Ninety percent of respondents to a Zendesk survey said that positive reviews influence their buying decisions. Testimonials are persuasive because they are a powerful form of social proof, says Kaleigh Moore, who writes about content marketing. However, for some companies, getting testimonials can seem more difficult than getting the sale. Moore offers these tips:
Put it on autopilot – Use an automated email that sends five to seven days after delivery. To encourage response, you can offer respondents a discount on the next purchase or enter them into a drawing.
Use customer satisfaction surveys – Incorporate a tool like SurveyMonkey and ask questions like “What doubts did you have before buying?” and “Why did you buy?”
Start with your best customers – Look for repeat buyers, big spenders and longtime customers.
Encourage specificity – Ask for supporting materials (like a photo), show them samples of strong testimonials you’ve received, and ask them to address common customer concerns and how you helped overcome them.
Author
Get our newsletter and digital focus reports
Stay current on learning and development trends, best practices, research, new products and technologies, case studies and much more.
