Episode 61: Close More Sales With Believable Client Testimonials

When you own a cleaning company, one of the most powerful things you can do is to gain new clients is to let your EXISTING clients close the sale FOR you! That's because what others say about your cleaning service is WAY more convincing than anything you can say about your own business. This video offers tips for getting testimonials that will help you close more sales.

This episode is made possible by Better Home Living Newsletter (for residential cleaners to sent to clients) and NewzBreak Newsletter (for commercial cleaners to sent to clients)

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Episode #61 - Video Transcription

When you own a service business such as a cleaning company, one of the most powerful things you can do is to gain new clients is to let your EXISTING clients close the sale FOR you! That's because what others say about your cleaning service is WAY more convincing than anything you can say about your own business. But I often see weak testimonials being used on websites and in marketing materials, and I'm sure many prospects that see those same testimonials are wondering if they're even real! 

Here's a couple examples of testimonials that I've seen on websites:
1) "As always, the cleaning was done very well." SM. Have you ever used someone's initials instead of identifying them by name? That's the first clue that it was made up.
Here's a couple more examples of "bad" testimonials: 
2) Your team worked quickly and cleaned thoroughly." TC  
3) "Great job on the carpet. Thanks again." JB.  

Do you think these short comments are really going to persuade anyone to choose your cleaning service? Not likely. What you want instead, are specifics - why people love having you as their cleaning service of choice. Here's an example of a solid testimonial: ìJoe Smith and ABC Cleaning has been our cleaning company for six years. During those years we have been extremely pleased with the level of cleaning and service that have been provided.

When an issue arises, they are always ready to do what is necessary to resolve the problem. I've worked with other cleaning companies in the past and none of them have provided the dependability that ABC Cleaning has.î Do you see how they were specific about why they continue to work with this company?

First, they said they've been working with them for six years, which proves longevity. Then they gave an example of what happens when issues come up. And they follow with a statement that they've worked with other companies in the past that didn't offer the dependability this company has. These are all statements that will help convince a prospect that your company is worth doing business with.

Now, the way to make this even MORE solid, is to provide the full name of the person giving the testimonial; and if it's for a janitorial service, provide the name of the company they work for and even their position within the company. If it's for a residential service, list the full name of the person, not just their initials. By giving complete information, it makes the testimonial more believable.

Now here's something you can do to make them even MORE believable -- add their photo.  Anyone can fake a written testimonial, so adding photos greatly increases the credibility of your testimonial.  If you want to go to the next level of believability, use audio or video for your testimonials. Audio and video testimonials are the most credible type of testimonials you can receive. It's hard to argue with a video of a client raving about your service.

Another tip when using audio or video is to transcribe all or part of what's been said. Not everyone will watch or listen -- some people do prefer to read. When asking your clients for testimonials, give them an idea of what you're looking for. For example, you might want to ask them to explain specifically how much time they've gained by using your service and what they're doing with that extra time. This is much more powerful than a client saying something like,"I love your cleaning service, it's great!"

So if you want your clients to sell your cleaning service, then you need to get better, more specific testimonials. It will go a long way towards convincing prospects and website visitors that YOUR cleaning service is the one they should hire.