5 tips to convince a customer to make a video testimonial

When you’re making your first video testimonials, it can be complicated to convince your customers to agree to testify.

The first difficulty is convincing yourself! Often, our best customers were initially reticent about video testimonials. They were afraid to disturb. They didn’t dare ask, assuming their customers would refuse. All these prejudices turned out to be wrong, and their customers were delighted to testify on camera for the company.

Here are 5 tips to help you convince your first customers to make a video testimonial.

Tip 1: Choose the right customers for your first video testimonials.

If you’ve never done video testimonials before, it’s best to start with your best customers. This will have 2 advantages: you’ll feel more confident about getting started, and you’ll dare to ask them. This will make it easier for you to convince other customers once they see the first videos.
Start by choosing the customers with whom you have the most affinity. They’ll be more likely to accept out of sympathy and because they trust you completely.

Once you’ve succeeded with this first group of customers, ask your customers who are the most loyal to your company. Those who have been with you for several years and make up a significant proportion of your sales. Because you’ve been doing them a service for several years and they’re fully satisfied with it, they’ll be more inclined to help you and proudly show themselves on video for you.

Then choose the customers who might be interested in testifying on video for you. Video testimonials represent a free showcase for their business. If you promise to promote their video testimonials via articles or “Use Case” pages, this can be a great opportunity for their business. Of course, this works especially well if you’re in the B2B sector.

Tip 2: Asking at the right time is the key to convincing your customers.

This is the most common mistake made by those who are unable to obtain video testimonials. Requests for video testimonials when customers haven’t even been delivered. Or the request is made months or even years later. The customer doesn’t remember, and the euphoria has long since subsided.

Asking for a video testimonial at the right time is the key to success. In fact, it’s the main factor that determines whether a customer accepts or not.

The best time to ask for a video testimonial is when customer satisfaction is at its highest, and the euphoria associated with that feeling. But beware: the euphoria linked to this state of satisfaction can quickly subside. In just a few days in some cases.

This is usually within 24-48 hours of ****the final delivery of your service. To help you detect this moment, there are signs that the customer will pass on to you. Generally, if he does a great review on Google, you can ask him if he’d be willing to do one on video too. Another sign is when the customer tells you, in writing or by telephone, that he or she is completely satisfied. You must react immediately by suggesting that he say this in a video testimonial.

With this method, your success rate will soar. Our best customers have a 90% or even 100% success rate.

Tip 3: Use psychology to convince your customers to make a video testimonial.

Psychological biases are often used in marketing to manipulate buyers’ brains into taking the desired action: buying, registering, etc…

But you can also use these methods to convince your customers to do something else: testify on video for you.

The most widely used psychological bias is that of reciprocity. In other words, if we do our customers a favor, they’ll be grateful and more inclined to do us a favor in return.

For example, you offer a bonus in your service and in return you ask if you can have a video testimonial.

Another psychological bias that can work is that of social influence. If you show him that dozens of other customers have testified on video before him, then he’ll be more inclined to accept in order to do as the others have done.

You should use these methods primarily on people who are most likely to hesitate or refuse to testify on video.

Tip 4: Reassure customers before making a video testimonial.

Some of your customers are uncomfortable with the idea of being filmed. There are several reasons for this:

– Fear of not succeeding
– Feeling of being judged
– Anticipation of a disappointing result
– Loss of control over one’s image

In most cases, these fears are unjustified. You’ll need to identify the problem(s) and reassure your customers about them. Generally, if he doesn’t want to testify, it’s not because of you but more because of himself. So you’ll need to be a fine psychologist! Here are some answers to help you:

Fear of not making it.

You give him the questions in advance so that he can prepare himself. You guide him step-by-step through the registration process. Finally, reassure him that if there’s a problem, you can always start again.

Sense of judgment

Today, filming has become very common with the arrival of social networks. Everyone speaks up. With the exception of a few platforms where haters are more prevalent (TikTok, Facebook), people tend to be friendly. On the other hand, it’s very likely that his goodwill will increase thanks to this video!

Fear of a disappointing result.

You must make it clear to your customer that you don’t expect a perfect result. His job is not to act. What will make us believe in this video testimony is precisely these little imperfections in his words (hesitations, stammerings) which will tell us that he’s not an actor paid for that. So don’t pressure your customer to deliver.

Loss of control over one’s image

If your customer objects to this, you need to negotiate with him where his video testimonial will be broadcast. It often happens that people don’t want to appear on social networks, but accept to appear on the company’s website. You can also reassure them by revealing how you plan to communicate around this video testimonial, for example, by publishing it on Linkedin, in a newsletter or in a blog post.

Tip 5: Reward customers.

In most cases, your customers will gladly provide a video testimonial without asking for anything in return. Just happy to have helped you. But sometimes, offering a reward in exchange for a video testimonial is enough to remove the last objections.

But be careful: the reward must be an incentive, not a financial transaction, otherwise your video testimonial will be completely biased and lose its authenticity value. It shouldn’t be said that people are paid to say good things about you.

The amount of the reward should therefore be small, and more akin to gifts. Ideally, you should offer a gift related to your company’s activity. A free product, a discount on the next purchase, a bonus service, etc…

Alternatively, you can give a gift related to your customer’s business, showing that you know them well and care about them.

By applying these 5 tips, you’ll be able to collect your first video testimonials. The first ones are the hardest, then your customers will get used to the process as they get to know you through these videos. Each business has its own specificities, and each customer is different. So you’ll find your own method that works for convincing your customers to make a video testimonial.