Learn from the Pros.
Have you ever have made a purchase from a well advertised product that you found out about from an infomercial on TV? If you have, I am sure you are aware of the power of testimonies. These advertisers know the secret to successfully using Testimonials to make more sales. They know exactly how to harness the power of customer testimonies so they can increase their sales substantially. Using this trick, you can increase sales without having to spend additional funds on advertising.
Why Testimonials work.
It is all about psychology; by showing the testimonies of others these smart advertisers help their potential customers imagine what it would be like to own the product or take advantage of the service that is being offered. When most people think about finding a particular product or service one of the first things they take into consideration is the opinion of others.
They might ask the advice of family, friends, strangers and even testimonies they find on websites. We do this because we want to make an informed choice. Testimonies help us picture what it would be like to experience the same benefits as the person who shared the testimony.
One of the best ways to get perspective new customers to purchase from you is to introduce them to other satisfied customers and since you can’t take your current (happy) customers to every business meeting or sales call you go to it is important to collect their testimony and share with your new prospects.
While this is a fairly easy step to take many business professionals completely overlook it. The fact is, if you neglect this step, you are not only leaving money on the table, but making your sales job that much harder.
Getting Testimonials from Your Customers
The process to get testimonials is simple; Just ask your best customers if you can interview them about the positive experience they have had with your product or service. If they will allow you it, you ideally want to record an interview session in video, from this you can then get images, create a video, an audio and a written testimonial. If your customer is not comfortable with video, a written testimonial and picture of the interviewee will suffice. Be sure to inform your customer how you are going to use the information. Ensure they are well aware that you are going to use the combination of options (video, image, audio and written) on your website, social media accounts, marketing content or any other medium that puts your business in front of perspective customers. Getting a confirmation of their acceptance of this in writing is essential.
Once you have several testimonials you can present them in printed or digital format. You can create a digital presentation by adding your customer’s audio or video testimony into a PowerPoint presentation that you can use to create a video, slide or simply playback on your laptop directly to prospective customers.
How You Should Do Your Testimonials.
Ask your best customers to talk about the benefits they receive from using your product or service. Try to collect several different testimonials relating to different aspects of your business, products or services. This way you can use the one that best fits the new customer you are working with.
Another good tip is to show pictures of your customers using your product or service. Combine a glowing testimonial with a picture of a happy satisfied customer. This picture will be worth more than a thousand high colour brochures; and it is a lot less expensive.
Remember, nothing sells better than truth; and you can not get closer to the truth than when it comes from someone who has had a real life experience with you, your product, your services, and your company.
Questions to ask for Results-Oriented Testimonials.
- What problems were you experiencing before you purchased the product/service? (What drove you to buy the product/service?)
- How did the product/service help you overcome this problem?
- What tips and suggestions do you have for others with the same problems?
- Were there any other benefits you received from the product/service?
- What feature do you like the most from this product/service?
- Would you recommend this product? If so why?
- Would you like to add anything else?
If the customer is happy for you to video them, send these questions and any others you want to add to the customer before the recording so they can prepare.
When you send them the list of questions, ask them if they have any other questions they would like you could add to the list. Add any questions they ask you to.
If the customer does not want to do a video session ask them if they can send you an image and if you can record the questions and answers in audio.
If they do not want to do the audio, then ask them if they mind answering the questions on paper and sending back an image.
Take the answers from the customer (transcribe them from the video/audio if required), remove the questions you asked and blend the answers together to create a great written testimonial you can use on all your Marketing Media.
When you have your testimonials ready, send a copy of all formats you have available to your customer and ask them if they are happy with it. Ensure you also ask for their chosen URL address for a free backlink to their site. Do not ask for a reciprocal link back and do not add a ‘do not follow’ to the link; the customer is doing you a service by giving you a great testimonial, a backlink is a small token of appreciation from your side.
Tips for Adding your Endorsements/Testimonials In Your Marketing.
- Use photos and/or URLs below the names of your interviewees.
Not only does it make your testimonials more believable, the URLs make it possible for your prospects to possibly crosscheck with them. It also provides free backlinks as a bonus for your interviewee.
Photos also imply you took time and effort to get these people to endorse you and your product/service.
So make an effort to get not only the URLs but also photos where possible. - If your interviewee is amicable, add audio or video.
Video and audio add a layer to the believability factor of your testimonials. It is also much easier for your customers to relate their positive experiences and benefits from your product or service in their own words – which is achieved through voice or video. - Present the testimonials in a nice yellow-shade box.
Light Yellow has been proven to be the ideal color for testimonials in boxes. Alternatively, you can go for a gray shade depending on your colour scheme. - Your best Testimonials.
Choose the best testimonial for each sales copy/webpage and place this testimonial right below your sub headline.
If you have enough, the other testimonials can be dispersed in twos or threes below every component or before another sub headline in the body of the sales copy. Only include testimonials related to the product/service the page relates to – don’t be tempted to add your favourite testimonial on every sales page.
If you don’t have many testimonials yet, add most of the testimonials in or below the mid section where you prove your credibility by letting others “doing the talk” for you. – You may still want to save the best 1 or 2 testimonials and place them somewhere below the sub headline, to encourage your prospects to read on. - Ensure your testimonials are results-oriented.
Your testimonials should not be things like “Wow this company is great!” They should be about what your product or service has done to benefit the interviewee. See the questions to ask to get your customers to give this type of testimonial.