"Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your project or service, and that bring friends with them." -- W. Edwards Deming

While we’d all love for our customers to shout our praises from the rooftops, but creating this kind of customer loyalty is a very long process – and the bills need to be paid now, not five years from now. That’s why, when it comes to word-of-mouth marketing, it’s best to start the process yourself by asking for testimonials.
Sales and marketing coach Dr. Rachna D. Jain has some tips for easily and effectively garnering testimonials:

Let your customers know right up front. Start every new customer relationship with a brief explanation of how you appreciate testimonials and how they help you serve your customers better. Ask all new customers/clients if they would be willing to provide you a testimonial if they are satisfied with your service.

Ask for them. Very often, sales reps will take step one, but never take step two. The client has agreed to provide a testimonial, but the business owner never follows up and asks for the testimonial. It's most effective to ask when your client or customer is especially pleased or satisfied with your service.

Make it easy. Make it as easy as possible for your clients to provide you with the testimonial. Consider having a pre-designed form, or a standard email. You may even want to ask certain questions to help shape the tone or format of what your client shares. For example, if you really want your clients to comment on your "outstanding customer service orientation," you might put a question or two in the form about this.

Write it yourself. Sometimes, clients will agree to provide a testimonial, but never actually do it. In these cases, it's perfectly acceptable to offer to write the testimonial yourself and have the client sign it. Ask the client if you might call him/her for 10-15 minutes for a brief interview about the high points of your business or service. Then write what you hear, and send it to the client for approval.

Get permission. It's very important to get your clients' permission to use their name, city/state, or website address in your own marketing. Most clients will understand that you are obtaining a testimonial for your marketing efforts. I have always found it wise to ask them to sign a brief statement which demonstrates that they have given permission for the information to be used.

Offer something in return. Most satisfied clients will give you a strong testimonial without expecting anything in return. For myself, I've found that offering a small "thank you" (a brief coaching session, a copy of one of my books, a discount on a class or training) goes a long way to helping clients feel valued and appreciated for their extra time and effort.

Dr. Rachna D. Jain is a sales and marketing coach. To learn more, contact Dr. Jain directly, or to sign up for her free newsletter, Sales and Marketing Secrets, please visit her website.