It’s how you are being of service in the best way possible. David Neagle, a success mindset teacher says, “Sales is not what you do to someone. Sales is what you do for them.”

Entrepreneurs who doubt their own value are often afraid to ask for testimonials. They are not afraid to show it if a client volunteers praise. But they will not go out and ask for one.

If this happens to you, what is it about yourself that you don’t want to hear? Are you afraid someone will tell you you’re not good enough? What are you afraid might be true? And is it really true, or is it just your imagination?

Please leave a comment below!

Hi, I’m Ana Coeur

I teach entrepreneurs how to create their business straight from their soul. I offer a complete Intuitive Business Suite to help you create, design, write and sell all from your intuition. Here’s the services you can take advantage of to empower your business: Intuitive Web & Brand Design, Intuitive Copywriting and Intuitive Selling. If there’s anything I can help you with, I would love to hear about it! You may email me at anaintuitivepicture.com