Online Marketing Activity - Testimonials

February 14th, 2008

Testimonials hurt you when people don’t think they’re real. Anything that sounds vague or cliche can smack of insincerity.

Three traits of strong testimonials :

1. They’re Specific
Vague testimonials don’t really tell the customer anything.

A vague testimonial reads like: “I was very satisfied with your hotel’s service.” “Your course was great. Thanks!” “I got great results.” “Quality tech support.” “I really enjoy your product.”

Specific testimonials say things like: “I was impressed by the 24-hour concierge service, especially when they found an all-night printer at 3 am. ” “I increased the number of sales leads from 2 per month to 10 per week.” “The section in your course about negotiating with stubborn sellers was invaluable.” “Tech support spoke to me in plain English and isolated the problem in 90 seconds.”Specific testimonials work for two reasons: First, they sound more credible. Second, they promote a specific benefit or address a question that may help persuade potential buyers.

evisa Testimonial

2. They Overcome Objections
That’s right. Use testimonials that talk about objections. Some companies are afraid of these kinds of testimonials, yet they can be the most powerful tool you have. Testimonials from skeptics stand out because they sound credible. And by addressing and voicing what many perspective customers may be feeling, these testimonials are powerful persuaders.

Testimonial that address objections sound like: “I’ve been in property investing for 7 years. I didn’t think there was anything in this course I didn’t already know. But, ultimately, I was surprised to learn valuable techniques I’d never considered before.” “Taking an online course felt really impersonal to me. I was afraid I’d miss the in-person interaction. What I found, though, was that the format was incredibly interactive. I’ve even made some friends in my study group. We phone and IM, which helps since we’re facing similar challenges. It’s great!”
3. They’re Well-Placed
Make sure the testimonial subject matter is relevant to the information around it. If you have a landing page, or a homepage where many of your visitors are early in the buying process. So, be sure to have testimonials for people who may not be ready to bite. What questions are those perspective customers asking? How are you different from the competition? How can you fill my needs?

An early-buying-process testimonial sounds like this: “I’ve tried other gyms, but your facility was the first where I didn’t feel intimidated because I am (or, rather, I ‘was’!) overweight. I was surrounded by other women like me; not just thin women in hundred-dollar aerobics outfits.”

Product pages, or other pages where your customers come later in the buying process, so provide testimonials relevant to their ready-to-buy questions. what happens if I don’t like it? Is it worth the money? What plan is right for me?

A late-stage, I’m-ready-to-buy testimonial sounds like this: “When I tried on the shoes, they were too narrow. So I simply filled out the return form, used the pre-printed shipping label, and sent them back. The new shoes arrived 3 days later. What a quick turnaround, and it didn’t cost me a cent!”

To recap:

Be specific. Use testimonials that talk about specific benefits or personal situations. Avoid vague testimonials.

Overcome objections. Use testimonials that bring up objections, where customers admit being skeptical. These are the most powerful testimonials out there.

Context is everything. Make sure your testimonials address the questions your customers are asking at various stages of the buying process. (If your customer data’s unclear, just ask your sales/business development people. They can recite common questions in unison.)

Just remember, the only thing better than saying the right thing at the right time is when your customers do it for you–and better.

This great article shared by Eisen Lee. Written by Holly Buchanan.

Posted by marcus Filed in Articles, Marketing
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