Today’s guest blogger is Julie Parsons, owner of Premium Consulting. The firm provides recruitment solutions across industries such as transport, distribution, supply chain, engineering, manufacturing, food industry and operations/technical roles. Although Brisbane based, most recruitment involves regional and national roles, with some international work in Indonesia, Asia and Europe. Julie formerly served on the NPAworldwide Board of Directors.
Testimonials are an important part of the success of your business. Credibility, professionalism and expertise are essential to succeeding in a tough competitive business environment, testimonials from loyal customers and candidates should be a critical part of branding and marketing your business.
Think back to the last time you bought something substantial, a car, appliance or holiday. Where did your search start? It probably began with customer reviews and feedback. Reviews are mostly honest, they are from customers who like to share good and bad news. I know I always check out reviews before purchasing goods or service, it’s easy to do.
B2B customers are the same. When researching services, one of the most important pieces of content that a potential client may view is a testimonial or a review by another customer. These reviews and testimonials are important and are worth the time to manage well and integrate into your business process. You will be surprised at how many valuable testimonials you will be able to collect and use.
Testimonials are not only about selling your products and/or services. They are also about your successful, positive interactions and treatment of other people.
Where to place them: There are many suitable places where you can put your testimonials. They should be on your website, even devote a page to them, and they should be current. You should make full use of your social media channels to spread the word regarding your testimonials. As soon as you receive a new testimonial, make sure it is shared, in as many relevant places as possible. It will strengthen your reputation and presence online.
Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ have proven that they are very worthwhile when it comes to sharing information, spreading important news, and encouraging conversations around service.
Encourage your clients and candidates to write reviews. If you’re confident in your product or service, your customers should be too. Encourage them to write reviews about their experiences with your service and support team. It’s also a good opportunity to find out where you can improve and ask them for this feedback too.
