I was recently asked, “Why do you and so many other authors on sales put so much emphasis on our using testimonial letters?”
Tell me; which will more effectively persuade you to buy my “widget” – If I, the salesperson, tell you how great it is? . . . or if your neighbor, or friend, or co-worker or anyone else you respect (personally or their position), tells you how great it is?
Exactly! (Well, “Exactly!” assuming you answered the way I wanted you to)
So, make it a point to obtain testimonial letters from every one of your ecstatic customers or clients. Then, during the presentation, volunteer to allow your prospect to read whichever letters you feel would be most appropriate.
Hint: Highlight certain key phrases to make it easier for your prospect to find the relevant phrases or information. Also, if you’ve been in your business for more than a week, you’ve
most likely heard every objection you’ll ever receive regarding your particular product or service. Let your testimonial letters help you overcome whatever objections you are given.
Example: When the prospect questions your company’s ability to deliver on the appointed date, gently show your prospect a testimonial letter expressing how delighted your client was at the expediency of the delivery process. Utilize this tool in order to handle all of your regular objections.
Keep in mind, with technology as it is, you can place video, audio and written testimonials right on your website.
Example: I do a limited number of engagements open to the pubic (as opposed to my presentations at corporate conventions) and, for these, where the audience is not “captive” and we are trying to persuade potential attendees who are not familiar with my work to attend, we have testimonial endorsements for them to see as soon as they arrive at the main page of the site. Notice the immediate audio testimonial, as well as the written ones. And, yes, they extend throughout the page, combining audio, written, and photos.
I encourage you (if I may) to find ways to use testimonials, testimonials and more testimonials in various forms to help you more effectively communicate the excellent value you can provide to your prospects, customers and clients.
It’s been said you can never have “too many” other people selling for you. Well, maybe at a certain point, but it would reeeeally have to border on the obnoxious for that to happen.
Remember what the great copywriter, Joe Polish says, “What others say about you {or your product/service} is infinitely more believable than what you say about you {or your product or service} . . . so let them say it.”
What are your thoughts on the value of utlizing testimonial letters? Feel free to share with us.
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Absolutely great advice Bob! here is what I have done online for my website , I actually think I got this idea from your book endless referrals, took action and got it done.
http://www.timothyross.com/testimonials.html just scanned a few of my testimonial letters, wrote the highlights and hot linked them so people can download an read the total letter.
I also am experimenting with video testimonials, started out by doing one for a client of mine, plan to do more, he really appreciated, here is the link. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Pj-4KMeYs&feature=channel_page
Next step, obviously is to get some back from clients and post them on the site . One tip when you are filming yourself, lock yoru chair so you are not rocking!
Thanks again Bob!
Tim
Great, Tim! Thank you for sharing.
This is one place where we disagree at least slightly. It is a new thing now to have audio testimonials when you enter a website. Everyone is different. I like to read things. When I go to a website and it starts talking to me and I can’t quickly find out how to shut it up, it really irritates me. I look for the info I want and the audio distracts me.
After posting this on my FB page, a commenter made a great point; how do you get people to do them? Even when they are happy with your service and even say that they will, they often don’t. Your thoughts?
Alice, it’s not so much a matter of disagreeing as much as asking ourselves what our prospects want. As you said, everyone is different. While you’d rather read a letter, other people like to listen, and still others (more and more) want to watch. We use all three types on our website because we realize that people like different things. In terms of not having a way to shut them off if they begin playing, I agree with you. However, that doesn’t mean not to have them there; it just means make the experience with the prospect/customer as enjoyable as you possibly can.
Heather, thank you. I posted a comment on your FB page as well, saying that I’ve written about that topic specifically in my book “Endless Referrals” and in my CD program “The Referral Mindset.” However, I’ll make a point of doing a blog post or two about it in the near future. 🙂