When you surf the Internet, what captures your attention?
If I’m out looking for a new product or service, for me its a great testimonial.
I may get excited about the product, love the benefits it has to offer, or relate to the different options it provides. But then I always turn to testimonials – what do other people have to say about it?
Now I surf a lot. And I’m often on sites where they are dedicated to selling, and have dozens of different testimonials trying to sway my purchase power. And for some products or services that works.
But for a photography studio, you don’t have to have a ton of them. One or two heart-felt messages, with a photograph of the client and their name is enough.
For a testimonial to work, it needs to be more than:
…great job, I’m happy we hired you to do our wedding.
~Mary
It has to be in great detail, show emotion, and give a true story:
We waited until we were in our 30’s to get married, and our wedding meant a great deal to us. We wanted an intimate gathering, just for close family and friends. The one thing that mattered over everything was our photographer. We had family come from 5 countries, 18 states, and in some cases, saw friends we haven’t been with in over 10 years. We knew this was the one time we could get photographs of everyone close to the both of us. We interviewed 10 photographers, and were so happy we found you. Your professionalism is outstanding; your customer service superb. And the results … all I can say is WOW! Thanks for the memories. I’ll be referring you again and again.
~ Scott and Mary
That’s a testimonial. Combine that with a photograph of the couple, maybe a link to their wedding photos, and maybe even a video piece where they talk about working with the photographer, and you’ve got a dynamite testimonial.
Which would motivate you more – 5 like the first example, or 1 or 2 like the second?
How do you get more like the second? Ask. Your top clients will be happy to give you the praise you’re looking for. Tell them the type of testimonial you are looking for, and even give them examples.
You’ll only get what you’re willing to ask for.