Periodically service providers will ask you to write a testimonial for them. Before you groan at the thought of having to write (horrors!), be creative, or come up with something unique, consider this: giving a testimonial is a great way to get free publicity for your business!
If you write the testimonial on a service provider’s LinkedIn profile or a business owner’s Google Places listing, your name and business will be displayed online thereby increasing your online exposure. If they post your recommendation on their website ask them to give you a back-link to your website or blog (a great tactic for boosting your Google PageRank®)
More good news – your testimonial doesn’t need to be very long to get the job done – three to six sentences are enough. Follow my proven formula for writing recommendations and you will be amazed at how quickly you can crank out a sincere and valuable testimonial for your favorite businesses.
Introduction:
Feel free to start the testimonial with a sentence about yourself and why you hired them or purchased from them. For example, “I’ve been in the tree trimming and removal business for over 10 years and desperately needed a website. I hired another company do my first Web site, and they did a terrible job and charged me a fortune. Then I tried XYZ Company….”
Body:
To make the task of writing the testimonial easier, try answering two or more of these questions.
- Talk about the quality of their work
- State how much you enjoy working with them
- Describe the benefits of their product or service
- State what you like best about their product/service
- Describe why you do business with them instead of their competitors
- State how long you have known or worked with the company
Conclusion:
A great closing for the testimonial is to say who you would recommend them to and why. For example, “I highly recommend XYZ Company to other small business owners who need a new website because they really listen to your needs and always do what they say they are going to do.”
Get into the habit of giving testimonials to businesses you value. Remember, the more testimonials your give (especially on LinkedIn) the more you’ll receive in return. Why? Because people enjoy reciprocity.