As many of you know, getting people to believe you is one of the hardest tasks in marketing.
People are getting hit with so many marketing messages today that it's hard to know what to listen to and who to believe.
You probably also know that using testimonials from happy customers is perhaps one of the best ways to get people to believe what you're saying.
We would all agree on that.
But If You've Ever Tried to Get a Testimonial You'll Know that There's Several Problems You Run Into
Problem # 1 People have a natural fear of putting their name on paper and endorsing something. Especially if it's in writing.
Problem # 2 It's hard to get your customers attention and get them to take the time to give you a testimonial.
Problem # 3 Because people don't know how to give a testimonial they're usually so weak that they're simply unusable.
So How Do You Get Solid, Believable, Powerful Testimonials from Your Customers?
I'm glad you asked.
But I'll answer it with a question to you?
How do you get anybody to do what you want them to do?
ANSWER: You offer them a reward.
It's amazing what you can get people to do if you simply reward them.
So the first tactic in getting great testimonials is to reward people to take the time to give them to you.
I've done this in many different ways. Here are a few tactics that have worked for me.
Tactic # 1 - The Survey Method I go to my database of customers and pick the names of my customers who have recently purchased the most amount of products or services from me.
Actually, frequency is more important than dollar amount.
If someone comes back to you several times, they are probably a fan of your business.
Then...
Send out a survey to those customers and include a section that says, "Could you tell us how our product (or service) has helped you?"
Or you can say, "Please tell us two or three things that you liked about our product (or service).
On the survey attach a $1.00 bill.
(I can hear a lot of you out there saying, "That's illegal. or "That's not ethical." or "That's too expensive.")
Well, paying someone to fill out a survey is neither illegal or unethical.
And as far as being too expensive - - well, I only send the survey to my very best customers.
If you use this tactic with about 300 people you'll get back about 50 or 60 good testimonials.
At least, that's been my experience.
Well worth the investment.
Tactic # 2 - The Email Method Get the email address of your customer as they purchase your product or service and then send your customers a message offering them additional helpful information in exchange for their comments.
I've done this with my online information products with great success.
You might have even participated in my testimonial program.
Shhh, don't let anyone know this - - but how do you think I got the hundreds of testimonials you see here...
www.themarketingbible.com
and here...
www.instantreferralsystems.com
Tactic # 3 - Interviews (The Most Effective Way)
Okay, this is hands down the most effective way to get powerful testimonials (and I've tried just about every way you can imagine).
Ready?
Here it is...
You get SOMEONE ELSE to interview your best customers and clients and you record the interview.
You can do it using video or by simply recording a phone call.
Using this method you can control the interview, and to a certain extent, what is being said.
In fact, I worked with a company a few years back and used this exact strategy.
It was a day trading education company called RS of Houston.
During their workshops I would take each attendee into another room and interview them on camera.
So not only would I get the video but I would get the audio as well.
Would You Like to See One Way We Used My "Testimonial Interviews" With this Company?
Visit the link below to see some of the work I did for this company.
url123.com
I stripped the audio from the video footage and took a snapshot of the client from the video and put them together on their website.
Another technique I used with this company was to set up a recorded telephone hotline system and we called it our "Client Feedback Hotline."
The Client Feedback Hotline had a phone number that you could call up at any time and leave your comments.
So we simply offered the clients a special free gift in exchange for them taking some time and calling up the hotline phone number and leaving their comments.
It worked like a charm.
Today, this company has hundreds of testimonials from people who are making a living day trading as a result of their course.
Conclusion I hope this has stimulated your thinking. One famous marketer said, "If you don't have testimonials, you don't have a product."
I believe that 100%.
In fact, some companies base their entire marketing message on their customer's testimonials.
If you're not a fanatic about getting your customers, clients, and patients testimonials and using them in your marketing material - - you should be.
Here's a testimonial that I just received this morning using my "Marketing Bible Testimonial System."
___________________________________________________
Name: Steve Peterson Title: Steve Peterson Photography Email: [deleted]
City: Bellingham, WA Feedback:
I am a photographer operating as a home business. The digital age has been both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because of its embrace of so many creative possibilities that film couldn't touch.
A curse because of the expense of chasing the newest technology but most important it has allowed inexperienced people to "water down" the profession and make your slice of the pie smaller.
The only way to combat these insurgents is through marketing. After going through many seminars and a multitude of books on marketing I feel that the most relevant and pin point directional input for all businesses is 'The Small Business Marketing Bible'.
David cuts through the chatter and lays it out like it really is. There are literally hundreds of ideas contained in this volume each of which will return you many times over, the cost of the book.
You are missing out if you are not up to date with David Frey's ideas and information.
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