What to do if you don’t have testimonials…

Today’s post is the 3rd in a series about how to write and gather testimonials. This may seem like a simple addition to your promotional endeavors, but testimonials can make a huge difference in how easily people sign up for what you have to offer.

In the last two ezines I discussed how testimonials and social proof can help you promote your work. Last week I wrote about how to write great testimonials and the week before about magicians and how they excel at the art of dazzling.

But, what if you’re so new to your field that you don’t have any? Or, what if you’re a counselor who can’t easily ask for testimonials? Then what?

Fortunately, there are a couple things you can do that are almost as effective as testimonials and certainly good enough for your website:

How to find relevant quotes

Instead of testimonials, use quotes about your field. Look in periodicals, books or websites that are focused on your area of expertise.

When you come across a pertinent quote, record it in a in a journal specifically for quotes. Then when you need one you’ll have several on hand.

Additionally, you might ask colleagues to write a statement about you that emphasizes how you help people.

How to use a quote about your field

Imagine, for instance, the following quote on a website that offers spiritual direction services:

“All of us are seeking a deeper connection with the Holy in our lives. The process of spiritual direction is for everyone who feels a longing for a more peaceful and hope-filled life. Spiritual direction helps us explore the spiritual aspect of being human.”

- Spiritual Director’s International (you might just put SDI)

This quote is not from a client, but it talks about the benefits of spiritual direction.

Obviously, you can’t use any old quote about your filed. For instance, the following quote might work:

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding about ourselves.” – Carl Jung

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” – Carl Jung

But I wouldn’t use this one:

“The main symptom of a psychiatric case is that the person is perfectly unaware that he is a psychiatric case.” – Oleg P. Shchepin in the New York Times, Nov 1988.

How to write your own quote

People pay special attention to words in quotes, so another option is to write a statement about your service and put it in quotes without saying who wrote it. (This is quite common.)

A good quote outline might be:

“____helps people _____ in order to _____.”

And you can turn it into this:

“Psychotherapy helps people make sense of their life journey so they can more easily cultivate peace of mind.”

Summary

Integrating testimonials into your promotional material helps people recognize the value of what you offer. When you don’t have testimonials, you can use quotes or write your own to emphasize the importance of what you do.