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Conventional wisdom about sales: Selling is much easier when customers recommend your business to their family, friends and business acquaintances.
To a lesser degree, testimonials also work to build a brand.
Endorsements are great, but you must be careful to not run afoul of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines.
Don’t be shy. Asking for recommendations is not for the faint of heart.
Generally, it’s best to ask your customers or clients for recommendations after you’ve wowed them – by solving their problems, exceeding their expectations or after they’ve thanked you.
Here’s how:
Immediately ask
An ideal time to ask for a recommendation: As soon as you hear about a customer’s satisfaction.
Why? They’re thinking positive thoughts when their customer experience is fresh in their minds.
So, have an attitude of gratitude. Explain how it feels when you make them happy. Express your appreciation in-person or send a follow-up message.
Often, they’ll respond favorably.
Leverage your site and social media
The majority of customers will recommend a business if they’ve already made positive comments on social media.
If possible, make friends of your customers enough to exchange social-media information with them. In other words, follow each other.
So, at the minimum, make sure you have a Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter presence. Scan your pages for positive comments, too. Then, thank your customers and ask if they’d recommend you.
Note: You must get customers’ permission if you’re to use their reviews. (Most social-media sites state the comments belong to the people who post them. Besides, it’s the polite thing to do.)
Reciprocate
If you offer to give a recommendation to know someone you know well or if you patronize their business often, you’ll find it’s often easy to get a recommendation if you give one.
Again, a caution regarding the FTC guidelines. You must disclose your affiliation with people who endorse your company if you’ve induced them financially.
Be assertive in laying groundwork
You have a mailing list, right?
Approach your customers. There’s one old-school tradition that works well – a handwritten thank you note.
In this way, you’ll lay a foundation in enhancing your relationships before you ask for recommendations.
Mediums to use for recommendations
Depending on your customers’ personalities and your relationships with them, consider giving them questionnaires to answer or offer to do a Q and A on videotape.
Even a good smartphone video will suffice. (To give them hints, you might suggest showing them examples of other recommendations.)
You know the rest: Put their recommendations on your site.
From the Coach’s Corner, here are additional marketing and sales tips:
Techniques to Influence the Emotions of Your Shoppers – With all the digital channels available to you, you have a unique marketing opportunity. But chances are you’re not fully capitalizing on your customer engagement.
Storytelling: Motivate Customers to Brag about Your Company – Your best opportunity in marketing messages is to inspire your customers to write testimonials about their positive experience with your company. Certainly, you’ll profit more if you can entice your customers to tell your story about your products and services.
Why Celebrity Testimonials Don’t Always Boost Sales – Celebrity testimonials have been common throughout marketing history. Some testimonials, work, but some don’t. Here’s why.
Are You Attacked by Bad or Bogus Reviews? 5 Tips to Respond – Certainly, you only want positive customer reviews. Understanding customer behavior is important. Internet-savvy shoppers read reviews to make buying decisions. Reviews can make or break you.
6 Tips to Increase the Quality, Quantity of Your Client Referrals – To obtain great referrals, make sure you’re a good steward of your already-existing circle of associates and clients – potential centers of influence.
“Customer service is just a day-in, day-out, ongoing, never-ending, unremitting, persevering, compassionate type of activity.”
-Leon Gorman
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