Testimonials are among the most powerful marketing ammunition in your marketing arsenal. As a small business marketing speaker, I'm often asked if testimonials are important - and if so, why?
Testimonials have the power to achieve a variety of things for your marketing and customer retention programs.
Each time you use a testimonial you need to decide what you are trying to accomplish or what message you are trying to support. For example, they can:
* Overcome buyer skepticism. Use a testimonial to shine light on your credibility, or on the quality of your product or service. This type of testimonial builds trust and overcomes natural barriers. In the example above, the testimonial could have read: "Best product I've tried in this price bracket - and I've tried many. Great value for money, and no shortcuts on quality."
* Overcome objections. Your readers are going to be naturally skeptical of any claims, promises or bold statements. As much as you can back yourself up with facts, a third party experience or opinion will work wonders to overcome unspoken objections in the customer's mind. "It all sounded too good to be true, but when I used the hair straightener, there was more shine and less breakage."
* Simplify or make a point. A customer's personal experience with your product or service will work to persuade your audience like a story does. Complex explanations or abstract applications will make more sense when applied to real life examples. This works well with highly technical products or complex services where the customer doesn't need to understand all the details.
* Break up and maintain interest in long copy. Readers have short attention spans and they will get bored unless you can change up the structure on a regular basis. Quotations and testimonials will break up the tone or voice of the copy, and sound like the customer is reading dialogue, which will keep them engaged. You can also break up paragraphs with a testimonial that supports the point you have just made.
* Target anxieties or doubts. Just like they can overcome skepticism and objections, they can also overcome hidden anxieties or doubts at each stage of the sales process. Anticipate questions like "is this worth my money?", "do I really need this?", "can I trust the guarantee?" and "will they sell my information?", and place testimonials accordingly.
Use testimonials in your marketing efforts and you'll unleash the power of social proof, reduce risk, and induce the "I gotta get me some o' that" factor!
What has been your experience with testimonials? Use the comments area below to share your thoughts...
As a marketing speaker and marketing coach, I can tell you that Networking is one of the most misunderstood marketing terms there is.
Professional speakers, consultants, coaches, and independent professionals either love it or hate it - and no matter which camp you find yourself in, there are probably some misconceptions and misunderstanding that are preventing you from making networking as fully effective as it can be and should be to help you grow your business.
Networking: What is it?
- Meeting people at events, mixers etc. (the obvious first step)
- Goal: move it to a different level, namely...
Power networking
- Introducing people to each other (Netweaving)
- Having breakfast, lunch, coffee or dinner 1-on-1 to build new key relationships
- Meeting people in organizations (civic/social; religious; recreational)
- ASKING people to introduce you to someone
- Doing favors for people for no reason (random acts of networking kindness)
- Asking others for help and resources
- Bringing a group of your own together for brainstorming, mastermind group, etc.
Maximize Your Affiliations
- Friends, neighbors, church, hobbies, past bosses and colleagues
- Speakers Bureaus, meeting planners, training companies, event producers
- Your Professional affiliations (trade, professional, civic, etc)
- Other colleagues outside of your peer groups such as NSA (speakers), IMC (consultants), or ICF (coaches)
- Your Industry affiliations within your target industry groups
Your Keys to Networking Success
- Over deliver make them look like a genius for referring or connecting you
- Lead and get involved (raise your visibility and credibility within each group)
- Serve on committees, projects, and bring “outside” ideas to solve big problems
- Become known as a connector, a hub, and a linchpin
- Give three times as much as you hope to get
How about you?
Use the COMMENTS area below to share your networking ideas and tips...
R
eferral blurbs
What does your referral blurb look like?
Excuse me? What?? You don't know what a referral blurb is?
Hmmm... don't tell me, let me guess:
- YOU are not getting enough referrals
- You'd like to get MORE referrals but you're not sure how
- You HATE asking for referrals
- You do GREAT work - people should just refer you on the basis of your great work alone, shouldn't they?
Well, maybe all of that is true - but as it turns out, my friend, you are living in what we marketing coaches call "Referral Fantasy Land."
Want more referrals? OK listen up.
YOU need a referral blurb. My friend, management training expert Eric David shared this idea with me. I wanted to introduce him to the CEO of a small 10-person professional services firm, one of my clients. He said, "David, that would be great. I'll send you the email."
I asked Eric, "What??"
He said, "I have an email ready to go that contains everything you need to send your CEO contact about meeting me, what I do, and why it might make sense for him."
Dang... I was impressed. He says, "I'm building my business 100% through three strategies: 1. Personal networking; 2. Referring good people I know to others they should be connected to; and 3. Arming my network with this paragraph of email copy - his referral blurb.
You want to see what this looks like, don't you? Sure you do... OK you win:
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Dear XXX,
I want to introduce you to my friend and colleague Eric David. Eric is the Delaware Valley licensee for Crestcom International, a leader in management and leadership training. After meeting with Eric and hearing about his training program, I think his materials and training methodology make a lot of sense (and could really benefit your organization). I suggested that you would be a great person for him to meet and feel completely comfortable asking if you would be open to meeting him for 30 minutes or so. Based on what I know about Eric and Crestcom, this 30 minutes will be well worth your time and there is no obligation if you are not interested after the half-hour meeting.
Thanks in advance for giving this your thoughtful consideration. I'm looking forward to hearing back from you soon.
===
Now, as a marketing speaker and marketing coach, I asked Eric 2 things:
1. Do you mind if I steal this?
2. Do you mind if I try to improve it?
He gave his blessing, so here's my version. Notice that I changed not only the business (I'm a marketing coach, he's a management trainer) but I also tweaked some of the "ME" language into "YOU" language aimed at the recipient. Made it more about THEM. This is key. Take a look:
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Dear XXX,
I want to introduce you to my friend and colleague David Newman. David works with small business owners and independent professionals who want to do a better job of marketing themselves and grow their business. After meeting with David and exploring how you are currently attracting, engaging, and winning clients, you may discover that his marketing programs make sense for you (and could really benefit your bottom line). I suggested that you would be a great person for him to meet and feel completely comfortable asking if you would be open to meeting him for 30 minutes or so.
Based on what I know about David and his track record of helping small and solo business owners succeed - even in this economy - your 30 minutes will be well spent, even if it's just to explore other ways you might be helpful to each other. Thanks in advance for giving this your thoughtful consideration.
I'm looking forward to hearing back from you soon.
===
OK, now it's your turn. You ready? Use this template:
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Dear XXX,
I want to introduce you to my friend and colleague [YOUR NAME]. [FIRST NAME] works with [TARGET BUYER PERSONA] who want to [SPECIFIC BENEFIT or OUTCOME]. After meeting with [FIRST NAME] and exploring how you are currently [VERB STATEMENT OF AN IMPORTANT GOAL OF THEIRS], you may discover that his [TOPIC EXPERTISE] programs make sense for you (and could really benefit your bottom line). I suggested that you would be a great person for him to meet and feel completely comfortable asking if you would be open to meeting him for 30 minutes or so.
Based on what I know about [FIRST NAME] and his track record of helping [BUYER PERSONA CATEGORY] succeed - even in this economy - your 30 minutes will be well spent, even if it's just to explore other ways you might be helpful to each other. Thanks in advance for giving this your thoughtful consideration.
I'm looking forward to hearing back from you soon.
===
Send your referral blurb to 10 of your trusted allies, referral partners, and close business friends... and then leave a comment back here to tell me how much money you've made with this one incredibly powerful idea - your referral blurb.