| |
| |
|
Marketing Resource Center |
|
|
|
The Secret to Adding Credibility to Your Business - Testimonials!
You may not realize it, but you already have a gold mine ofendorsements waiting to be created. Everyone who is seriousabout building a business and creating credibility uses thisidea. What is it? Testimonials from your satisfied clients. Whether you are just starting out or have been in business foryears, testimonials are a proven way to communicate the valueyour business delivers. Think about it, don't you want to knowwhat other people think about a product/service before you buy?I do! The reason testimonials are so powerful is because they comefrom someone, other than you, who has used yourproducts/services and knows how fabulous they are. This isgreat news if you don't feel comfortable 'blowing your ownhorn' because the words come from your clients. You aresimply sharing what others have said about you. Even better,testimonials don't have to cost you a cent. HOW TO GET TESTIMONIALS All you have to do is ask. You can write your request in ane-mail or ask verbally. Just ask, "Would you be willing tohelp me?" In my experience satisfied clients are more thanwilling to write testimonials. If you want to give clients an incentive to give youtestimonials you can offer them something of value in returnfor their time and effort. In exchange for the testimonialyou can offer a discount, create a drawing for a prize, orprovide them with additional information. You can also incorporate asking for testimonials into yourbusiness process. One way to do this is to ask for them in anevaluation or survey. Another way is to let clients know upfront that once they become a client that you plan to ask whatthey thought about your products/services. In addition to asking for testimonials you can 'listen' and'watch' for them by paying attention to what clients tell youverbally and write to you in e-mails or letters. If you hear orsee a compliment ask the person if you can quote them on whatthey said and include it in your marketing materials. Thinkabout it, you may even have a powerful testimonial sitting in one of your e-mail folders right now just waiting to get permission for use. Another approach is to ask someone else to interview your clients (a reporter or writer). This is a more involved process and can be worth it if your product/service is complicated or if you want to create a case study. No matter what, always ask for permission to use the person'sname and/or company with their testimonial. You can give theoptions of using initials or first names only if people do notwant their full name used. Keep in mind, a full name is the most credible. You can also use pictures of the people who write testimonials to make an even stronger impact (again, ask for permission). FORMAT FOR TESTIMONIALS Written testimonials are the most common and easiest to create. There are other options that engage additional senses, the earsand eyes. Audio testimonials are becoming more popular (oftenaccompanied by a photograph) as are video testimonials, whichallow you to see and hear someone speaking about yourproducts/services. WHAT TO ASK FOR IN A TESTIMONIAL If you're like me, you want some guidance when asked to provideinformation. Help your clients out by being clear about what you are looking for in a testimonial, specific information. Ask them to describe the situation before they used yourproducts/services and then ask them to describe the situationnow, the benefits that they experienced and how they feel as aresult of this. WHERE TO USE TESTIMONIALS Once you have your raving testimonials, and permission to usethem, you can put them to use in multitude of ways. Include them on your website mixed in throughout your text. Add testimonials to your brochures and flyers. You can even put them in your newsletters. Are you beginning to see how powerful testimonials are and whatthey can mean for your business? Choose the approach that feelsright for you and get into action today! (c) Stephanie Ward 2005 Life & Business Coach Stephanie Ward helps business ownersset their profits on fire! Get your free monthly profittips plus bonus report at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Five Tips for Trade Show Success on a Small Budget No matter how small your marketing budget, your business can afford to have a successful presence at trade shows without incurring big expenses. Here are five tips for exhibiting in trade shows inexpensively:1) Have a sales representative exhibit your line at a trade show. Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal - Part 1 If you want your business to grow and attract new clients, you'll have to start creating meaningful proposals. The goal of a proposal is obviously to be awarded new work. Easy Marketing Methods with Letters, Post Cards, Referrals and Testimonials Easy Direct Marketing Methods for Insurance AgenciesThis Month: Strategies for Letters, Post Cards, Newsletters, Testimonials, Referrals.Selling insurance is tough: too many agents selling too few clients, and ouch - trying to show value when all you are selling is a piece of paper that no one really thinks he needs? until it's too late. 5 Ways to Use Your Business Cards More Effectively Contrary to popular belief, the best use of business cards is not making origami or collecting dust. But, in this article you will find 5 of the most effective ways to use your business cards on a daily basis!When Joe Girard, the world's greatest salesman, was selling cars he would frequently go to Detroit Lions football games. Top 10 Ways to Create and Manage Opportunity Most of us are used to the concepts of risk management or time management. Many of the same principles can be applied to creating and responding to opportunities. Do You Get Attention With Your 30-Second Introduction? I went to a networking event the other day where the meeting leader said, "We're going to skip doing the 30-second introductions today because mine's so bad and it doesn't work that it nauseates me." I thought to myself, WOW! I'd skip the next networking meeting until I'd worked out a new introduction. Marketing On The Cheap: Join The What? Your local Chamber of Commerce.Now before you stop reading, I assure you this really works, and no, this is not an advertisement for the Chamber of Commerce although it may read like one. Rules of Thumb for Marketing to Your Past Customers Keeping in touch can dramatically increase business, when done properly.It's a fact that your customers are your best leads. 7 Tips to Grab New Clients As a business professional, you probably realize the value of writing articles for print publications to telegraph your expertise. Have you considered that writing articles for online publications can build even more buzz for your business?Some professionals dismiss online articles because they lack the prestige of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Are Keywords Destroying the Flow of Your SEO Copy? With all the shuffling that's been seen in the search engine world within the last year, the issue of obvious optimizing has become a hot button. The current line of thinking is that most engines (especially Google) are on the lookout for sites that purposely make an effort to optimize their pages in order to get high rankings. The Secret to Good Writing Skilful business writing involves getting your message across simply and quickly. This often means writing in a style that is easily read and understood by a broad audience. Networking Magic YES-- it is true that Networking is an art that must be mastered. However, for those of you that are new to the networking game and the art of mastering it, please READ ON. Private Practice Marketing: 3 More Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started 1) Create systemsCreate systems for everything you do, especially those things you do on a regular basis.My members and mentees ask me all the time how do I manage to get so much done. Marketing A Misunderstood or Scary Product or Service What do you do if your business, product or service is something hardly anyone is aware of or understands? Or worse yet, if it is something they are afraid of or want to avoid?My answer is three-fold.First, focus on the SOLUTION you are providingWhat is the primary problem your prospects have that you can solve? Do they have pain you can relieve? Do they have an ailment or affliction you can cure? In these cases, you are not selling your "scary" or "misunderstood" product or service, you are selling pain relief or healing. Words that Sell We all know the English language contains hundreds of thousands of words. But did you know that only 21 of them can easily sell your clients? Yes! It's true. Design, Design, Design You need only one card, but make it noticeable. Make sure it says the right thing. Five Steps to Partnering with Companies to Build Your Client Base Wouldn't you love a simple formula for easily growing your small business? Here is something that could be just what you are looking for:1. Create an information product based on your expertise. Copy SoapNet and Make Money Whether you want to admit it or not, soap operas may hold the key to your home business success. This article includes a few home and small business principles I learned while watching SoapNet. 8 Instant Ways to Create Consistently Successful Marketing Campaigns It's almost a given that when I speak to a new client, she tells me how much she's always hated marketing herself. "I'm no good at it" and "No matter what I try, it doesn't work" are common complaints. Multicultural Marketing - Taking Care of Business At Hand Multicultural marketing mirrors the changed face of America and is getting the attention of small-business and other organizations looking for an edge in diverse ethnic markets. "Gone are the days when businesses succeed with a 'one size fits all' approach to marketing.
|
| home | site map | Advertising Articles |
| © 2006 |
