The surprise bonus of testimonial interviews… and why you mustn’t be scared to ask for one

Do you feel a bit wrung out, as the world lurches from one crisis to the next? I think we need to grab every positive moment we can. 

You can do that with testimonials. Over the last 10 years, I’ve noticed how talking to people in a positive context, uplifts everyone:  

1. The person and organisation receiving the testimonial 

2. The middle person who collects the testimonial.  For instance, if you’re an in-house marketer and you’re interviewing one of your colleague’s customers. Or, like me, you’re independent, and you’re capturing praise for one of your clients, or for your own business.

3. The person – a client or referrer – giving the testimonial. 

Number 3 could surprise you.  Your customers are busy.  Have they got time?  Or the brain space? Aren’t I being a pain asking a client to talk about my work?

Bear with me. I hope to prove the opposite. 

But let’s start with:  

The receiver

A testimonial is obviously great for the team who are being praised. We live in an age of online reviews; many of them unreliable. So, it’s good to have third party proof of your value, described in a video that stands out for its relaxed realness. 

Also, on a personal level, it’s a confidence boost when someone else has the generosity to talk about the difference you’ve made. And often clients will surprise you, by putting the spotlight on parts of your value that you are blind to. Or they describe your worth in a way that you have never done before, using words that you’ve overlooked because (perhaps) you’re steeped in your own technical language. (I cover these topics in my email series, ‘The Richest Conversations’.) 

The middle person

If you’re recording the video on behalf of a colleague or client, its uplifting to see one human praise another.  Their enthusiasm is contagious.  And it’s a good antidote to the stories we often see in the news, where the main protagonists are being chillingly hostile to one another. 

The giver 

It might sound weird, but it’s also a feel-good experience for the person giving the testimonial. 

That’s linked to something called ‘The Five Ways to Wellbeing’. The five ways are simple – often fleeting – everyday actions that build our resilience over time. 

I say ‘fleeting’ because these ways are rarely big commitments. Some only last a few seconds.  And one of the ways is ‘give’:  

Here’s proof

At this point, I’ll quote from the UK NHS (National Health Service) article I’ve just shared:

“Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:

• creating positive feelings and a sense of reward

• giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth

• helping you connect with other people”

In the list of ‘give’ examples, the one that happens to be at the top is, “saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you”.

Which, to me, is a good definition of a testimonial. It’s the chance to share your  gratitude publicly for the difference another person has made to you. 

And it reinforces what I’ve seen for myself, when I’ve led lots of these conversations on behalf of my clients. 

The win-win of ‘thank you’

If you’re still not convinced, think back to a time when someone gave you brilliant customer service. Weren’t you keen to recommend that person to your friends? Weren’t you happy to know that you weren’t just supporting the plumber/designer/gardener who did the great work.  You’re also saving your friends time and stress, because they’re not having to Google for that electrician or hairdresser. 

The same applies to your satisfied clients. If you’ve made a difference to them, they will want to recommend you. 

But 

You might still feel it’s an imposition.  And I think we’ve all experienced instances where a client will promise a testimonial – and they do genuinely want to help – but life gets in the way.  And you nudge them. But they don’t get back to you. And then you feel bad for chasing them.  And it never happens.

And that’s why, over the years, I’ve developed the 15-minute conversational approach. You record what you need during a short chat. Which means your client doesn’t have to spend hours writing a review or rehearsing in front of a camera. 

So…

I hope I’ve started to convince you that asking for a testimonial shouldn’t feel like a big ask. In terms of wellbeing – and I’m being a bit cheeky here – your clients should be thanking you!