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"Get 'em While They're
Hot!"
by Dave Balch, "The
Stay-at-Home CEO"™
Apr. 6, 2002
What do you do when a customer
compliments you on your product or service? (If you don't get
any compliments, you need to read all of my other articles NOW!)
The correct answer is "I get it in writing!"
It's wonderful when your customers
appreciate you; it's even more wonderful when you can share that
appreciation with others. After all, what gives you more credibility
than a happy customer? And who better to spread the word than
that customer?
The word of the day, then,
is "Testimonial". Here are some tips and tricks to
getting good testimonials and using them to your advantage.
1. If you get a compliment
on your product or service, ask if you can get it in writing,
preferably on their letterhead.
2. If you have what you feel
is a good customer and you don't yet have a testimonial from
them, ASK FOR ONE!
3. Regardless of how the subject
comes up, ask them some questions that will clarify the benefit
they enjoyed from your product or service.
4. Offer to put it in writing
for them to save them time (and to word it the way you feel is
best). Naturally, you will ask them for approval of what you
wrote and then, if appropriate, they can put it on their letterhead.
5. A good testimonial gives
specific results; the more specific the better. For example,
"Our productivity increased 35%" is much more powerful
than "You saved us a lot of time".
6. Try to get the letter addressed
directly to you rather than "To Whom it May Concern"
i.e., "Dear Dave" or "Dear Sally" is better
than "Dear Person" or "Gentlemen". That personal
touch makes the letter appear more sincere.
7. Use the testimonials everywhere
you can. Every piece of literature, every brochure, every flyer
should have at least one. And don't forget to use them generously
on your website! (Don't include your customer's email address
though, because that would make it available to spammers who
comb the web looking for addresses to steal.)
8. Organize the originals in
a binder where customers can see them, or so you can bring them
with you on calls.
9. Make a separate piece of
literature that contains nothing but your best testimonials call
it "Our brag sheet" or "People are talking about
us and we LOVE it!"
10. If possible, eliminate
dates on your testimonials; if it's too old it loses some of
it's punch, even though everything they said is still just as
valid as when it was first written.
11. Can you take photos of
your happy customers with your product? Some products lend themselves
better to photographs than others; that's something only you
can decide, but if it's a particularly large or well-known customer
a photo could add more impact. (Remember, though, that if you
use a photo of someone you will probably need some sort of release
from them allowing you to use it for promotional purposes. And,
if you didn't take the photo yourself, there could be some copyright
issues to consider, so get some legal advice before you use photos
in your marketing materials. It sounds like a lot of trouble,
but a good photo is pretty powerful in establishing credibility
for you and/or your product or service.)
Start collecting testimonials
today, even if you're not quite sure how you're going to use
them. Then, when you're ready, you'll have a boatload to choose
from.
GO FOR IT!
"Make More Money and
Have More Fun" with your small business! Dave will show
you how with his FREE
newsletter, "Big Bucks in a Bathrobe" sent by e-mail.
Visit http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com
to sign-up, for
information on speaking services, or for copies of past articles
and newsletters. Comments and/or questions are always welcome
at 1-800-366-2347 or Dave@DaveBalch.com.
(c) 2002, A Few Good People, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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