There’s nothing like a rave review from a home staging client to help you convince potential clients about what you can do for them.

But what if the home staging testimonial you receive sings your praises but does it in such a long-winded way, you’re not sure you can use it?

Naturally you need to be truthful with your home staging testimonials.

You can’t make them up, or just put words in your client’s mouth that don’t reflect their sentiments.

I believe it’s OK to edit them for brevity, or to correct spelling and grammar errors.

If you feel like you’ve changed them a lot, there’s nothing wrong with sending the edited version to your client and asking them if they give their permission for you to use it.

Here’s an example of a home staging testimonial makeover, see what you think. I have removed the staging company, home stager and client’s names since this is a real example from my Business Accelerator Coaching practice. I edited her client’s testimonial for her to show how it could be more effective:

Original Home Staging Testimonial:

“On (date), I had concluded to offer my home for sale around (location). I informed my neighbor I needed a Home Stager to solely turn around the premise for a greater and faster sale. She instantly gave me a contact detail to getting to (Staging Company). I made the call instantly and she was responsive, she requested my specifications and I gave her the address.

(Stager Name) arrived on time, which was impressive, considering I’d just made the arrangement the same morning. She took a look around, and presented an estimate that was reasonable, though wasn’t within my budget. She asked me what my budget was since I had just a little idea about Home Staging. We concluded on an average of my budget with respect to hers.

Overall, my experience with (Staging Company) was very positive. (Stager) patiently transformed the whole place; the painting colors were so lovely, she made great repair recommendations, update recommendations, carefully picked out all furniture, every detail was perfect and she exclusively amazed me. We got multiple offers that week and sold for $20,000 over our asking price. I have no complaints about (Staging Company), she performed wonderfully well. If anyone has any questions about (Staging Company) though, leave a comment to my review and I’ll get back to you.” (Client Name, City)

After I Edited For Brevity and Grammar:

“My experience with (Staging Company) was very positive. We got multiple offers in a week and sold for $20,000 over our asking price. (Stager) patiently transformed the whole place. The new paint colors were lovely, she made great recommendations for updates and repairs, and carefully picked out all the furniture. Every detail was perfect, (Stager) amazed me.” (Client Name, City)

7 Key Take Aways From This Makeover

1. People are busy. Did you notice how little you felt like reading the first version?
2. The original version is 217 words. The edited version is 60. Much better for your website and to use in social media.
3. Is there anything missing from the second version that would have helped a potential client decide to hire this stager?
4. In which version are you more likely to notice the most important point — that the house sold with multiple offers in a week for $20,000 over asking?
5. You don’t want to include things like “She arrived on time, which was impressive, considering I’d just made the arrangement the same morning.” It suggests you aren’t busy/successful and you also don’t want to encourage others to think you’ll be available on a moment’s notice.
6. Only include information that helps a potential client understand the benefits of working with you. Preamble like what’s in the first paragraph of this original testimonial is irrelevant.
7. The revised version doesn’t say anything the client didn’t say, so it continues to be an accurate testimonial and reflective of the client’s sentiment. Do you agree?

Have Your Say

Do you think the changes I made were effective? Was there anything I left out in the 157 words I cut out that you would have left in? Have you ever edited a client’s testimonial? Do you think the changes I made would warrant going back to the client for approval?

Lastly, do you enjoy a before/after makeover post like this? I’m always looking for feedback from my readers on what’s most useful in building your home staging business.

Please share in the comment section below.