Getting client testimonials is key to building trust and credibility for your wellness business. But when it comes time to receive written feedback from your satisfied client, you are often underwhelmed.
By now, it’s clear that collecting raving client testimonials is an excellent way to build trust and credibility for your wellness business. So you probably already have a method in place for asking for client feedback to gather testimonials that you can use across your website & social platforms.
But let me guess…
You offer an incredible offering—whether it’s a restorative yoga class or a vegan spa facial—and you are expecting the client’s testimonial to reflect the transformational story that they casually shared with you about their experience.
But when it comes time to receive the testimonial from your satisfied client, you are underwhelmed. The testimonials you receive fall flat or miss the mark, failing to capture the true essence of what it is that makes your offering special.
Believe me, this used to happen to me ALL THE TIME. After teaching a super juicy 90-min Sunday morning yoga class, I’d have people come up to me raving about how wonderful the class was, how they loved my teaching style and not to mention my epic playlists. But when I asked them to leave a review or testimonial on my Facebook page (yes, at the time Facebook pages were big), I would later read it and find that it felt somewhat generic and not as heartfelt as when they shared it with me just talking in conversation.
After failing for years at getting those show-stopping client testimonials I was hoping for, I went and did some digging and collected expert marketing advice. Once I implemented these changes to my method, the heartfelt testimonials started pouring in. So, what did I do?
→ I built a feedback form.
If you think about it for a moment, most of us are not natural borne writers. It’s hard for us to express ourselves verbally and can be even harder in written format. So when you ask a person to write a testimonial for you, they often resort to something generic & uninspiring.
CASE IN POINT:
Have you ever received a testimonial like this?
‘I took a private yoga class from Sally for the first time last week. I really enjoyed her class. The vibe was chill and the space was clean’.
Ok, not bad but also that doesn’t sound like a ‘raving fan’. This is the type of testimonial we want to avoid. Not Sally’s fault though. Let’s help her out when it comes to expressing her true experience of what it was like to take a yoga class from you.
So here’s how…
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Ask the right questions
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Timing matters
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Make it an easy process
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Use testimonials strategically
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Organize & save
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Give gratitude
I realized very quickly that just asking for a testimonial doesn’t cut it for getting raving feedback. So in my client feedback form, I spent time formulating questions that encourage specificity for positive examples and outcomes. I ask open-ended questions like ‘What was one thing we did well?’.
Here are some ideas for questions you in your client feedback:
What was your overall experience like working with [your name/business]?
What were your initial expectations working with [your name/business] and were those expectations met?
Was there anything that surprised you about working with [your name/business]?
Have you seen any results after working with [your name/business]?
What has been the most positive benefit about working with [your name/business]?
What is one thing that I could improve on?
It’s also important to think about when to ask for feedback from clients depending on the length of time that you are working with them. For my business, I tend to send my feedback form with the project close-out and then will follow-up a week after so details are still fresh on their mind.
For your wellness business, it might make sense for feedback at the end of the program, workshop or event; however, if you are working with a private client 1-to-1, perhaps you would want to check in with them after a few sessions.
If you offer a longer-term service like a 3-month holistic health coaching package, it might also make sense to ask them for feedback midway through, once the package is complete and even a few months after to gauge if the transformation & benefits are long-lasting.
Make sure whatever way you ask for feedback, it’s easy for the client.
Although I use a website feedback form for brand continuity, it isn’t necessary to create a feedback form directly on your website. You can certainly create a google form which is free as long as you have a gmail email. You could also consider using a 3rd party platform to create more interactive surveys and questionnaires on Typeform which has a free plan and several paid tiers.
It’s also a totally fine solution to just ask for feedback via email, especially if the idea of building out a form makes you cringe:).
Once you’ve collected raving testimonials, showcase them on your website, social media, and marketing materials. Highlight the most compelling parts of the feedback and use them to demonstrate the value you bring to your clients.
If you are a business with a physical location like a wellness center or a yoga studio, it’s also plus if you ask them to leave you a review on google to optimize for local search.
Lastly, you do not, and let me repeat, do NOT need to use the entire testimonial, especially if it’s three paragraphs long. Just because you enjoy reading the detailed description of what it was like to work with you, that doesn’t mean that your potential clients will have time to ready all of it word-for-word.
Once you receive those raving client testimonials, take a moment to organize, edit and then store the testimonials all in one place. I personally like to organize mine by the service like branding, web design & web maintenance. That way, if I ever need to pull some testimonials for a new service page or add to social, I have them stored in one place that I can quickly refer back to.
After clients give you feedback, be sure to follow up with a personalized thank-you email or message. Express gratitude for their participation and highlight the positive impact their feedback will have on improving your service for future clients.
In conclusion, collecting raving client testimonials can significantly boost your reputation and attract new clients who seek support in their personal health & wellness. By customizing your feedback questions and focusing on the transformative experiences your clients have, you can create an authentic and compelling collection of testimonials that reflect the essence of what it’s like to work with you. Happy testimonial gathering!
Looking for more resources to help with building & growing your wellness business? Check out our downloadable template for How to Write Your Website Copy next.
