(You know how expensive ink is, don’t you?)

Would it surprise you to hear that business owners sometimes hire writers to write bogus testimonials for them? And that some writers will actually do it for them?  (Not this writer, so don’t even ask. Nor will I write academic articles for students who are supposed to be writing their own. C’mon, cheating is cheating. I don’t cheat, and I’ll never help anyone else cheat. Heck, I won’t even write copy for business owners or entrepreneurs that I think aren’t in business for the right reasons! I’m on the buyer’s side as much as I am on the seller’s. I decided when I got into this business to be a gatekeeper of sorts. If I wouldn’t feel great putting my own name behind a product, service or business owner, I won’t write the copy. It’s as simple as that.) (And yes, I pass up business to retain this ethic, but I sleep well at night!)

Having a professional writer (or a hack) write your testimonials  from scratch is illegal. Not to mention sleazy. If the FTC can’t call you and ask for the names and contact information of the people who wrote your testimonials, you can be in Big Trouble, as can whoever it was who agreed to write them for you. So this is just a heads up.

If you don’t already have legitimate testimonials from the people you serve, something is wrong unless you’re an absolute start-up with no history behind you. Chances are, you’re probably just not remembering to ask for them, or to write them down or save them when you get them.

So here’s the deal. Before you do anything else, grab a file folder or a large manila envelope. Write on it in large colorful letters TESTIMONIALS.

Now put it where it’s pretty much always within your field of vision when you’re in your office. Next, make this your mantra: “Listen for compliments. Listen for kudos. Listen for how your customers feel about you.” 

When you know they feel great about you, ask them for a testimonial, one they’ll sign off on and allow you to use in your marketing materials. (If they don’t feel great about you, something is probably happening that you’ll want to correct so they start feeling great about you–that is, presuming you want to stay in business.)

Whenever someone you’ve served sends you a complimentary note or writes you a letter of thanks, ask their permission to publicly publish what they said in your marketing materials. (They’ll probably be delighted! If not–accept their hesitation and move on. You already didn’t have their permission, so you haven’t lost anything by asking and you may well have gained permission by asking, so always ask!) Get their written permission if they agree to let you use their communication publicly. Give them a form stating that their testimonial is being given without any expectation of payment in return. (Paying for a testimonial is a no-no, too.)

Do let them know that you may have a wordsmith tweak their testimonial to make it more concise and compelling–possibly into a TV or radio sound bite or two–and get their permission for that to happen as long as the edited, copy-enhanced version doesn’t change the original meaning of their written statements.

And be sure to ask them how they want to be referenced in the marketing materials and online–by their first and last name and town/city; by theirs initials; with their company name (if they own a company) or not. Remember, you also should keep on file their full names, addresses, phone numbers and other contact information in case the Federal Trade Commission ever comes calling.

File every testimonial, thank you note and letter in your testimonials file, but NOT before you’ve found an appropriate place to post it  in your marketing materials, whether that’s on a separate Testimonials page on your website or on pages where it will do you the most good. (Example: if the testimonial is for the repair of a Dodge Ram and you’re an auto repair shop, be sure it goes on the Dodge page if you have different pages for different models. Here’s someone who does it right: http://www.autorepairseattle.com/)

Legitimate, skillfully-edited testimonials truly are worth their weight in ink. You can hire the best copywriter on the planet but until there are some smokin’ testimonials on your site and in your marketing materials, what you  say about yourself or what your copywriter writes about you will always be taken with a grain of salt.

Testimonials are crucial. Collect them as if they were hundred dollar bills lying on the sidewalk. They’re free and they’re available if you’ve exceeded expectations–so go after them.