Testimonials Sell

This simple tip can pay off significantly. It's not tough to do, and it addresses what might be your weak point.

by Brock Henderson Principal, Henderson & Associates [September 28, 2007]

I was listening to a sales tape the other day when the speaker said that while customers will haggle you for price, price is seldom the issue in making a purchase decision. Your quality isn't the key element in making a purchase decision either. Nor is service the main issue either.

The big hindrance to making that sale is the hidden objection that no prospect will ever voice. It's about trust. They want to feel that they can trust you and have confidence in you. So, establishing that trust and confidence is the key to making a sale.

But if they aren't willing to give you a chance, how can you possibly demonstrate that they can have that needed trust and confidence in you? One answer is actually rather simple: testimonials.

Do you have testimonials you can show your prospects? Do you use testimonials in your advertising? Have testimonials on your website? If you don't, you are missing an opportunity to build that needed trust and confidence.

Testimonials are your customers expressing their trust and confidence in you, and implicitly saying, "you, (potential customer), can trust these people too".

Prospects expect you to say how wonderful you are, how you will be there when they need you, and that you are God's gift to the internet. Big deal, anyone can say that and most of your competitors do. But the testimonial, that's your customer singing your praises; now that's something.

Your customer has nothing to gain by saying how great you are, and therefore their statement that you can walk on water is much more believable than you saying the exact same thing. Testimonials are powerful tools that should be included in all your marketing materials.

When you mail out a proposal with all the facts, figures, and technical information, include a testimonial or two about how you exceeded another customer's expectations on a recent job. When you send out a direct mail piece seeking an appointment, include some testimonials talking about how much your customer appreciates you, how you have helped them, or whatever.

And it doesn't hurt if the testimonial comes from a prospect's competitor. Surprised? Don't be. If they see you are taking care of the competition, they will have added trust that you will take care of them too.

A testimonial will get peoples attention, especially if they happen to know the individual giving the testimonial and/or respect the company giving the endorsement. Always ask permission to use the testimonial in your marketing, some people may not want to be identified by name, but won't object to you using the name of their company, or their initials.

Adding a testimonial like one of these to your marketing materials adds strength to your sales presentation.

"Brock over the years has provided AASP with valuable input on a variety of issues. He possesses the ability to analyze business issues and generate solutions that are appropriate to a particularly difficult situation. I have always found his insight to be straight forward and unbiased. He is not afraid to tell you things that you may not want to hear. This is a very admirable attribute for any consultant."
—Russ, American Alliance of Service Providers

"Sometimes when you surf the Internet, you stumble upon something that actually makes a lot of sense. Your advice about direct mail is one of those things. I used your advice to improve my DM and the results were amazing. Response went up like crazy and so did the actual sales. For this you have my deepest gratitude."
—Mike, Holland, Europe

Testimonials add credibility about your expertise and expertise, and are worth their weight in gold. Don't hide those endorsements from potential or even existing customers; plaster them on every ad, in every commercial, in every mailing, and anywhere else you can. When customers speak for you it is much more powerful than when you say the same thing.

Using a testimonial isn't bragging. Bragging is when you talk about how great you are, these are your customers talking about how great you are; so use their words to tell your story.

A customer's testimonial could be all you need to close that big sale. Now dust off those e-mails of praise and start utilizing your strongest sales tool—your customers!

—End