The Most Essential Element of a Great Testimonial

John Ray: [00:00:00] Hello. I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. What’s the one essential element of a great testimonial? Every great testimonial involves pain. It’s the pain that you, as the professional services provider, freed your client from. I was reminded of this recently when I received a note from one of my North Fulton Business Radio guests, that’s one of the shows that I host. The note said, “I was so nervous wondering what I was going to say that I almost canceled. You made me forget I was on the show. We were just having a conversation, and it was so easy. Thank you so much for making my appearance so enjoyable.”

Now, imagine if the note had simply said, instead of what I just read, imagine if it had said the following, “You made me forget I was on the show. We were just having a conversation, and it was so easy. Thank you so much for making my appearance so enjoyable.” Now, the powerful testimonial that I read to begin with has been neutered somewhat. It’s now a nice compliment, nice to have, and these words feel good, but there’s something missing in the words that I read without referencing the pain. It’s the pain.

Let me read those original comments again. “I was so nervous wondering what I was going to say that I almost canceled. You made me forget I was on the show. We were just having a conversation, and it was so easy. Thank you so much for making my appearance so enjoyable.”

Stage fright is agonizing, and the nervousness of wondering whether you’ll say the right thing about your business involves a lot of angst and personal second guessing before that interview, speech or elevator pitch, whatever you’re delivering. This person lit up a fear many can identify with, and that gives that note a much greater impact.

Great testimonials are client-centered. They’re not centered on us as the services professional. Comments that I might receive about my show like, “John, you’re such a great host,” or “You’re so wonderful or a great guy,” well, they’re the skim milk, I’d call it, of testimonials. The skim milk version of testimonials. They might make me feel good, but the point of getting testimonials isn’t about me, unless the principal concern in my business is buffing up my own self-image instead of building the bottom line.

The reason you want testimonials is to help prospective clients who read them understand the pain you can deliver them from. You want others to read that testimonial and self-identify. Bottom line, it’s about them. Any endorsement you receive from a client is a precious gift you should be grateful for. And sometimes, it’s impossible to control what’s said when you are privileged to get a testimonial that’s unsolicited.

When you’re able to ask for an endorsement, though, ask your client to recall the pain they were in before you fix their problem and how their business and life has changed because of your involvement. The more specific the problem, ‘My sales were down 25%,” let’s say. And then the results, “My sales are now at an all time high and I’m not working 12-hour days,” the more those results are stated, the better.

The best testimonials are mostly about the client’s journey to a better business and life, and, yes, the role you played in that journey. But the emphasis is on the client. They’re the hero. It’s about them. And it starts with their pain. That’s the one essential element of a great testimonial.

I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. Our show series can be found at PriceValueJourney.com or on your favorite podcast app. And we would be honored if you’d subscribe to the show and give us feedback along the way. You can email me at John@JohnRay.co. Thank you for joining me.