How can you make your fence company stand out? The answer is with customer testimonials. According to a Nielsen survey more than 28,000 people in 56 countries, 92 percent of consumers today say they trust “earned” media, such as testimonials, more than any other form of advertising.
Why do you need testimonials?
What others say about you is far more important than what you say about yourself.
Testimonials make you believable and credible.
Testimonials give you and your staff confidence that you can really deliver.
Testimonials are valuable to the person who wrote them. These satisfied customers will continue to buy from your because their positive comments remind them of the positive experience they had with your fence company.
How to get testimonials
Every one of your customers has an opinion. Some customers will share those without asking, but most people need to be prompted. As a successful fencing company owner, you need to start asking for feedback from all your satisfied customers.
Your goal is to collect as many authentic and genuine testimonials as you can; you can never have enough. It’s a good idea to have some scripted questions to ask your clients, but the best testimonials do not sound stiff or forced, but instead have a spontaneous feel to them. Make sure your customers do not just discuss one aspect of your business—such as friendliness or price—but that they discuss results as well.
For credibility, ask your customers for their permission to share their names and their locations. If the fence is for a business, include the position of the contact person as well as the company name and address.
Get before-and-after photos
Before and after photos can be a very effective addition to your webpage and media advertising. Before you start installing a fence, ask to take photos of the old fence or of the property without a fence in order to demonstrate the improvement your fence makes.
In your photos, aim to show the purpose and/or the results of the new fence if you can. For example, a fence designed to keep a pet safe can show a dog chained up in the “before” photo and a happy dog playing in the fenced yard in the “after” photo. Similarly, you could show an empty unfenced “before” yard as opposed to a fenced yard with small children playing happily on a swing set in the “after” image.
Get video testimonials, if at all possible
Video testimonials can be even more persuasive than photos. They take a little more planning and effort, but the results are definitely worth it.
Let’s say you just completed a fencing project for a client. You know they are happy with the fence and you’d like to share their comments with potential new customers. You could write a personalized e-mail like this to the satisfied customer:
Hi Tim: Can I come see by to see you this Thursday or Friday for about 15 minutes?
I want to include a short video interview of you on my new website. It’ll be simple. I’ll turn on my camera and ask you a few questions about your new fence.
Don’t worry about preparing. I am looking for unrehearsed responses to my questions, and there are no right or wrong answers. The tone of the video will be casual and spontaneous.
Please give me a couple of times that will fit your schedule and we will work from there. Thank you!
The vast majority of your customers will agree to the video when the idea is presented in this easy way. When they agree, show up on time and shoot the video in one take, so that you do not take advantage of their time and so that the video appears genuine.
What about written testimonials?
If it is not convenient to shoot a video testimonial, a written testimonial is also a valuable tool for reaching potential customers.
To get an effect written testimonial, you can once again use a personalized e-mail along with an attached PDF of a fillable form for your customer to complete. Here is an example:
Hello David: Would you be willing to let me highlight you on my website and other marketing materials as a client success story so that other people can learn how your fence is adding to the value of your business (home)?
Here’s all you need to do. Write me a brief note and e-mail it to me. You can use the attached form or your own letterhead. Another option is to call this toll-free message line and leave your thought there. Say what’s on your mind.
What do you do with your testimonials?
Feature them on your website
Include them on your social media pages
Put them in a binder your waiting room
Frame them and put them on your office wall
Include them in your brochures
Print and mail testimonials to prospects
Make them as part of your presentations
Include them in your advertising
Customer testimonials, especially in the video format, provide an authentic human connection. When you continue to add new testimonials to your Internet presence, you keep your company fresh and relevant.
You know your fence is the best quality and value, and that your service is the best in town. Your happy customers know that too. Let them spread the word for you. You’ll find that testimonials are one of the best marketing tool you’ve ever used.