Testimonials are stories. And stories have the ability to make an emotional connection with the reader through flow, power, and rhythm. But many businesses suffer with limp testimonials. Why? Because we often don’t have a clue how to ask for testimonials.

One approach that can be used to get really powerful testimonials is to ask your clients these six powerful questions.
 

1. What was the obstacle that would have prevented you from buying this product?

 
No matter how ready the customer is to buy, there’s always a hitch. It might be money, time, availability, or relevance. When you ask this, it helps you give insight into issues you might not have known are potential deal-breakers.
 

2. What did you find as a result of buying this product?

 
This question is important because it solves the problem they had in the first question. When a client answers this question, he talks about why the purchase was worth it in the end.
 

3. What specific feature did you like most about this product?

 
If you ask a client to focus on a single feature or benefit the client limed most, it brings that feature out in more detail. It’ll help your future marketing.
 

4. What are three other benefits of this product?

 
You can substitute the number or remove it entirely, but having a number will give your customer focus. This is your chance to get the customer to speak deeper about the product or service.
 

5. Would you recommend this product? If so, why?

 
When a customer recommends something, there’s more than your product at stake. The customer’s integrity is at stake too.
 

6. Is there anything you’d like to add?

 
Your client will probably have already said everything she has to say, but there’s no harm in asking.

Putting It All Together

When you ask these questions, you’re taking the client on a journey…

• Before
• After
• Acknowledging the biggest benefits to them
• How they used the service/product (which may be different than you intended)
• And if there’s anything to add, since you don’t know what they’re really thinking.

The before/after is the MOST crucial of all. Most testimonials start off sounding overly sugary. And we all walk into a situation with a healthy dose of skepticism. By showcasing the before and after we’re proving the impact of your product or service, which is what future clients want to see.
 

Your Opportunity

 
The biggest opportunity in asking testimonials this way is to gain testimonials that directly defuse each objection your prospects might have.