A glowing reference from a former client is a great marketing tool for your consulting business. However, not all customer testimonials are created equally. Some clients are naturally more experienced at writing a good, solid referral. Others may know what they want to say, but aren't sure how to best format the words on paper.
Although you can't tell the customer what to say, you can provide specific guidelines for what you want included. To be effective, a testimonial should be three to four paragraphs in length, and include the following key points.
1. A Recap of the Project Goals
Briefly review why the client needed your services. Was it a long-term consulting job to help the client market his business? Or maybe the objective was to design a four-color brochure? It's important to describe the project because it helps get the attention of prospective customers looking for similar services.
2. The Reason for Selecting Your Firm over the Competition
There are many reasons clients decide to use your service. Perhaps it's a referral from another satisfied customer; or word-of-mouth in the community about your solid reputation won the business; perhaps a quick turn-around on the proposal sealed the deal; or it could be that your pricing was more competitive than others in the market. Whatever the reason, identifying that one, final deciding factor is powerful information to know. Not only will the reason resonate with other prospective clients when they read the testimonial, but it helps you better understand a potential advantage in the market.
3. Describe the Finished Project
A good testimonial should include a few details about the completed job you did for the client. This shows how those original objectives were met.
4. Highlight Your Strengths
In addition to raving about a completed project, ask a client to describe one or two of your specific strengths. These could include your ability to meet deadlines; your friendly, customer-service focus; or your expertise in a particular field.
5. Make a Positive Declaration about Your Business
Ask for a concise statement about one of the following: the client's opinion of your work (regarding a specific service); an opinion about your overall business (in general); the reason they would use you again, or recommend you to others. It seems obvious, but sometimes a client will provide you with everything
but that one sound-bite that is so important. Think of this statement as one that you could pull out and use as a free-standing quote in other marketing materials.
