these pay off huge.
by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms
a testimonial is a short written recommendation from a past or current client. most accountants i talk to hate testimonials and don’t use them. but here’s what they don’t realize: other people love them, and they really make a difference.
more small firm growth strategies: 10 marketing materials you need | make direct mail work for you | write your way to expert status | make newsletters work for you | how to schedule social media content | the 5 c’s of successful websites | speaking: how, where and getting leads from it | the a-b-c’s of getting started with advisory services
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if you don’t have any, a prospect could assume that you don’t have any clients either. get rid of that objection easily by posting testimonials so prospects know you’re not just starting out.
if you have a stable full of happy clients, gather some testimonials and post them on your website. i just did this for an accounting client, and she said it really made a difference in how new prospects perceived her. if you do not have clients yet, you can use character testimonials, similar to what you would use when an employer asked for your references.
as soon as you get clients, and even if you just have one or two, ask them for a testimonial.
do not procrastinate on this step! it has a really big payoff.
testimonials that are honest and not hype-oriented are one of the best ways to improve your credibility among strangers. they will especially help with highly social decision-makers. to get started, all you have to do is ask for them. i do this in a short email, right after i’ve completed the project i’ve been hired for.
here’s a sample of what we recommend sending out via email to each client, in separate emails. just modify the last four questions to fit your business services.
you can’t have too many testimonials. the more, the better. it will look like you have vast experience and that you have seen and are prepared for everything. you want your prospect thinking, “this many people can’t be wrong about how good this person is.”
testimonial request
subject: please let us know how we are doing
or request for feedback
or a favor, please
hi ___,
i appreciate doing business with you and wonder if you would be willing to write a testimonial for me? just a couple of sentences back in an email would be great. what made a difference if anything? what will you tell friends about? anything you can quantify would be very helpful. did we save you money or time on your accounting expenses and/or with your cpa? if so, would you be willing to share a figure? has your bookkeeper improved via our training? is your accounting team providing you with the reports you need?
i really enjoyed working with you and i very much appreciate your time.
best regards…
displaying the testimonials
one of the fastest ways to wow your web visitors is to make your testimonials come alive through graphics, audio and video. add a photo of your client next to the text of the testimonial. better yet, videotape them and post the video file. you can do this the next time you are onsite, at a networking meeting with them, or in my case, when i am at national conferences with you guys.
i was really surprised by how many of you were willing to provide video testimonials for me. it’s easy to do with a flipcam, just figure out how to work the video recorder part, find a place where the background is decent, record your client and download the recording to your pc.
you can set up a youtube channel and upload them there. almost any format works. then create a web page like we did here: http://accountantsaccelerator.com/testimonials/
when you can make your website testimonials come alive with photos, sound and video, they become even more effective in drawing new business to your firm.
testimonial formats
when you have a really good testimonial, pull the best line out and use it as a headline. if possible get a picture of your client (facebook or their website), and put the whole thing in a box with a border around it for emphasis.
here are some visuals so you can get the idea.
a second way to format your testimonial is shown below. bold the best line so that people who skim instead of read will get the best part.
some things to do with your testimonials:
- scatter the testimonials on every page of your website, especially your home page and the pages that describe your services
- format them nicely in a word doc and include it in your prospect kit
- add them to a flier, trifold brochure or rack card
- tweet and post them via social media
- mention them as examples during your sales talks
- include them in your speeches as an example of a client who is benefiting from accounting services
testimonial limitations
if you have certifications in the financial planning field, posting testimonials may be against your code of ethics, so please check with your license and firm restrictions.
also, if your testimonials contain results in dollar figures or percentage increases, you will likely need to comply with the 2009 ftc guidelines on testimonials: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm