What is a letter of testimonial?
A letter of testimonial is a statement made by a past or current customer of your business. These statements serve as positive advocates for your business, its products or customer service experience and in doing so, can be used to enhance the claims you make about your company and what it has to offer. You can include these statements in advertisements, social media posts or on your company website.
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What should be included in a letter of testimonial?
To properly approach the topic of requesting a letter of testimonial from a customer, you first need to understand the basic components that go into its creation.
- Quotation marks
- 30-50 word statement
- Authentic tone of voice
- Statement attribution
- Customer bio
- Customer photo (optional)
Quotation marks
You should place quotation marks at the beginning and the end of the testimonial, as your customer’s statement is considered to be a source.
30-50 word statement
You want to keep your testimonials short by limiting your customers’ statements to approximately 30-50 words in length. Letters of testimonials should be quick to read, but high on impact, persuading potential customers to continue through the buying process by inspiring and positive language.
Authentic tone of voice
You do not want your letters of testimonials to be overly business-like. Allow your customers to use a conversational tone when describing how much they appreciate your company, as this can resonate on a more personal level to potential customers.
Statement attribution
Anonymous statements can make readers question their legitimacy. Make sure to include as much detail as you can in crediting the source of your letter of testimonial. Ask the writer of your statement if they are okay with you using their first and last name. If they are not okay with this, consider other options such as a first name only, or their first and last initials coupled with the company they work for or location they reside in.
Customer bio
Consider adding a customer bio to help the reader determine the truthfulness of the statement they just read. Include their profession, general location of residence and other relevant factors that your customer is okay with you adding to their bio.
Customer photo (optional)
Photos are always a great way to make written statements appear more human. It can also be a way to prove that an actual person is beyond the testimonial. If your customer is comfortable with this, you should ask them to take or use an existing headshot of themselves to send over to you.
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How to write a request for a letter of testimonial
The same guidelines can be applied when asking customers for testimonials regardless of whether you mention it verbally or send it in a written format. This section reviews the best practices for you to use when asking someone to provide a letter of testimonial for your business.
- Identify your most loyal customers
- Keep it short and direct
- Explain why you want their testimonial
- Include how it can benefit the recipient
- Give them the option to decline
- Offer to do the work for them
1. Identify your most loyal customers
Ask your most frequent or enthusiast customers to write you a letter of testimonial before asking less active customers. More than likely, they will be happy to do so, and their enthusiasm toward your business could contribute to a positive and impactful statement.
2. Keep it short and direct
Your message should be short and to the point, much like a letter of testimonial itself. By keeping it brief and identifying what you need from them directly, this can eliminate confusion and save both of you some much needed time.
3. Explain why you want their testimonial
Explain why you want your customer’s testimonial specifically; you can make them feel like an important contributor and advocate for your business.
4. Include how it can benefit the recipient
Especially in B2B relations, you can identify a letter of testimonial as an opportunity to advertise the recipient’s company and link to their website.
5. Give them the option to decline
Make sure you mention that it is okay if they don’t want to take part in this activity. If they decline, reply with a statement of gratitude for their business and how you look forward to future interaction with them.
6. Offer to do the work for them
This could be a great motivator for someone who is busy or unsure of what to write. Send them a sample statement to get their feedback.
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Frequently asked questions about business testimonials
Here are some common questions that address additional topics about letters of testimonials:
Where should you place testimonials on your website?
You can include testimonials in multiple areas on your website. The homepage is a great place to start, as this is the first interaction potential customers could have with your company. Incorporate testimonials into blog posts, at the bottom of your contact page, customer service or sales related pages as well as exit-intent popups.
Can you edit or condense the testimonials given to you by a customer?
Edit or condense customer testimonials as long as they provide consent for you to make those adjustments. If you do not ask your customers for permission to edit their statements this could present your company with legal issues.
