Specific

Although it is good to have some general endorsements for your company, it’s the specific quotes that will add the most value. These will help in your prospects’ decision making, and provide a key insight into how you operate as a business and what you ultimately deliver. If a client is writing a testimonial for you, give them direction where you can by suggesting particular services and topics to mention. We find that clients are generally very happy for us to write them on their behalf as this saves them time, but that they like to tweak to add some of their personality.  🙂

Convincing

Make sure each testimonial is realistic. It needs to be believable to be powerful.  This testimonial could be one of the first impressions that a prospect will have of you so it needs to be engaging enough to impress but not over the top in its praise – it’s a balancing act.  Value for money, cost/time savings, economic benefits and superior quality or performance make for compelling reading, as does a positive statement regarding your business relationship/trustworthiness.

Used correctly

Take your time when deciding where best to place your testimonials – websites are usually the best place to start, but you may need to think carefully about when and how often to put them into  emails or written documents.  Again, it’s a fine balance – you don’t want to use them so much that your prospects find it insincere, but you do want them to be aware of others’ recommendations.

Diverse

It’s wise to have a range of testimonials to best represent your services. Try to cover as many services as possible to show that you’re not a one-trick pony, but expert in a range of fields. This will make you more appealing to a wider variety of prospects.

Approved

Make sure your client is happy for you to use their quote as a testimonial. This is not only courteous, but also crucial for maintaining a good relationship with your client in the years to come.