How To Ask Clients For Testimonials: RD Edition
When you're taking a nutrition business online, one of the main stressors is marketing, right? The world of digital marketing for someone untrained in that field can feel extremely overwhelming. However, our best marketing tools as a Registered Dietitian are not TikTok dances and paid social ads—It's testimonials!
Word of mouth is by far the MOST powerful and effective way of getting more clients, and you don't need to spend lots of money or take a graphic design class to make it happen. You just provide a great service and your clients tell other potential clients about it!
Really, there's only one thing you need to do before you have a website or social page full of authoritative testimonials that prove you are the best RD for your dreamy clients. You just need to ask! But . . . maybe that's easier said than done. So, today I am walking you through exactly how to get testimonials from your clients in a way that's respectful, fruitful, and practical.
Here's what you need to do to start collecting testimonials from your clients:
How To Ask Clients For Testimonials
There are lots of ways to ask for positive reviews from clients! But, I want to help you figure out the best way that’ll get you the most benefit for your business.
What Are Client Testimonials?
Client testimonials are a satisfied customer’s review of your services. Usually, it’s pretty in-depth and is worded in a way to get others to buy into the product or service. (In this case, nutrition counseling!) Satisfied customers are usually asked for these testimonials after they’ve finished the program or used the product, so they have the most authority to speak on it.
Why Are Client Testimonials Important
Testimonials from clients are SO important, because it tells future dreamy clients that your nutrition business is legitimate, beneficial, and totally worth their time and money. No matter what personal marketing you do, nothing will have more social proof than the positive review of a past client. They’ll read all those testimonials on your social media account or testimonial page and be sold on your services without you having to spend a ton on other marketing streams. This is why I express to all my colleagues and RD clients how important it is to ask clients and customers testimonials!
How To Ask For A Client Testimonial
Choose the right method to ask.
There's lots of ways you can ask for a testimonial. You can send that testimonial request letter via email, social media, an automated request, a follow-up call, or a personal request at the end of a session! Each one of these has pros and cons, buta follow-up call or personal request is by far the most effective!
An email, social media post, or automated message is just too impersonal, which means a lot of people will just ignore them. However, when you request a testimonial personally in a phone call or follow-up session, it’ll help your clients understand why you want a testimonial and hopefully motivate them to get one done quickly!
Make sure your system is easy to use.
Are you having them submit their testimonial in an email? A feedback form with a box for a short paragraph? A digital survey with a few open-ended questions? A testimonial page with a button to leave a review? The choice is yours!
Whatever it is, make sure it's ready-to-go and super easy for your clients to fill out. You also want to ensure you have a good processing system, so you can organize and utilize your testimonials without hassle. No one wants to be scrolling through old emails for some testimonials while scrolling through past texts for others. Have a good system!
Consider adding an incentive.
Some people really don't love written communication and need a budget to take the time to type out a testimonial. Other people just need some drive to get it done sooner rather than later. To serve these clients best and still get the feedback you want, incentivize writing a testimony! Maybe they get a gift card, free session, or some kind of exclusive item. Crunch the numbers, get creative, and see what you can offer from you to your amazing clients!
Always write a thank you note.
If you expect your clients to take time to write a testimonial, the least you can do is write a quick thank you note in return! Let them know how much you appreciate their time and how their testimonial helps your business. Here are some thank you note templates to get you started.
Develop a system to regularly make requests.
You don't want to miss opportunities to gather testimonials, so create a system that helps you remember when it's time to make that call or send that email! I usually do it as part of my offboarding process, but it could be every 3, 6 , or 12 months . . . or any other timeline you think makes sense! Set it up in your calendar or on your client master list, so you never miss a testimonial.
Be okay with the feedback you may receive.
When you ask for testimonials, you may assume that all you'll receive is glowing praise. However, there may be some clients who may not give 100% positive feedback. They may have constructive criticism! If anyone does have some negative feedback to share, listen to it! You don't have to post it to your website by any means, but this information is vital for refining your business and getting more referrals in the future!
Here’s more on why it’s so important to take feedback from your clients as an RD!
Testimonials are a great way to grow your private dietitian practice!
Like I said, marketing is not RD's favorite part of running their own private practice. Our training is in nutrition, NOT social media and communications. However, the real life accounts of your incredible work from your clients are one of the best tools to grow your nutrition business. So, don't be afraid to ask for those testimonials!
If you want expert coaching in taking your private practice from a side hustle to your full-time dream job, apply to work with me! I am a dietitian business coach with tons of experience in helping RDs like you find their niche, understand marketing, and grow their business to heights they never thought possible. We can do it together!