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a free holistic publication dedicated to natural healing, holistic living, educating, raising awareness and building community

 The Healing Journal Magazine

The Healing Journal

PO Box 371

5525 West Boulevard

Vancouver, BC

V6M 3W6

 

604-603-3840

 






  

 

Dec 2007 / Jan 2008

 

 

 

Eurythmy: Meditation in Movement

by RUTH TSCHANNEN


Soy: Cinderalla's Dark Side

by Mary G. Enig, PhD &
Sally Fallon, MA




Regular Columns:

Horoscopes for December and January

by Laura


Angel Guidance

with Judy LeBeau


Croft's Healthy Living Column
Gullible's Travels

by Croft Woodruff


Inspirations - Magic Doorways
Mystic Love

by Devrah Laval


Marketing for Healing Professionals
Attract More Clients By Using Testimonials

by Juliet Austin, MA, Marketing Coach




Advertorials:

Struggling with a Serious Illness?
Battling Chronic Pain?

Generosity and Healing at One Location

Kripps Pharmacy


 

 

Marketing for Healing Professionals: Attract More Clients By Using Testimonials

by Juliet Austin, MA, Marketing Coach

 

Testimonials, when used effectively, can be one of the most powerful elements of your marketing message. They can sometimes be solely responsible for enticing a hesitant potential client or customer to buy your service or product.

Why Testimonials are Essential
The goal of an effective marketing message is to convince your prospective clients and customers that you are the person that can help them with their problems. You must eliminate any fear or skepticism they have about hiring you. Testimonials are one of the best ways to do this. Why is this so? Because what other people say about your services carries more “weight” than what you say about your services. Testimonials add credibility to your message and illustrate to prospective clients and customers that if someone else had positive results with your services or products, then they are likely to have good results as well.

The Content and Structure of Testimonials That Attract Clients
One of the best ways to write testimonials is to begin with the “problem(s)” people had before they made contact with you and then describe the concrete benefits they received after using your product or service. The more specific the testimonial is, the better. For example, instead of saying, “Susan really helped me with my problems in my marriage,” a well –written testimonial might say, “ My husband and I used to bicker and fight with each other on a daily basis. We were really stuck. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t break this negative pattern. After only 4 sessions with Susan, we completely stopped arguing with one another. We now listen to each other better, and as a result, we are a lot happier and more loving towards each other. It’s like we have a completely new relationship!”

Types of Testimonials
Written testimonials can be used on websites, ads, brochures, sales letters, flyers or other promotional materials. However, with the various technologies now available for the web, increasingly people are using audio and even video for their testimonials, which can add even more credibility.

The best testimonials come from clients or customers—the users of your products or services. However, if getting testimonials from clients is a problem (see ethical concerns below) you can also get them from others who know your work-- referral sources, or other professionals within your community.

How To Get Powerful Testimonials From Clients
 The best testimonials are “unsolicited.” Unsolicited testimonials are those you get from clients and customers naturally without asking for them. For example, perhaps a client sends you an email thanking you in the course of your work together or expresses his or her thoughts while in your office. You should always write down what people tell you about how they have been helped so that you can later get permission to use their statements in your marketing materials.

 

 

 

 

 

While unsolicited testimonials may have more credibility, solicited testimonials are still very effective. When gathering solicited testimonials, it is best to get them right after a client has articulated the benefits he or she has received, or at the end of your work with the client. If you leave it too long, the client will forget most of the details of his or her experience with you. There are various options for gathering testimonials from clients. For example, you can get clients to fill out a client satisfaction survey, interview them when they have completed their work with you, or record their comments throughout your work with them and then put them together in a testimonial format.

You can also ask clients to write testimonials for you-- although this method can be problematic in that you are creating work for the client and he or she may not be a great writer. Even if the client benefited greatly from your services, he or she may not be able to articulate those benefits in writing.

My preferred method is to interview clients while audio recording them. I then put their testimonials in writing and then get their approval before using them.

Where to Place Testimonials
Testimonials should be used on all of your promotional materials. They can either be woven into the text and/or you can designate a particular section on your website, ad or brochure to place them. I like to weave them into the text in order to back up points I am making in my copy. This gives credibility to the claims I make about my services and breaks up the copy so that it is more interesting to read.

Ethical Concerns About Using Testimonials
Some healing professionals have ethical concerns about using client testimonials. This is a valid concern particularly in cases where professional and regulating bodies do not permit members to utilize client testimonials in their marketing materials. Obviously, you will always want to follow the guidelines outlined by your professional or regulating body.

Assuming that your professional body allows testimonials, you still need to choose your clients carefully and make sure they don’t feel pressured or obligated to provide a testimonial for you.

Always get permission before using client testimonials. While using full names of clients is better from a believability perspective, if your clients are uncomfortable using their full names you could use their initials or allow them to remain anonymous.

If you are not comfortable using client testimonials or are restricted from doing so by your professional association or regulating body, you might want to use testimonials from employers, colleagues and referral sources.

Testimonials can make a big difference in terms of credibility with potential clients. If you are not using testimonials effectively in your marketing materials, perhaps this article will motivate you to begin doing so.

Juliet Austin, MA, a former Counsellor, is a Marketing Coach and Copywriter who assists therapists, coaches and alternative health practitioners in building successful practices. She is the author of the FREE, 22, page report, “67 Surefire Ways To Attract Clients”. It’s FREE at www.julietaustin.com. You can also discover more great marketing methods at www.buildyourprivatepractice.com