The Overlooked “Secret Weapon” That Doesn’t Cost a Dime And Has Huge Payoffs!
What if I told you there was an easy way to dramatically help you increase your sales without spending a dime… you’d be interested, right? Of course. And better yet, what if it was easy to implement?
It’s a commonly overlooked marketing strategy that’s perfect for many businesses. Face it, people don’t “need” many products, they “want” them. If you’re in the business of style, image, or attention-getting customization, this is an important distinction to understand.
We’ve never met, but I bet a major portion of your business comes from referrals. It comes from satisfied customers who showcase your work to their friends, colleagues, and people on the street.
Why not take the power of those satisfied customers and use it to help new prospects decide to spend their money with you?
There’s no better way than to showcase your work and build your credibility than through testimonials, case studies, and endorsements. These can be used in your place of business, in your marketing materials, your website, and in your advertising.
Although the use of customer testimonials may seem ridiculously low-tech in today’s world of big-budget marketing campaigns, it is a proven and successful method that really works for companies of all sizes. If you’re not including customer testimonials in every aspect of your marketing, you’re more likely to lose sales unnecessarily.
Imagine how easy it would be to differentiate yourself from the competition if your prospects came to see you and saw your business’ “Wall of Fame.” The “Wall of Fame” approach is simply a prominent showroom wall or display space dedicated to framed letters, photos and testimonials. I know one shop owner who took a photo of every customer standing beside their new purchase with a big satisfied smile. He attributes it to an increase in sales of at least 30 percent.
Imagine every time you sell a new product, you take a picture with the happy customer and put it on your wall or website. Think about how powerful your website would be if you included testimonials on your homepage, “About Us” page, and product detail pages. You can also add a testimonial submission form on your website where customers can go and send you their feedback.
Don’t forget testimonials in your traditional marketing either. If you’re sending out a direct-mail post card for an upcoming sale, include a couple of powerful testimonials. Don’t try to cram in too many, just one or two well-written, specific endorsements of your products and services will suffice in most cases. The more expensive the product or service, the more testimonials you’ll want to use.
Testimonials can really punch up your print, TV and radio advertising too. Look around and see how often TV and radio commercials feature testimonials, or how often you read them in print ads. They are everywhere in successful marketing because they work.
In essence, your customers are helping you make sales through third-party endorsements.
Testimonial Tips–A testimonial is a brief statement of satisfaction from someone who has done business with you (usually satisfied customers or vendors). Customer testimonials can take many forms. The best is a video testimonial—perfect for creating a demo video to loop on a TV in your shop or for your website.
The next best would be an audio testimonial, great for websites or your music-on-hold systems. Another great format would be a photo testimonial with a written endorsement. And finally there’s the simple written testimonial that can be used as part of your sales brochures or advertising.
Testimonials don’t need to be long, but they do need to communicate value. For maximum effect, they should describe a specific and measurable benefit. It’s best if you can include the person’s and/or the firm’s name, but this may not be practical, depending upon your business. You can always say “a leading supplier” or just use their initials or first name.
Avoid non-specific testimonials because they don’t create as much credibility. They may be sincere, but generic “you’re terrific!” notes don’t express specific benefits.
Following are examples of two testimonials. Which do you think is better for creating credibility with a potential customer?
Example A
“I lost more than 23 pounds in just four weeks! I love your product because it made my life-long dream come true–losing ugly fat without having to go on a strict diet or spending all day at the gym! The bonus Diet cards and Weight-Loss DVD were a nice surprise, too. I will definitely use the 15% off coupon on my next purchase!”
–Chrissy Smith, Anytown, USA
Example B
“Thank you for your great product. I lost 23 pounds already! It’s great! Thanks!”
–Chrissy Smith
Clearly the first example is the stronger testimonial. It mentions the amount of weight lost, the time it took to do it, the level of customer satisfaction, and the “extras” the customer received (bonus Diet cards, a Weight-Loss DVD, and a 15% customer coupon). A complete name makes the testimonial “real” to readers. The more product details included, the more effective the testimonial will be in helping you market your business.
How Do You Get Testimonials?
This is the hard part… you just ask! It really is that simple. When you’ve completed the job ask the customer to fill out a feedback form. Or you can mail a form along with a thank you letter, but it’s usually easier to get their input while they are in your store. Remember, you can use a video camera, digital camera or voice recorder to capture the gems. There are no excuses; you can pick up a video camera for a couple hundred bucks, making the cost negligible.
Soliciting and using customer testimonials increases credibility, builds buyer confidence and helps you grow your business. Start today and make it your mission to compile your arsenal of testimonials.
Ford Saeks is President of Prime Concepts Group, a direct and Internet marketing and communications firm specializing in helping businesses attract customers and increase profits without wasting time or money on ineffective marketing techniques. Subscribe to Ford’s free “Money-Making Marketing Tips” ezine at www.PrimeConcepts.com/ezine.html.
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