Five ways to make client testimonials more insightful

Why don't you collect more client testimonials? Client-centric firms, delivering experiences beyond expertise, must have a parade of delighted clients.

But the answer I often get is that collecting testimonials is a seasonal project not a continuous process - a bit like feedback used to be. That seems to be because firms have a one-dimensional view of testimonials. They're content for sprinkling through a bid or website. When the goal is to display customer testimonials, breadth and timeliness are less important.

Why are fresh client testimonials important?

What if I told you that a client testimonial is more than fluffy positive feedback? I believe they are a goldmine of insights that can transform your business development and marketing strategies.

By delving into the stories your clients tell, you can uncover invaluable lessons that not only help in winning more sales but also in distinguishing your brand in a crowded marketplace. So here's five additional uses of client testimonials.

Will one of these inspire your firm to make client testimonials a process not a project?

1. Understand client priorities

At the heart of every testimonial lies the client's perception of value. Assuming you haven't written it for them of course!

Whether it's your responsiveness, the clarity of your legal advice, or your innovative approach, testimonials often highlight the aspects that resonate most with your clients. By identifying these priorities, you can tailor your service offerings and communications to match client expectations.

By comparing results over time or across practice areas, you can also see how these priorities are changing. These insights can then inform the business case for enhancing client satisfaction.

2. Highlight your Unique Selling Points (USPs)

In the competitive market of legal expertise, what makes your firm stand out? Client testimonials can shed light on the aspects of your firm's brand that stand out to clients. They also form the basis of customer success stories that will stand out to your prospective clients.

It could be your innovative use of technology, your deep expertise in a niche area, or your proactive approach to client management. Discovering the USPs that are standing out to clients is vital intelligence - especially if they don’t align with internal perceptions.

3. Discover areas for improvement

While testimonials are usually glowing, that doesn't mean they can't highlight gaps in your client experience. I call these actionable insights the 'sound of silence'.

Which brand attributes do even your most delighted clients not mention? It could be that they don't care about it, or they see it as table stakes. But it could also be that your experience is not as differentiated as you would like. Either way, you can use your other feedback channels to find out.

If you want to read more about the sound of silence, check out my recent LinkedIn article: 'What are your clients not saying?'

4. Reveal decision-making triggers

Testimonials show you where client expectations were met and exceeded. As a result, they can reveal why a client choose your firm over your competitors. It could be your reputation, a particular expertise, or a recommendation.

Understanding these decision-making triggers can inform your marketing and business development processes. Marketing can focus their messaging on the themes that cut through with prospective clients. BD can use the insights to focus the bid and pitch on what truly matters to potential clients.

5. Strengthening client relationships

Even when the work is done, testimonials can still inform your relationships with that client. For example, their testimonial could highlight where they see the strengths and gaps in the relationship.

Combining these insights with other feedback sources, helps you see how to keep building trust, deeper connections and satisfaction. As clients feel the relationship strengthening, they are more likely to advocate for your firm. And what BD team doesn't want more unsolicited client referrals?!

Using client testimonials to inform actions

1. Discover the core drivers of client satisfaction and then tailor your value proposition

Analyse your testimonials to identify recurring themes in client comments. Compare these themes to your chosen value drivers. Then use these insights to refine how you communicate and deliver your firm's value proposition. Ideally your messaging should speak directly to the value drivers that matter most to your clients.

Pro tip - do the same analysis of your competitors' testimonials! What do their clients say that yours don’t?

2. Differentiate your brand by amplifying your USPs

Highlighting your USPs is a great place to start when crafting your marketing messages and business development strategies. Use the same words that your clients are using, not internal words believed to mean the same thing. Focusing on your USPs in your client’s own words, helps your messages stand out. It also provides valuable social proof for your prospective clients.

3. Look for improvement areas to strengthen relationships

Get into the habit of looking for what consistently goes unsaid in testimonials. This enables you to find ways to demonstrate and deliver on brand attributes that client’s aren’t noticing.

Note, the action here is NOT to start prompting clients, or telling them what to write about! Let them tell their own authentic story, then learn from what they choose to highlight.

4. Reveal the ‘why’ behind client choices to create more targeted bids

Every bid is selling to individuals, as well as the company as a whole. So make trigger analysis part of how you analyse testimonials and other on-boarding feedback. What can this unified feedback tell you about a client's personal buying criteria?

Actionable insights about buying triggers can then inform not just your formal pitch documents, but also the questions you ask before the bid process begins.

5. Look beyond each transaction to strengthen personal relationships

While testimonials reflect perceptions and experiences at the end of a project, you can use them to inform new relationships. Build your key client relationship plans around the analysis detailed above.

Combine what that specific client chose to say or not, with the insights from similar clients. Then use the insights to talk to clients about how they’d like to build the relationship. Showing that you’re really listening, is a great way to build trust and demonstrate your desire for more meaningful relationships.

Reimagine what feedback looks like

As Peter Drucker famously said, "The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer."This means looking beyond the delivery of legal services, to shape the experience to resonate deeply with client needs and expectations.

In this context, client testimonials are an underused source of actionable insights. By understanding client priorities, highlighting unique selling points, addressing areas for improvement, grasping decision-making triggers, and strengthening client relationships, firms can differentiate their brand and win more work.

So perhaps the greatest lesson from client testimonials is demonstrating the value of listening. By adopting an 'always-on' approach to client feedback, law firms can stay ahead of the curve, continuously adapting and evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of their clients.

Are you ready to make client testimonials a rich source of actionable insights? Reach out to me today, or read more on the MyCustomerLens | always-on listening page.

#ListenDifferently #BusinessDevelopment #B2BSales #lawfirmmarketing