Shh, I have a little secret...

Hi, I'm Deidre. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning as I go (with Marketing Mentor as my guide).

Seems like before I buy anything these days – I read reviews online.

And if I won’t buy a burrito without visiting Zagat -- I would certainly find it difficult to buy creative services without seeing what others had to say about the service provider.

Other people’s opinions – have a huge impact on an individual’s decision making process.

That’s why capturing testimonials, and making them available to prospects, is so important. I learned this from Ilise. It’s no surprise that Ilise has oodles of happy clients – but by making their testimonials available, it gives others an “insider view” into what working with her is like.

There are lots of ways to get feedback. My group buddy (and personal marketing hero), Kara Smith, sends an amazing Thank You Package to get feedback. Others just ask for it.

Me? I write testimonials (about myself) for my clients. And I send them to clients for approval.

After all, clients are busy. And don’t they hire us to make their lives easier?

Oh my goodness, I can hear the gasps of disbelief! She writes her own testimonials! That can’t be allowed.

Here’s the deal. It’s not like I’m pulling praise out of my desk drawer. It’s more far more respectable and accurate than that. When I talk to my clients, and they offer praise about work I’ve done, I just keep notes.

When they send emails that say things like, “you’re awesome,” I add it to my sheet.

I gather their words, put them together, and send them over once the project is finished.

If I didn’t do this – I’d be missing out on some amazing testimonials.

Here’s one that I “captured” recently. This client is a busy fashion designer who travels often. She always raves on the phone about my work. But she’s not a writer. When I asked her if I could turn what she said into a written testimonial to use on my website, she said, of course! She approved it with glee, and said she wished it could be even better.

These are her words, phrases and praises, organized by me:

Deidre absolutely blows my mind every time. Everything she sends me is so perfect and it just makes me smile, from website content to marketing materials.  She listens to me and captures my vision perfectly, saying exactly what I want to say but can’t find the words to say myself.  I am SO happy I found her. She’s amazing and she really gets it! I can’t recommend her enough.

Had I not organized this testimonial for her, I would have missed this amazing bit of praise to share with prospects.

I’ve found that people love giving praise for a job well done. It’s just organizing the praise, wording it, and pulling it together that sends it to the bottom of their list.

Remember, we can sing our own praises all we want. But when someone else sings them, people listen.

What works for you about getting feedback?

Comments

[Norma Maxwell]

Deidre - what a great post. I have not thought of asking clients if I can jot down what they have said about me and use it on my website. I will definitely be doing this moving forward--thanks for the tip!