What did they say about me?
Testimonials are a great way to market your business and
service. They give you credibility like a third-party endorsement. It is no
longer you alone saying that you and your company and products or services are
phenomenal-—it is someone else saying that they are phenomenal!
The difference with testimonials and advertising is that
when you place an ad, everyone knows that you have paid for it. It is you
“tooting your own horn.” Much more believable and credible is someone else who
is “tooting your horn!” This is the power of testimonials!
Once you have them, where should you use them? Use
testimonials in your marketing materials, use them on your web site, use them
in advertisements, use them in your media kits, put them on business cards and
make sure to use them in your sales presentations and/or on the telephone as
success stories.
Testimonials are valuable and you should use them as often
as possible. When deciding to make a purchase, people love to see what other
people say, who they are and what their experience was with your service. If
possible, follow a current trend of putting a small picture of the person
giving the testimonial next to it. This really helps your potential customers
feel more comfortable by putting a face to the testimonial.
So, how do you get all of those glowing testimonials from
satisfied customers? Simply just ask them! Get in the habit of asking every
single satisfied customer for a testimonial. It may take some time to get
comfortable with but once you do it will come naturally. Your customer will be
pleased you asked them for their input and likely will be happy to oblige!
In getting testimonial, there are many ways to get them
easily. Here are a few:
1. Satisfaction Survey: Ask your customers to fill out a
brief customer satisfaction survey. Leave space for comments at the end. Make
sure to also ask at the end of the survey, “May we use your name and comments
in our marketing materials?” Have a space for them to check “yes” or “no,”
along with their signature. Most people are delighted to have you use their
comments!
2. Evaluation Form: If you use public speaking to increase
your visibility and generate leads for your business pass out an evaluation
form to your audience. Make sure to ask at the end of the evaluation form, “May
we use your name and comments in our marketing materials?” Have a space for
them to check “yes” or “no,” along with their signature. Again, most people are
delighted to have you use their comments!
3. Using the satisfied customer’s name greatly increases
your credibility. It is far stronger to have an endorsement with a name than
without. Use the customer’s name and the company name. Make sure to ask
permission to use their name first.
4. Get Letters: Ask your customers to write testimonial letters.
Say, “I was wondering if you could help me.” (People love to help!) “Would you
write a testimonial letter for me outlining how happy you are with our
product/service?” (Only ask customers that you are sure are happy!)
5. DIY: Offer to write it for them, “I know that you are
very busy. I’d be more than happy to draft something for you to edit.” People
do genuinely want to help, and people are also genuinely very busy. This makes
it easy for them to help.
6. Project Completion: Every time you complete a project
and/or a customer says something positive to you about your product/service,
say to them, “Would you write that down on your letterhead? It would be a big
help to me, and I would use it to market my product/service.”
Use your testimonials as success stories when speaking with
prospects or even customers. This enables you to tell others what you have
accomplished for your customers without appearing to brag. The model of a
success story is: Your customer had a problem. You fixed it. They are now very
happy. Remember to always tell your success story from the customer or
prospect’s point of view. That means stick to the benefits that your customers
received from your work.
On blue days, post your favorite testimonial letters on a
bulletin board or clear wall space near where you work. Put the rest into a
three-ring binder. Anytime you start to feel “blah,” read through your letters
from all of the people saying how much you have helped them. It will perk you
right up!
Comments
Post a Comment