Bizpro Ltd – Virtual Assistants

The power of testimonials

So, if someone asked you for a testimonial, would you supply it?

Of course you would, if you were happy with their service. So why are business owners still afraid to ask for testimonials? I always look to see what other people have written about a provider before I use them, and I’m more than happy to write them for others when I get a good service.  It says a lot about your business, however make sure your client is happy for your to quote them, and use their details for your marketing purposes.

Anonymous testimonials don’t really mean very much, and sometimes appear less than genuine, however sometimes clients choose to be anonymous, in which case it can’t be helped, however if you have one or two anonymous testimonials amongst several named ones it’s not going to do you any harm!

I make a habit of collecting testimonials, and asking my clients if they are happy with the service they receive. I use feedback forms which I regularly send out to make sure I am informed of the service we are providing, and that our clients are happy.

One of the most powerful ways of gaining testimonials is by video. We still get comments about our testimonial video over a year after producing it. It’s a great way of promoting both you and your clients. It needn’t be expensive to produce either.

For any job you do, whether in work or home life, having the right tools for it certainly makes life easier, if not quicker. It makes sense to look at the bigger picture when faced with a job that you either don’t have the right tools for, the right training, or the right frame of mind. Sometimes, it can be much more cost effective to pay someone else to do the job for you, especially when they seem to have all the right tools, training, and experience, etc. However, sometimes things aren’t always as they appear and sometimes you can be temporarily blinded by your own need for that person to be able to do the job. So how can you safeguard against this? How can you tell you have the right person for the job every time? How do you check their credentials?

It’s an interesting point, and something that I’m careful about myself. I like to think I’m a reasonably good judge of character, but I’ve had my fingers burned, too (albeit rarely, thank goodness). In business, I am a firm believer in testimonials. They are possibly the most powerful tool you can get which validates your business and your work. They’re certainly not fool proof, (personally, I would always be aware of testimonials whose author would only put their initials to the statement), but if used correctly, they are valuable. I make it a point in my business to ask for testimonials from my clients, if they are happy with the service they have received. On the same side, if they are not happy, I would also like to know about it. Far better for you to be made aware of your faults so you can take steps to remedy them, than it is for everyone else to be made aware of them!

I use feedback forms for training, and feedback forms for my work. Any feedback or testimonial is worth its weight in gold as I know how constructive it can be for a business to know where they are falling down, and where they are exceptional. Likewise, I always try to leave a testimonial or feedback for my suppliers too.

As for the right tools for the job, if we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t be here. ;o)