I can either tell you all about how I can help grow your coaching business or here is a better idea. How about my clients telling you how good of a marketing strategist I am?
To make your prospective clients put their faith in you, you have to give them proof of your work. And, that is where the testimonials come into play.
In this blog, I am going to tell you all about what testimonials are, what they can do for your coaching business, and what questions you should ask to get the best testimonials for your coaching business. Ready for me to spill the tea on high-quality testimonials for your coaching business?
Let’s get right to it.
What are testimonials, and why do you need them?
Have you ever bought anything with a 1-star rating? Yeah, neither have I.
Well, it makes sense. We all prefer something that’s tried and tested and proven to be worthy of our hard-earned dollar bills.
This is, my friends, what we call social proof.
People will always be skeptical of you promoting yourself, but all their questions will be answered once you show them social proof.
Testimonials are one powerful example of social proof that you can publish on your website. They are a great sales tool and one of the easiest ways to attract more and more clients.
Showing praise from your former clients will show your potential clients how they can benefit from your coaching.
Even numbers agree that almost 95% of potential clients consider testimonials before choosing a service provider, and conversion rates increase from 190% to 380% using testimonials.
Now, if you’re convinced that you need testimonials for your coaching business, let’s move to the next step.
When to ask for a testimonial?
I completely get it. It is so tempting to just not bother about asking for a testimonial. You’re obviously feeling a bit awkward even thinking about it. What are you going to say? How are they going to react? What will they think?
But speaking from my experience, this is a part of that give and take relationship with your client.
Yes, obviously, they are paying for what you’re providing them, but if you have gone out of your way to provide them with tailored services, they’d be happy to write a word or two for you.
Back to our point, when to ask the big question. Ever heard the quote?
“Strike the iron while it’s hot”
The same applies here. You have provided your services; the payment has been made, and now is a perfect time. They are still living the magical experience of your coaching, so they remember what the whole journey felt like.
Taking more time might vanish that feeling. So what are you waiting for? Ask your question now.
I am not saying that you shouldn’t ask for a testimonial from your six-month or even older clients. Go back to them, ask for a testimonial, and let their words speak for your work.
The “when” is covered, but we still have to answer the bigger question, “how.” Moving on to this.
How to ask for a testimonial?
Remember, your client might not have given a testimonial before, so you have to help him through the process.
A great testimonial is not your sugar-coated praise. It’s the transformation of your client that they went through with your coaching.
Their story is what matters the most. Now you can not just go like, “can you write a testimonial for me?” It would totally sound weird.
Here’s what I would suggest you should do. Just say:
“Can I ask a few questions about my coaching services?”
See, nice, plain, and simple.
To make it easier for them, you can carve out a few questions that they can answer so that you could carve their story.
What should those questions be? Well, I’ve got you covered, mate. I am listing some of the questions you can ask them to make the whole testimonial process faster and easier.
Here we go:
Questions to ask your coaching clients to craft the best testimonial
Question 1: Why did you opt for our coaching services?
This question is necessary as this will explore all the pain points of your client. They will state how their life was before you and why they thought they needed your services. The answer to this question will be relatable to a lot of people out there, and they will know who to turn to with their problems (you, of course)
Question 2: What was your biggest “aha” moment during our time together?
Oh, the beautiful memories! You’re asking your client what the highest point of your relationship was. What was that one point when they said, “Yes, we’ve made a perfect choice.” This way, you’re giving them to talk freely about their experience with you (all good words, obviously). Your potential clients will start dreaming about that high feeling right that moment.
Question 3: What did you enjoy the most about this program?
There’s always that one thing that impresses a client the most. Sometimes, it’s the way you coached them, sometimes it’s what you taught them with your coaching, or it could just be your behavior towards them. Talking about this in a testimonial will help your prospect know what to expect from your program when getting coached.
Question 4: Anything you did not enjoy so much?
This question is very important when asking for a testimonial. While testimonials do not include any negative comments, you can still add one or two lines about areas that they weren’t a fan of while getting your coaching. (We know, what’s not to like there, right?) This makes the whole testimonial more believable for your prospects.
Question 5: Did I help you achieve a specific result or help you in one big way? Can you share more about it?
Your first question asked their pain points before they took your coaching services. This question will be proof of whether you fulfilled your promise or not. They found an answer to all their questions and are ready to apply that coaching.
Question 6: Can you write a thing or two about us?
This is the needed statement of their testimonial. It can conclude their experience with you and their feelings about you and the whole journey. It can be refreshing for your prospects as well. Just ask them for a little speech.
Testimonials are a must for any coaching business
Ready to get going with finding extraordinary testimonials for your coaching business?
Well, I’ve got more!
Here are some final tips for you for starting a testimonial collection for your coaching business, friend.
- Choose clients who are impressed by your work.
- The client you choose should reflect your target audience.
- Take all the answers and summarize them to create a short testimonial. No one wants to read long essays about you.
- Thank a client after you receive a testimonial.
- And last but not least, NEVER PUT IT OFF. DO IT NOW.
The whole testimonial collecting practice will strengthen your brand.
And speaking of branding, have you figured out your brand voice yet? If you want to get an idea about how you can build your brand voice, then download my free brand voice guide now.
Or better yet, and if you want someone to handle your brand voice and copywriting, I am right here for you. Get in touch so we can chat!