Ingredient: Testimonials or References

A solid portfolio of testimonials or references can also convince prospects of your credibility. Include testimonial quotes or videos on your website, quote them in your brochure, or include testimonial letters in your marketing kit.

The best testimonial letters are written directly to you (“Dear Karl, Thank you so much for the contribution you have made to my success …”), rather than “To Whom It May Concern.” Whenever clients tell you how happy they are with the service you are providing, ask if you can quote them. If your service needs to remain confidential, ask for an anonymous testimonial, and identify the client only by first name and job title or city.

Testimonials or your client list are good to include in your marketing materials, but references should be available only by request. You don’t want prospects calling your references before they decide to meet with you. Have a list of references ready, though, to offer after your sales conversation, if prospects ask. The more current your references are, the better, and be sure all the contact information is up to date.

Whether you let your references know who will be calling them is up to you, but definitely stay in touch with references as long as you continue to give out their names. When choosing who to use as a reference from many possibilities, focus on who can give the best confirmation of your capabilities. If those turn out to be the smaller or lesser-known clients, that’s okay. You can still use any big names to head up your client list.