The 4 Step System For Great Business Testimonials (examples included)

Dear Friend,

You are here today because you have decided to give a business you love a testimonial or you are a business and you are looking for a simple system for great business testimonials that you can share with your customers.

1st of all good on you and before I explain how to give a great testimonial,  let me explain why I say good on you.

You see testimonials are what allow someone considering using the business you are giving the testimonial for the opportunity to have real proof it works.  Literally, testimonials give evidence to someone considering using the business.

And le’ts face it, businesses are here to help more people.  So you giving an amazing testimonial means you are literally helping many people whom you have never met and probably never will.

But you can feel great knowing you are doing your part to help others. 

I created this guide because business owners were asking me if there was a simple process to help their customers give testimonials. 

So I created a very simple 4 step process to help make giving your favourite business a testimonial easy peasy.  

A very simple 4 step process to help make giving your favourite business a testimonial easy peasy.  

In fact, I have a simple formula to make it easier what you should do for each step. 

Just remember  IPHO

If you get stuck, which you won’t, just remember IPHO.

So let’s go through the 4 parts of an amazing testimonial.

The Ultimate Company Testimonial Formula

Step 1: Introduce yourself

Just state your first name, maybe what you do.  This should be pretty easy for you.

Step 2: Problem / situation

What problem or situation were you in before you started working with XYZ business.

Step 3: Hesitation / Overcame Hesitation

Was there anything that you were considering before you started working with XYZ company?  Maybe you were skeptical. 

Step 4: Outcome (specific)

This is where you will tell what happened as a result of working with XYZ company.

This is where you need to be specific.  Use numbers if possible.

Pretty simple right?  Let’s give a few examples to help you even further.

BUSINESS TESTIMONIAL #1-Landscape testimonial

Hi, my name is Phil and I am an electrician. (Introduction)

Before I met Joe’s landscaping company, I found it difficult to find the time to get my yard mowed.  As a result, my lawn looked horrible and I always felt a bit guilty when I would arrive home from work because my neighbor’s lawns always looked fantastic. (Problem / situation)

I heard about Joe’s landscaping, but I wasn’t really if they would be reliable and do a good job.  I thought about it and realise if they didn’t do a great job or were unreliable I could easily find someone else.  So I went for it. (Hesitation / overcome)

Wow was I surprised, Joe and his team were professional, they came on time, didn’t charge an arm and a leg and they even fixed a few other issues around the house while they were there.  Now I come home and I am proud of how my yard looks, my neighbors compliment me on my lawn and the kids are now playing in the lawn too.

I highly recommend Joe’s landscaping company.

Sample Testimonial Review – Landscaping Testimonial

So lets review, you can see Phil followed the formula perfectly.  Introduced himself and his problem, he explained his concerns about hiring Joe’s and how he overcame his concern, and then the results.  And then Phil rounded it up with the results he received and a recommendation.  

Great testimonial.

Business Testimonial Example #2-Chiropractic Testimonial

Hi, my name is Mary and I am a mother of 3 wonderful children.

About 6 months ago I noticed I was getting daily headaches.  I went to my doctor and the doctor did some tests but they didn’t show anything.  So I started taking some medications.

I was reading an article in the newspaper and saw an ad talking about how chiropractors have been able to help headaches.

I was a bit nervous because I have never been to a chiropractor and didn’t know what exactly they did.

I did a bit of research and found a chiropractor near my home.  Their website was filled with amazing testimonials of people like me who had been helped with their headaches.  So I thought I am going to give this a try.

I booked an appointment and was amazed by them from the very first phone call.  The receptionist Kate was so friendly. And when I met the chiropractor, Dr. Karen, I felt so comfortable and at ease.

She knew exactly what was going on and was able to pinpoint the problem straight away. 

She gave me what is called an adjustment and within a few hours, I was feeling great.  I had more range of motion, my headaches were gone and I didn’t need to take any more medication.  

That was 6 months ago and I am still headache free.

Sample Business Testimonial Review:

In this testimonial example, Mary did a great job.

She did her introduction, explained her problem and skepticism, and then explained her outcome with a specific detail of being pain-free for 6 months.

Please note, if you are in Australia and reading this, health practitioners registered with AHPRA, you are not allowed to display testimonials. 

So unfortunately if you have a favourite dentist, chiropractor, or physiotherapist, you cannot give a testimonial. You can, however, give them a google review.

Sometimes its easier to have a comparison, so I have included some examples of what we would consider a testimonial that doesn’t quite hit the mark. 

Bad Company Testimonial Example

Hi, I highly recommend Joe’s Landscaping.  Joe and his team are amazing. They were so nice and friendly.  I highly recommend them.

Bad Company Testimonial Review 

So why is this a bad testimonial?  

I hear ya, it sounds like the person is highly recommending Joe, but you can see this testimonial will not really resonate or connect with anyone because the person hasn’t introduced themselves, explained their problem or their outcome.  

Sure they say some nice things about Joe’s, but by not explaining their problem and outcome makes a huge difference.  Compare the first testimonial to the 2nd. Which one would make you want to call Joe? I bet you said the first example we gave.

So let’s review what we covered.

We have given you a simple formula to remember.  IPHO. Which stands for Introduction, Problem, Hesitation and Outcome.  Remember to be as specific as possible with your problem and outcome.  

In addition, we showed you good examples and a not so good example.  

A couple of last things.

If you are doing a video testimonial (which we highly recommend), then we suggest you do the following.

1. Write out your testimonial first
2. Practice it
3. Then remember, a video can be edited, so if you get stuck, just take a deep breath and start over again.  

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