Photo by Sebastian Herrmann

Originally Posted On: https://www.wisepelican.com/the-keys-to-a-powerful-client-testimonial/

Building trust as an expert is important in any industry, but it’s even more important for real estate agents and teams. Buying or selling a home is usually the most expensive transaction most people will experience in their lifetimes, and when they hire an agent, they want to feel like their best interests are being handled by a professional.

This is why client testimonials are so powerful, and if you have the right type of client testimonial, it can establish you as a true expert within your direct mail target audience.

How to Obtain Client Testimonials

There are a variety of effective ways to gain client testimonials, but the easiest way is to ask your past clients. Send them an email asking them if they could write a short statement about what they liked about their experience with you as their real estate agent. You could also leave them a questionnaire for a handwritten testimonial, then ask permission to use it for your marketing efforts.

The type of client testimonials you receive matter as well. Since we want to focus on obtaining listing clients with our direct mail campaigns, it’s best to focus on listing clients for testimonials. This doesn’t mean that buyer client testimonials don’t have their place in a marketing strategy.

Buyer client testimonials are ideal for social media posts, one of your Facebook Groups, or adding to a sidebar feed on your website. 

Once you have a few client testimonials, which one should you use? Here are some of the most important features to look for in a client testimonial.

What to Look for In Client Testimonials

1. Extreme Gratitude: When the reader sees your client testimonial, it should be immediately evident that the client is thankful for your services. They should be gushing about how amazing you are, how you helped them with every step of the process, and how you protected their interests.
2. Solved a Unique Problem: If a client has a bad experience with an agent, it’s usually because a unique problem arose that an agent couldn’t handle. If there was a unique situation that arose that you helped them solve, that is pure gold.
3. “Highly Recommended” Anyone who has answered a survey has almost universally seen this question: “How likely are you to recommend (our service) to someone else?” Make sure a sentence is dedicated to your services being highly recommended.

Bonus Features

If a testimonial has those three features, you have the makings of an amazing client testimonial for you to use in direct mail and social media. However, there are some elements that can take your testimonial from Great to Outstanding!

1. High-Status Client: High status doesn’t necessarily mean “celebrity”. In fact, a celebrity endorsement could look like a paid advertisement. By high-status, we are referring to someone who holds an esteemed level of status with the community of your target audience. 

For example, if the owner of a popular local bakery lists and sells their home with you, that is someone other people in your neighborhood (likely) know on a first-name basis. The same can be said for a neighborhood watch committee member, an active church volunteer, or a local celebrity like a news anchor or journalist. 

If people in your target audience know the person in your testimonial, that can add an extra boost to your marketing campaign.

1. A Repeat Customer: Your best new clients are often your old clients. The perfect example of a repeat customer is a buyer client who sells their home a few years later and remembers to call you. A message about how their first and second experiences were equally great would be an amazing touch to a client testimonial.

How to Use Client Testimonials

Once you have a client testimonial worth using for direct mail, make sure your target audience knows about it. Create an email blast, social media posts, and place the testimonial in your postcards. 

In regards to direct mail, ramp up your frequency and focus your mailings on the subdivision and neighborhood where the client testimonial came from. An assertive marketing strategy, combined with the ideal client testimonial, will maximize your opportunity to grow your business.

Share With Us!

How have client testimonials helped your business? What do you look for in a client testimonial, and how do you implement them in your direct marketing strategy? Let us know in the comments below.

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