Compelling testimonials

Getting your clients to do the talking. By Patrick McKenna

It’s hard to deny: clients today are particularly sceptical. One of the most difficult challenges that each of us as professionals face, is coming up with a convincing response to one critical question: ‘As a prospective client, tell me please, why should I choose you (your firm or your practice group); what makes you distinctive and what added-value do you bring to my business matters that I cannot get anywhere else?’

You might be able to answer this with a bold assertion, which is important to get your audience’s attention. However, supporting that claim is even more critical if you want to convert attention into action.

A testimonial is usually a written communication from a client that talks about what is special about you and your firm. Preferably, a testimonial should describe the work undertaken, highlighting the success achieved, and include a recommendation. It is tangible evidence that enables you to showcase the specific ways you are differentiated from competitors.

Testimonial benefits
Testimonials can be used to say things about your firm and your services that you could never say yourself, but most importantly they can do the following.

Evidence success
Clients want to work with those firms who have a track-record for producing results. ‘Smart & Smarter guided us through all of the pitfalls involved in outsourcing our manufacturing operations and helped us save over £7m in operating costs in the first year.’ Ask yourself, would any of your current client testimonials make you want to do business with your firm?

Build trust
Positive commentary in a client testimonial is more likely to be seen as objective feedback, and it is often viewed as more trustworthy than a statement (for example, 'We always go the extra mile to provide exceptional service') from the firm. Do you think that your current client testimonials resonate with prospects and give them the confidence to trust you?

Provide credibility
Your potential clients, especially the Fortune 500, want reassurance that you have served companies of their stature, or in their industry, or with their particular problem, and therefore understand their mission-critical issues. Third-party objective endorsements are usually more credible than paid advertising.

Getting great testimonials
Perhaps not surprisingly, the key is the same as it is for referrals; first, you have to ensure that you have earned them.

To have any hope of obtaining winning testimonials you must be known as a professional who performs in accordance with your client’s expectations, which means that you need to invest the time to ensure that you clearly understand those expectations. You need to be the firm that delivers everything you promised and more; on time or sooner if possible.

Being remarkable means going the extra mile and making service the forefront of your offering not an add-on. Help your clients learn and grow. Don’t just solve their current problem – help them anticipate and avoid future issues. Helping them to save money and time, or providing avenues to new business for their organisation also goes a long way.

Unsolicited testimonials
However, even if you have gone the extra mile, you may still need to ask for a testimonial. I would be willing to bet that you are already getting spontaneous testimonials. It is always amusing to see firms make a big deal out of identifying certain testimonials as ‘unsolicited. These tend to arrive via e-mail, seminar feedback forms, mail, or simply from random conversations, without any effort on your part. If you were to thank them for their generous comments and ask permission to use what they wrote, you have an unsolicited testimonial. But you know the old adage: strike while the iron is hot. Waiting more than a couple of days after an incident occurs significantly lowers your chances of taking advantage of this opportunity.

Solicited testimonials
Solicited testimonials are those you consciously pursue. You might start by listing ten clients you consider to be your most important, high profile or influential, then seek to obtain the testimonial from a recognised and influential commentator. This could cover how you have helped address ana problem that is representative of the issues experienced by your targeted client group. A persuasive testimonial will tell your story and show that you know something about a specific problem, issue, market, or business.

If you feel in any way awkward about asking any client for a testimonial, it is a clear signal that your relationship with them may be at risk.

You may want to consider inserting a clause in your retainer agreement, which makes obtaining a testimonial a standard part of doing business with your firm: This sets an expectation, at the very beginning of a specific matter, that a testimonial will be furnished as soon as the project is completed.

Assisting clients
In some situations it pays to help people write your testimonial. Perhaps they’re extremely busy, or a little uncomfortable about how to actually write it. Some may even be sensitive about disappointing you. In these cases, you can offer to write the testimonial for them. Simply interview them about their experience with your firm and write up your notes – including all the main points they made and using as much of their actual terminology as possible. Write two different versions to enable them to choose which they prefer. After you’ve drafted the two testimonials, leave some blank space for your client to write their own statement. If they do make any changes, it inevitably ends up being much better than what you originally wrote.

When you do accept testimonials written by clients, it is important not to lose the ‘flavour’ or emotion of your endorser at the editing stages. Very often, some intense feelings or the slightly quirky phrases that someone uses when they write are the very words that will make a special connection with the reader. Don’t be tempted to edit them out.

Always include a name at the bottom. When a testimonial has a name attached it’s more believable. And, if it is not fabulous, don’t use it. It’s better to have no testimonials at all, than to use weak or unbelievable statements. Only use those that truly support your practice objectives.

Strategic variations
Endorsement Letters
This deserves a special mention. In this process, firm ‘A’ (the host and let’s say this is an accounting firm) agrees to let your firm (the beneficiary) deliver a promotional message to its clients. You might even write the endorsement letter introducing and recommending your services to their clients. Firm A simply approves your writing and signs off the letter. This is a very powerful and cost-effective technique. The beauty of it is that Firm A’s clients are more susceptible to hear from you, as a firm that they already know and trust is implicitly recommending you. To make this work, you need to look for firms that target the same type of client that you seek, while not being in direct competition with you. Think about the various aspects of your practice and the firms that you could approach to start a profitable relationship with.

Launching a new practice area
If you’re launching a new practice or dramatically changing the focus of your existing areas, you may consider using testimonials to support your new endeavour. Perhaps to help launch your new practice, you’ve done some substantive research and decided to present a workshop or seminar to existing and prospective clients. You can often get pre-event testimonials by forwarding your seminar notes or outline to business contacts or colleagues for review. Tap your network, ask your friends, look to your past clients. With a bit of persistence, you should be able to get several testimonials well in advance of presenting your seminar, which can give credibility to your actual seminar offering and build trust in your presentation expertise. At the seminar itself, ensure that participants are allowed to provide written commentary at the end, especially to identify what they liked about your content and what was most valuable to them. These seminar testimonials can then be used to evidence your knowledge and expertise as it impacts the new practice area.

Using your testimonials
Before you purchased your last book, did you flip to the back cover to read what other people had to say about it? As an author, I have learnt from some of my more experienced brethren that one good way to promote your newest work is to get well-respected peers to write favourable advanced praise and then include that commentary all over the front and back covers of the book jacket. When you admire the person who provided the quote, it adds instant credibility to the book.

While testimonials must be used in the proper manner, don’t limit your creativity. You can include them among your materials for use in RFP proposal presentations, client newsletters, or on the firm’s website. One firm I know compiled a promotional brochure made up completely of client testimonials.

Most often, we use testimonials to get in the door. Obviously, if that is the only way to initiate contact with the prospect, do it. But the real power of a testimonial is in the proof it offers when the potential client is ready to decide on their legal-service provider. Testimonials should be used at the end of the selling process to dispel any doubt, eliminate risk, substantiate value and pave the way to your engagement proceeding.

Patrick McKenna is partner at global consulting firm Edge International. He can be contacted at patrick.mckenna@attglobal.net