They say doctors make the worst patients… that may or may not be true, but certainly for us, as communications professionals, creating our new website presented many challenges! We approached it by acting as if we were our own clients. We asked ourselves all the questions we pose when putting together a client’s project – about mission, message, performance, goals.
One thing we knew we couldn’t miss was testimonials. Nothing replaces the feedback of a satisfied customer. Testimonials are key to establishing trust and confidence in potential clients, but they also help a team to understand, from the client’s perspective, where their strong points are.
Testimonials are something of a specialty for us. We put together project stories from around the world, turning the experiences of satisfied customers into a value-added communication tool that highlights our own clients’ products, services, project management skills, and much more.
Are they old school? Yes and no: they have been used for a long time exactly because they are so powerful.
What do you need to consider when creating a customer story or testimonial? Here are a few things we tell our clients:
- Let the customer tell their story, but have a preferred direction in advance: the testimonial needs to fit within your own communication strategy.
- The customer is putting their own reputation on the line when giving you a testimonial: they are making you look good, but you need to make them look good, as well.
- Avoid ‘generic’ stories: even if you have several projects that ‘look alike’, focus on a different aspect of your product or service in each, and be specific. If you are proud of your ability to customize your product or service, include an example.
- When possible, talk to the customer rather than asking for something in writing from them. Ask them questions that give more depth to their answers. Follow the interesting aspects of the story. And remember that every contact with your customer is part of building your relationship with them.
- Readers are people, too! Make sure your text is dynamic, your visuals are attractive, and your story is engaging.
You can find out more about testimonials and other services we offer on our Services page. If you would like to discuss how we can put our experience creating gripping customer cases and stories to work for you, contact us.
