Six years ago, attorney-turned-travel consultant Sheri Doyle needed to get the word out about her new business, Pacific Northwest Journeys. So she turned to her existing customers for help. By adding quotes from satisfied clients to her direct-mail pieces and Web pages (as well as including a toll-free number), Doyle's annual revenues have increased nearly 28 percent. As this Seattle business owner can attest, wor&of-mouth marketing is an effective way to win new business. And testimonials are actually referrals, in writing.

Sprinkled in everything from brochures and newsletters to ads and Web sites, client words of praise may give prospects the push they need to try your product or service. Here's how to make the most of customer remarks.

Solicit Clients to Speak Up Why wait for someone to say something nice about your business? Instead, make positive feedback a regular part of your customer service. To each happy customer, send a satisfaction form via regular mail, e-mail, or fax, and leave ample space for comments. If you use the U.S. Postal Service, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. If you call for kudos, do so only when clients have the time to spare. Otherwise, their glowing comments may quickly mm to unflattering criticisms. Then cull through your responses scouting for spokespeople your prospects would be interested in heating from.

Potential customers are most likely to believe testimonials from trustworthy clients. According to Mary Gilly, associate professor of marketing at the University of California at Irvine, few would turn to people they distrust for buying advice. Therefore, choose customers who are credible or who hold an esteemed position and--with written permission--use their photos in your materials.

In addition, the credibility of your testimonials will increase if you cite experts. Although your words of praise don't have to be from clients who hold Ph.D.s, you'll pique your prospects' interest if you quote those in authoritative positions. To make sure you pick the perfect company spokesperson from among your satisfied respondents, include enough room on the form for the client's full name (avoid using initials), address, job title, background, and other credentials. Better yet, if someone of high esteem has sent you a positive letter, include it, as is, in your press kit.

Egberto Willies, owner of Willies' Computer Software Co. in Houston, for instance, has increased sales 10 percent by adding the testimonials of technical gums to his Web pages, direct mailings, and brochures. Because he sells software to programmers, he scours computer magazine reviews for quotes from high-tech decisionmakers. If a corporate executive compliments your company directly, ask to include the firm's logo on your marketing materials.

Play Up the Benefits Prospects shop using their gut. And often, before making a purchase, they'll look for information that justifies their premeditated decisions. That's why testimonials work--because someone else is touting your business and reconfirming to prospects that your company is a wise choice. To help reduce the apprehensions of first-time buyers, use positive recommendations that highlight the unique advantages of your product or service.

"Your testimonial can't just say, 'Great service!' "insists Doyle. Instead, ask satisfied clients to elaborate on benefits. For example, Pacific Northwest's Web page includes a remark that reads, "Pacific Northwest Journeys gives me peace of mind. I don't have to spend endless time on the phone dealing with reservations, and I know that each of the suggestions will be top quality."

Likewise, if you've saved clients money, get them to quantify an amount. If your services have improved your customers' lives, ask them to qualify their reasons. "When asking for testimonials," writes Rick Crandall in Marketing Your Services (Contemporary Books), "suggest specific areas they might address--the quality of finished work; on-time delivery; how easy you are to work with. Have at least one testimonial that covers each benefit described in your marketing materials."

Crandall's book, for instance, opens with testimonials from more than 40 experts and service providers. Each is tied to a specific benefit, such as: "You have to bend over backward not to make money with the information in this book."

Keep Client Kudos Legal When trolling for testimonials, there are two ways you can land in legal hot water. The first is using the name, image, or words of a client without permission. To comply with this law, former attorney Doyle includes a checkbox on her customer feedback form that states: "If appropriate, would you allow us to use your words and your name in our marketing and promotional materials?"