Some years ago, when my wife and I were remodeling and updating our home, I stumbled on this electronic testimonial submitted to a plumbing supply company blog by a satisfied customer. I think it is worth sharing:

Increase Sales with TestimonialsI would like to give credit where credit is due. I am 63 years old and can’t recall ever getting better service than I received from your company. Your website is comprehensive, but items are easy to locate. The part I ordered was shipped quickly, and even though it was sent from TX, I got it here in VT in less than two days. The part for my shower was a perfect replacement that fit exactly, and the price I paid was very reasonable. In today’s world, it’s rare to find a company like yours that really “gets it” and realizes that quality service is what will cause your business to thrive. Your website address has been saved in My Favorites for future use.

What a great testimonial from a guy, very elated about simply receiving what he ordered, and it was the right thing! Gaining people’s belief is sometimes very hard. The volume of marketing messages people receive makes it difficult to know what and who to trust.

Therefore, using testimonials from happy customers is perhaps one of the best ways to convince people you do what you say you do.

If testimonials are to be completely effective, they should make you SOB:

  • Sound genuine – Testimonials should not be salesy. Even though they function like an advertisement, they shouldn’t sound like one.
  • Overcome skepticism – Most buyers who haven’t done business with you before are probably skeptical, so customer testimonials should help eliminate that concern.
  • Build trust – Remembering that people buy from you because they trust and like you; testimonials should build belief and confidence in you and your company.

Here’s an example of two testimonials to read and evaluate:

A.  “I love this printer! I am so excited! I’m so glad I bought it and will probably be back to get some of your other stuff!”

B.  “I received the CX2050dg printer and followed your simple set up instructions and your promise was right on. For the last three days, my phone’s been ringing off the hook with orders and compliments about the brilliance and the contrast of the finished product! I love it when a product does more than you say it will.”

It’s pretty evident “B” is the most effective testimonial, so as you contemplate securing endorsements like this one you will want them to include the following elements:

  • In order to create the most attraction consider including hometown, age, number of children, or even a photo will help provide authenticity and humanize the submission.
  • The best testimonials validate your claims, complete with facts and figures. Include the amount of money your customers saved or how much time your product saved them, etc.
  • Knowing how visual people are today, consider video testimonials in order to help future prospects connect on a personal level.
  • Include several benefits so future prospects will know exactly what your product can do for them, remembering that a combination of logical and emotional benefits delivers maximum impact.
  • Great testimonials make comparisons to other products that perhaps didn’t work, which is a great way to differentiate your offering from the competition.

Increase Sales with Video TestimonialsSalespeople regularly tell me that customers are often fearful of endorsing things, especially in writing. They also say that most don’t really know what to say, meaning their testimonials may be weak or even unusable. Here are several ideas to help you over those hurdles.

  • Schedule a face-to-face meeting with the customer to secure the testimonial. This allows you to make suggestions, along with being present to offer help wordsmithing the content.
  • Send a survey to a group of customers and attach something of value to encourage a response. You might consider a discount coupon or a special offer for an item they don’t currently use. Response will be roughly 15%, but that’s well worth the effort and investment.
  • Conduct a third party interview with customers recording it over the phone or on video. This method allows you to exert some control over the process.
  • Send an email asking for comments about their experience with the product or service. Although it’s the easiest technique for you, it will also garner the poorest response. This is because it’s easy for your request to fall through the cracks.
  • Finally, if you have the resources, consider setting up a client feedback hotline. This allows customers to call at any time and leave their comments. My local paper provides a hotline called The Squawk Box, and many people participate in hopes of seeing their squawk in tomorrow’s paper.

——————– Hope for Your Sales Folks ——————————————————

If you are like most sales managers, you’re really sad that there is not a college degree available in common sense face-to-face communication skills for salespeople. But there is a next best thing. Check it out here, and you will discover there is still hope for your sales folks.  

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©2015 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC