Ep 15. How introverts get testimonials that convert

Ep 15. How introverts get testimonials that convert

[00:00:00] 

I got a voice note last week from a client that was so detailed and heartfelt that it made me realize something that’s gonna completely change how you think about testimonials. 

She didn’t just tell me about her business results. She told me that our calls felt like therapy sessions every week, because we went so deep into the mindset of showing up.

She talked about the exact moment she stopped feeling like an imposter in her own business, and the day she realized that her voice actually mattered.

And as I listened, I realised this wasn’t just a great testimonial because she’s a thoughtful person. This was a really great testimonial because of how I’d worked with her as an introvert.

And today I wanna flip the script on something that we’ve probably all been told – that introverts struggle with getting and sharing testimonials.

Hello, and a very warm welcome to another episode of The Quiet Confidence Podcast. I’m Anita Popat, a marketing strategist for introverts. 

I’m here to tell you that Introverts are in fact naturally better at this, than anyone else.

Here’s what I’ve noticed about how we as introverts approach client relationships and why it sets us up perfectly for getting the most incredible testimonials.

First of all, we listen.

So when your client’s telling you about their struggles, you’re not just waiting for your turn to give advice.

You are actually hearing the emotional weight behind what they’re saying. You are noticing the specific words they use to describe their fear, their frustration, and their hopes.

Whereas most marketers are gonna hear, “oh, I wanna make more money”. And they focus on the revenue goal, but you hit, “I wanna make more money because I’m tired of feeling like I’m not good enough”.

And that’s the difference between surface level social proof and testimonials that actually move people.

Secondly, we create psychological safety without even trying. So think about it as an introvert, you’re probably not the type to rush in with solutions before someone’s finished talking.

You give people the space to process, to think. And if you are one of my clients, they normally end up sharing more than they initially plan to. And that’s because your clients feel safe with you because you’re not performing.

 You’re genuinely curious about their experience, their journey, their transformation. And when people feel safe, they share the real stuff. That messy, vulnerable human part of their story that [00:02:00] makes their testimonials actually really compelling.

And then thirdly, we focus on their journey, not on our ego.

I’ve seen so many testimonials that sound like, oh, Anna helped me make six figures in three months. But what was Anna’s specific role? What was the client’s experience actually like?

As introverts, we’re naturally more interested in understanding rather than impressing. So when I’m following up with clients, I’m normally asking questions like, oh, what was the biggest shift for you?

Or what surprised you most about the process? I’m not fishing for compliments about how amazing I was, because I genuinely want to understand their experience. And you probably do the same too.

So let me share some of those questions that have gotten me the most honest and detailed testimonials and notice how none of them are about me or my program.

So instead of saying, how did you find working with me? Try saying, how were you feeling before we started working together? Or instead of saying, what results did you get? Ask What’s different about how you show up now compared to six months ago?

Instead of saying, would you recommend my program? Try saying, what would you tell someone who’s in the exact position that you were in before we started?

So do you see the difference?

You’re not asking them to sell for you. You are asking them to reflect on their own transformation, and that reflection is where the magic happens.

Because when you approach testimonials in this way, your clients don’t feel like they’re being asked to write marketing material.

They feel like they’re being asked to acknowledge their own growth. And because you’ve been paying attention to their journey, like really paying attention, you can probably prompt them to share specific moments that they might have forgotten.

And I often do this when I’m doing client interviews, because we’re normally together in the weeds for three months.

I’m often like, oh, do you remember that week when you almost gave up? Like, what changed for you there? What about that breakthrough you had around boundaries? How did that feel?

And most people will rush past all of this mindset or the struggling stuff to get to the success part. But you know that this messy middle is where your next client is right now, and that’s the part that they need to hear about.

 And also because you’ve created that safe space throughout your working relationship, your clients are gonna trust you with their story. They know you’re not gonna use their vulnerable moments to make yourself [00:04:00] look good.

They know you genuinely care about their experience, so again, they’re more likely to share openly.

So let’s talk about the practical side of this. How do you actually use your introvert advantage?

So firstly, timing matters. Don’t wait too long before you ask your clients for their thoughts.

Yes, give them time to integrate what they’ve learned and see how it plays out. But normally they’re in that high energy state and like, oh my God, this is amazing when they’ve just finished and they’re riding on a high and they’re excited to carry on.

So we want to take advantage of and create the testimonial when they’re in that high energy moment.

And secondly, make it easy for them but not templated.

So if I’m finishing with a client in the last session, normally ask if they’re up for sharing their experience in a client interview.

And I might send them a rough outline of what I’m gonna ask, but I’m not asking them to fill out a form. I’m just having a conversation on Zoom like we would in our normal weekly calls anyway.

And thirdly, let them choose the format. So some clients love being on video, others prefer writing. Some like to send voice notes. So for Silent Storm, my one-to-one program. I like to get people on video so we can have a conversation.

And I’ll share the page in the show notes, there’s loads of examples of client interviews or testimonials on there for you to look at. But if they don’t wanna do video, that’s absolutely fine too.

The format doesn’t matter as much as giving them the space to share what they want to authentically.

The main thing we want is to try and gather as much of the before, during, and after as we can.

So that’s the practical stuff. But here’s where it gets tricky for us, right?

You’ve got those incredible testimonials, the beautiful stories of transformation, and then you actually have to share them.

And this is where a lot of introverts get stuck because you’ve already done the hard work of building genuine relationships and gathering all those amazing stories.

But when it comes to posting about it, suddenly you’re second guessing everything. Like, is this too braggy? What if people think I’m showing off?

But what I want you to remember is that these testimonials represent real change in real people’s lives. And there’s someone out there right now who needs to know that this transformation is possible for them too.

So if you’ve been thinking you’re not good at getting testimonials because you’re not pushy enough or loud enough, or extroverted enough I want you to flip that script because your introverted approach is actually your superpower here.

You are [00:06:00] already building the kind of relationships that create genuine transformation and genuine transformation creates the kind of testimonials that are actually gonna move people.

So the question isn’t whether you can get good testimonials. The question is, are you brave enough to share those incredible stories that you already have?

And if you’re ready to tackle that question, I’ve created an audio course called The Humble Brag, which walks you through exactly how to share client stories authentically. It’s only 22 pounds, and it’s designed specifically for people like us who wanna share your wins without the ick.

Head over to the show notes to have a look at that, and I’ll also pop a link to Silent Storm as well, so you can see how my client interviews are structured.

 As always, thank you so much for listening. If you did find this valuable, please, like, share, and leave a review.

It all helps in my mission to empower introverts to embrace their quiet confidence so that they can make a loud impact in the world.

Speak soon.