Your Greatest Lead Generation Tool Is Your Current Customers

Today, we rely on reviews for everything. I can't even remember the last time I got my oil changed or my falafel fix without first consulting my handy dandy Yelp app. There is just something about a real human disclosing their experience that makes us feel we know and trust a company we have no first hand exposure to.

So, how do you use this to your advantage as a business?

You ask your best clients to vouch for you in the form of a testimonial, or even better - a refferal! I know, I know, it sounds scary to ask for, but you did the great work, so don't be afraid to show it off! If you're ready to learn how your current customers are your best lead generation tool, here's what we're talking about. . .

Video

How To Craft The Perfect Client Testimonial For Lead Generation via adlab

“It's hard because you are asking for help. And asking someone to say something nice about you, it just doesn't feel natural. It feels awkward.”

Asking for help is never easy, but it can be worth it! In this video, you will learn how to get past the nerves of asking a client for a testimonial (thank goodness!) You will also learn when exactly is the right time to ask, the best way to ask, the questions you should be asking, and more! Sit back, relax, and listen to 2 pros talk about how client testimonials have helped them grow a worldwide business.

Articles

Why You Should Be Focusing on Customer Retention, Not Acquisition via convince and convert

“44 percent of companies admit they focus more on acquisition than retention, and only 18 percent claim to focus more on retention”

It may be simple human psychology to equate newness with something better, but is this always true? Well, if you're talking financials, no! We may have known that it is much more expensive to gain a new client than to retain a current one, but do you know how much your profits can increase when your retention increases even a little? This article spills the beans on why the money is in retention and how you can increase your own!

5 Reasons Why Testimonials Are Important To Lead Generation via givemeservice

“Testimonials reveal much about your company that potential clients want to know about but may have a difficult time asking you directly.”

By this point we understand how much of an impact testimonials can have on potential new customers, but are you still wondering why? What is it that makes a good testimonial so convincing for lead generation that it deserves space on your website rather than other content? Well, get ready to learn exactly why we trust testimonials as consumers and why we need them as marketers!

8 Tips for Using Customer Testimonials for Lead Generation via hubspot

“Figure out your 10 most profitable customers, nurture your relationship with them and ask them specifically what they've gotten out of working with you”

Alright, so you agree that this is a good strategy and you've even approached some of your clients and gotten the testimonials you need. Now what? Well, having the testimony isn't enough on its own. The way you present this information and the support you have to back up your facts will impact the way the information is received by potential new clients, so be careful! Luckily, you now have 8 tips from successful entrepreneurs that can help make your strategy the best it can possibly be!

How-To's

The Right Way to Ask for Customer Reviews via convince and convert

“Sometimes, the total number of reviews for a product or company is prominently displayed on the website, and can serve as visual shorthand that helps consumers decide to click or purchase.”

It's not hard to understand why potential customers are more likely to trust reviews and testimonials from real people rather than a canned pitch from the brand, but it is difficult to get voluntary, genuine responses from people living their own busy lives. So how do we go about this? Here are some great tips for how to approach customers with this request without seeming pushy or demanding.

HOW TO GET CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS RIGHT via campaign creators

“Glowing reviews from happy customers are more impactful (not to mention free) than paid advertising in creating awareness about a product or service.”

A glowing testimonial can be a valuable (yet free) lead generation tool for may companies, but are people going to believe it? It only makes sense that a company is not going to include a bad review on their website, so how do we make the good ones seem as genuine as possible? We can start with things like making the testimonial as specific as possible to decrease skepticism. Check out the article to figure out what else you can do to get that ideal glowing review!

Example

9 Testimonial Page Examples You'll Want to Copy in 2017 via hubspot

“Your testimonial page serves as a platform to show off how others have benefited from your product or service, making it a powerful tool for establishing trust and encouraging potential buyers to take action.”

And for the grand finale, the moment we've all been waiting for . . . let's see some examples of great testimonial pages in action! Hubspot selected these 9 pages as some of the best of the best, so follow their lead!

This blog post is part of Your Definitive Guide to Lead Generation blog series.

Client testimonials can be a huge boost to your lead generation strategy, to learn more ways to get that boost, check out these 30 Greatest Lead Generation Tips, Tricks, and Ideas.