One of the best ways to establish your credibility is to collect and share killer business coaching testimonials.
Testimonials are powerful for a number of reasons…
- They help your prospects believe in you and in themselves. The number one reason you lose sales is lack of belief. Business owners don’t really believe that you can help them; or, in some circumstances, they might believe in YOU but they don’t believe in themselves. Testimonials paint real pictures of real people who have been helped in real ways, and they can provide the proof your prospects need to invest just a little faith in you and the process.
- They make your prospects feel safe. Signing a business coaching contract is a big commitment! No wonder some prospects hesitate! But like a rock-solid guarantee, testimonials can help your prospects feel as though their risk is limited and provide them the confidence they need to move forward.
- You can make big claims without boasting. There’s something so much more believable about marketing promises when they’re coming from a third party! Plus, you never have to come across as bragging…you can let your clients do it for you! There’s nothing more fun (AND effective!) than saying to an interested business coaching prospect, “But please — don’t take my word for it!”
A Simple Process for Collecting Business Coaching Testimonials
But despite the fact that testimonials are proven to increase conversion rates and sales numbers, so many business coaches either forget or hesitate to collect them! Don’t let that happen to you. Here’s a simple and easy process for getting all the testimonials you can handle…
1. Wait for Your Client to Score Their Next “Win.” Your clients will be excited and energized when something you’ve worked on together is having a positive impact on their business. When that happens, ask them, “Hey, is it all right if I capture some of what you’re telling me right now?” Of course they’ll say yes.
2. Type it All into Word. Write down everything your business coaching client is telling you. Ask follow up questions and get as much detail as possible. Be sure to celebrate with them every step of the way.
3. Ask: “Is it Okay if I Turn All This into a Couple of Paragraphs I Could Share with Others?” You’ll never be refused. Edit the notes you’ve taken, and send it over for their approval.
4. Get Your Testimonials Verified. In a world where some unethical people invent or exaggerate testimonials, you can have a third-party service like Vouch for This confirm your client’s story and provide a “seal” you then display alongside the testimonial. This gives you a HUGE leg-up on the competition and makes you even more credible.
5. Use Video Testimonials. Save this for your best success stories and most loyal clients, but there’s nothing more powerful than having a client tell the camera in their own words how your business coaching made them money.
6. Use Your Testimonials Everywhere! Include them in your sales binder, website, sign-up forms, contracts, business cards, flyers, ads…anywhere prospective clients are lurking!
Here are a couple of testimonials I’ve collected using just this method:
“It took a leap of faith to let my coach show me that my business can run well without having me at the counter, but I’m glad for it. Now I’m spending my newfound time developing marketing and enhancing operational strategies that will grow my business. Before coaching in 2002, I was working 60 hours a week, had no team, and was losing about a $100,000 per year.”
“After coaching, three years later, I work 45 hours a week within a very systematized, highly profitable structure we developed. All the startup debt is paid, and now we want to franchise our business!”
“The new yellow pages ad my coach helped me with WORKS! I made four sales totaling $14,400, compared to no sales off the old ad last year. And the sales conversion results I’m getting are awesome, too. During one week, I landed four new sales with a 50% conversion rate–up from 20%!”
Want more guidance on growing your business coaching practice and improving your sales? Check out my FREE ebook, Secrets of a Business Coaching Rock Star! Learn how I went from $0-$1 Million in just 4 years as a business coach.
