How to get glowing testimonials from clients
Testimonials can be one the most powerful, authentic sales points for your business, as direct, unbiased insights from your clients into why people should train with you. Problem is, testimonials can also be a bit hit and miss: they can be overly general, not detailed enough or fail to properly convey what exactly you've achieved for the client. Here, Ric Isaac, Senior Consultant at NPE, shares the secrets to getting amazing testimonials that can drive new business.
Get meaningful specifics
A general testimonial that says ‘I feel so much better after working with [trainer’s name]; it’s been great’, is pretty much worthless, says Isaac. Instead, what you’re after is emotive, compelling details that paint a picture of the client’s experience training with you, and what they got out of it. “Think along the lines of ‘I feel so much better after working with [trainer’s name]; my energy has increased, I’ve dropped 4.7kg and not only that but I’m fitting into clothes I haven’t worn in five years, and the best thing is that its sustainable, so I’m not exhausted after training’,” he explains.
Ask clients providing testimonials to include as much detail as possible, or prompt the right answers using a testimonial form (see below). Another option, to ensure detailed testimonials, is to get them verbally via a chat with the client, which you then transcribe afterwards. In addition, you want to include meaningful details with the testimonial attribution. So, rather than listing ‘Jan, 39’, include details about who the person actually is – ‘Jan, 39, mother of two, accountant, Lane Cove, NSW’ – which makes their testimonial more believable.
Create a testimonial template
One simple way to ensure you get detailed testimonials from clients is to create a template for them to fill in. “You might include questions like ‘where were your energy levels when you started the program and where are they now?; what was your starting weight, your weight loss goal and what’s your weight now?; what size clothes were you before the program and what size are you now?; how did you feel about yourself then, and how do you feel about yourself now?; and what would your advice be to someone who is considering doing a fitness program?,’” advises Isaac. “By creating tools like a testimonial template, it gives clients a framework to work with, making it much easier for them to give you what you’re asking for.”
Capture video testimonials
According to Isaac, the pièce de résistance of testimonials are videos, because they capture and convey the emotion of clients most powerfully. He advises asking clients for a quick video testimonial after they’ve done one of their regular assessments.
“That timing is best because the client will be thrilled they’ve either lost weight or gained strength or flexibility, and at that point you can say ‘I’d love to help more people like you; would you help me with a quick testimonial?,’” suggests Isaac. Rather than just sticking a phone or camera in their face and asking them to talk, prompt them by mentioning the assessment they’ve just done and asking how they’re feeling, which will hopefully lead them to talk about the great results they’ve achieved working with you.
Ideally, you want the testimonial to weave a story about where they started, what challenges they had, the fitness plan you prescribed and what results it led to. “I’d also suggest holding your phone down at your chest level so it’s looking up at them, and maintaining eye contact as you talk to them, which makes it feel more real,” advises Isaac.
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