The success of the client testimonial - and how to make the most of it
Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash
When searching for a new supplier that will bring genuine change and deliver impact for their organisation, HR teams increasingly want reassurance that they’re making strong choices.
Accreditation badges, market reports and awards all play their part, but nothing resonates quite like the authentic voice of a happy client. A well-crafted client testimonial is one of the most powerful tools an HR provider can use to demonstrate real-world value, strengthen credibility and create more presence.
Why testimonials work
The power of the testimonial lies in its simplicity to humanise a story - people trust people. Real-life recommendations help prospective buyers form an opinion, not just on what a service or product does, but how it performs in the real world. And in our sector, when it involves people, culture and employee wellbeing, the stakes are high.
HR departments are often looking to find a solution with new software, improve employee benefits, or help employees’ finances. Through testimonials, suppliers can reduce this perceived risk of investment through the demonstration of lived experience.
From a PR perspective, testimonials might even provide ready-made narratives that journalists and trade publications look for: real people, solving real HR problems with tangible results. These validate a supplier’s claims convincingly.
How to get good client testimonials
Whilst many happy clients are usually willing to provide a testimonial, the strongest testimonials are often the result of a structured and thoughtful approach.
Things to consider when approaching a client;
Think about timing – asking after a successful project increases the likelihood of an enthusiastic response whilst it’s fresh in their mind.
Make it easy - people are busy, so by offering a set of questions or prompts, you are guiding their input whilst creating a uniform structure and encouraging specificity.
Consider your audience’s pain points when putting prompts together, highlighting your ability to solve them.
Seek permission for PR/public/marketing use upfront – this ensures you have explicit consent to use the testimonial for your communication needs.
Highlight a human angle – good PR thrives on human stories, so by sharing the impact you had on the team highlights your achievements.
Making the most of your testimonials
As a PR agency, we know only too well that testimonials are a great PR tool. By maximising their reach you’re maximising the chance they’ll be seen by a prospective client. You can:
Integrate them into PR stories – Often, testimonials offer quotes can strengthen press releases, case studies and thought-leadership articles. Journalists are far more likely to cover stories supported by real-life examples and voices from the field.
Feature testimonials across your website – strategically place them across your website to reinforce credibility and help guide prospective clients through a decision-making journey.
Use them in social media campaigns – using short snippets, or adding graphics or video, you can utilise social media to widen your audience.
Turn testimonials into case studies – when you find a client that is willing to provide more than a testimonial, take advantage by creating a case study. This story telling can make for a particularly strong asset for PR and marketing teams.
Stay updated – refreshing your testimonials maintains relevance, reflects current successes and also helps to boost your SEO efforts.
Finally, Maintain authenticity
Ensure you use authentic testimonials, in our current world of AI, people are increasingly questioning what is real, so to be able to back-up your testimonials and case studies with real names and/or job titles helps to build genuine trust from your audience.
If you receive only 5* reviews, that’s brilliant, but don’t curate your reviews and testimonials to only show the best. This can create a sense of mistrust from your audience. By including a few minor negatives and demonstrating how you respond professionally can actually build more trust.
Don’t hassle, as we know only too well, the more you ask, the less you get. We recommend asking once, follow-up once. If you don’t get a response, then don’t ask again. Not everyone wants to offer a testimonial, but may still lead to word-of-mouth recommendations – which are worth their weight in gold!
By following our recommendations, organisations can look to gain strong testimonials and utilise them effectively to grow your businesses reputation.
We know that gaining valuable PR wins in the workplace media is vital, but it’s also complex.
Amplifying your messages with PR strengthens brand awareness and credibility to a much wider buying audience. It helps build trust. It helps grow your brand.
Problematically, there are hundreds of voices clamouring to be heard by national, HR and workplace B2B journalists and influencers, and only a relative few get into the media spotlight each day.
We help your brand to be one of them, repeatedly.
We use powerful PR so our clients - providers to the HR market - rise above the noise to gain exceptional brand recognition.