How to Get Testimonials If No One Has Paid You Yet

When you’re in a service business, potential customers who are checking you out always want to see if others have had the results you promise from your product or service. The more expensive and the more intangible the service (i.e. you can’t see, touch, smell or taste it), the more examples they want to see that show you can deliver on your promises.

This is often a stumbling block if your business is new and you haven’t had a real, paying, customer yet. Relatives, spouses and your closest friends don’t count! Fortunately there are legitimate ways to get that all-important social proof without waiting until you’ve worked with several customers.

One of the best is to gather potential customers who you think would be an ideal fit for your new service and ask them to participate in a trial or pilot project. Charge them a nominal fee in exchange for their participation. Be clear at the outset that the reason they’re getting your services at a reduced rate is so that you can test it and gain their suggestions for improvement. State that in exchange for this lower fee they will be asked to supply their input, and if they are happy with the service, you’ll invite them to provide a client testimonial. It’s really important to be transparent about this so that each side is crystal clear on the expectations. It’s also important that your test run participants understand the price they are paying is NOT your normal rate and they will not continue to get service from you at this preferred price if they want to continue with you later.

I’m not a proponent of giving your value away for free, but there are some cases where it is helpful to do so. In these circumstances, even though you may be giving something away for free, you’re not giving it away for nothing. Let me show you some examples where it can be beneficial.

• A free consultation that provides the potential client with the chance to get a sense of your value.
• A trial, no obligation offer.
• A donation of service or product. This can be a product, or even a free event ticket or spot in a program.

When you are giving away services in these cases, you’re getting value from the connection with a potential client. If you’ve done a good job of identifying who your ideal clients are, and have created a solution to a problem they have, your prospects will go from lukewarm to hot and ready to buy from you very quickly.

The double-duty strategy is that in all of these examples, you have a very natural and comfortable reason to go back to the individual to ask for feedback. You’re establishing further rapport and if they’re happy, you can then ask if they’re willing to supply you with a testimonial. Most often they say yes, especially because it means added exposure for them (tip: be sure to ask for a photo, link to their website, a written testimonial, and even video and audio formats; you never know where you might end up using them).

One point you should know about is that recently, the FTC has cracked down on the use of online testimonials. This is a good thing, because it means that the playing field will be leveled between the honest and the, shall we say, contortionists who excel at stretching the facts.  Make sure that you familiarize yourself and know your obligations. Here’s one resource. In a nutshell, don’t promise what you can’t guarantee you can deliver, and use testimonials as they are intended – to provide your customers with real-life and realistic examples of what they can expect from using your services.

Want to use this article? You can as long as you include this footer: Sherri Garrity is the Chief Corporate Fugitive and creator of the Five Keys Success SystemTM for ex-corporate employees and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to break free from the confines of their corporate experience and live outside of the ordinary. The Corporate Fugitive system demystifies the business of setting up, managing, marketing and growing a successful and extraordinary business. Visit www.corporatefugitive.com for information and step-by-step resources to take you from overwhelmed employee to extraordinary entrepreneur.