Literal translation of Testimonials is someone testifying for your work. In a similar way, customer testimonial are extremely important for any marketing decision and can work wonders if pitched in right direction. Now everyone claims that they offer supreme products and services, but customers need proof. And what can be a better proof to offer them than third-party endorsements; to be specific; testimonials from your extreme close clients.

Testimonials can be either inbound (customers who willingly provide recommendation, participate in a case-study or act as a reference) or outbound (we ask thumbs-up for our work). So today, I would provide seven ways to generate great customer testimonials:
  1. Build an unbeatable product: In the long run, it’s your product that would carve a mark for your company. So build a product that is commendable enough to talk about.
  2. Run a test: A test like Beta test engage your customers as they get your products in reasonable rates and get to provide inputs to make the product better, strengthening relationships.
  3.  Involve customers in your feedback mechanism: Include feedback channel, create customer focus groups, involve them into the strategy and brief about features and functionality to make them feel special.
  4. Add on in service delivery: Keep your company promotion to a minimum and maximize value added services like information about products and services, techniques to use them, and delivering relevant content. You can also think of an extranet where you can login to engage with you and your services.
  5. Use social media options to your advantage: Interact with your customers at Facebook fan page and Linkedin groups, ask and answer engaging questions and include on company page. Take it to next level by using not only social media but also niche websites like Spiceworks.
  6. Appreciate your customer testimonials in a different way: Reward your customer for the funniest 30 sec testimonial video on your YouTube account or perhaps soliciting testimonials around an event or holiday, like the Fourth of July or Christmas? Perhaps the prize could be that you would do a case study on your customer.
  7. Create willingness rather than asking for recommendation: Always keep your customers welfare on top of your mind. Give options like testimonials, case study, reference, or even quote for an article, press release or whitepaper.
Apply these techniques to receive great customer testimonials that can prove to be a good way for welcoming more customers who can become a tool for word of mouth. And finally let your customers be your guide and you will never be stressed for asking recommendation.