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How You Can Tap into the Dramatic Selling Power of Testimonials
Among the variety of techniques available to you as a marketer, there is one that is virtually guaranteed to increase your business...testimonials ! To clearly understand why testimonials are so powerful we must first look at the basic perceptions of our audience. Here's how "John Q. Customer" might describe his attitude: "In addition to making me an enticing offer, you must prove to me that you are okay to do business with. You must eliminate any fear that I have about doing business with you. The basis of my fear is doubt and skepticism...two essential components for survival in today's tough business marketplace. I come by my fears honestly and from experience. I have been conned before. I have been lied to before. The quality of products and services that I have purchased in the past have not always lived up to the claims made for them. Hardly a day passes that the nation's press doesn't reveal some major breech of ethics by business and political leaders. Dishonesty and misrepresentation are commonplace. So why, in the face of all this negative experience, should I believe your advertising claims? " These are sobering conditions in which to operate. It's easy to understand why customers temper their buying decision with caution. They don't want to lose money and, more importantly, they don't want to feel foolish. Eliminating this natural fear and skepticism is the job that testimonials do best. The reason is simple: If you say you are good, people ignore your self-serving back-patting. When others say you are good...it's credible. This goes to the very heart of why testimonials are so powerful...they give us credibility and believability. When you deliver a good compelling offer that is both credible and believable, your sales and profits will increase. TYPES OF TESTIMONIALS There are four different types of testimonials. They are: CUSTOMERS: By far the strongest category of testimonial is the satisfied customer. In consumer offers a 30% increase in business is not unusual, and business-to-business offers often double or triple results through the use of good customer testimonials. CELEBRITIES: Celebrities are not as believable as customers. They are not credible because they are paid. I may not like the celebrity which could negatively affect my attitude towards your company or product. They generally increase awareness, but it may not be good awareness. EXPERTS: If you are selling artificial hearts, then a testimonial from Dr. Denton Cooley would probably boost business. Even though he might be paid, he is so credible that it would probably work. Your expert must be an expert in a relevant field. EXPERT ORGANIZATIONS: A trade association, a magazine in your field, a chamber of commerce, a newsletter, etc. Expert organizations carry a lot of weight because people believe that their opinion cannot be bought. WHAT MAKES A GOOD CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL? To maximize the selling power of testimonials, you should keep a few tips in mind: Tip#1... Be Specific: Testimonials phrased in specific terms pull more weight than more general statements. For example... "I increased my companies profits by $78,350 last year using your advice!" is a lot more effective than.. "I enjoy working with your company." Tip#2... Cite Complete Attributions: "Mr. John Jones, President rather than " J. Jones, Chicago" The more complete the attribution the more believable the testimonial. Tip#3... Use Customer Terminology and Phrasing: Resist any temptation to rephrase you customers' words. You'll generally lower the believability factor. Tip#4... Use Photos of the Testimonial Writer: You will triple the believability and selling power if you print a photo along with the words. Photographs of the person using your product work best. HOW TO COLLECT USABLE TESTIMONIALS... Collecting usable testimonials should be an organized and on-going marketing function. * First...Read the in-coming mail carefully and keep a file of customer comments. Follow-up on those with potential and put them in usable form. * Second...Analyze your customer list and develop a sub-list of your top 10% of customers by sales volume and frequency of ordering. Carefully craft a letter to this select list "Asking for their help". Suggest to them what you are looking for in the way of comments and then let them provide you with the raw material. The important lesson here: You can't sit casually back and hope for testimonials to come your way. You have to go out and get them. The reward, however, is always worth the effort. The time you spend nurturing your testimonial program will result in increased sales and profits, an improved image, more sales leads, lower sales costs, shortened selling cycles, and improved cash flow. © Copyright 1988/2005 Thom Reece Thom Reece is CEO of Online Marketing Resource Center [http://www.E-ComProfits.com] and publisher of "Thom Reece's Web Marketing Strategies & Techniques Newsletter". Free subscripton at: http://www.WMSTDirect.com, mailto:thom@e-comprofits.com
Don't you just hate it? You're at the dinner table, watching TV or just relaxing, when the telephone rings. OMAHA, Neb. - info GROUP , the leading provider of proprietary business and consumer databases, sales leads, direct marketing, email marketing and global information solutions, today announced that it received ... At this year's Document Strategy Forum in Chicago, Sept. 10 - 12, Xerox's Shelley Sweeney and Karl Kaneen will lead sessions about how adding personalization to documents and using an efficient, automated ... The Office of the State Auditor on Aug. 28 released an audit report on the Texas Department of Transportation's Financial Forecasting and Fund Allocation. A Massachusetts state court has arraigned five men on charges they used fraudulent telemarketing practices to deceive over 1,000 donors to police and veterans' charitable organizations and then allegedly using ... Submitted by the Public Service Commission ATLANTA - The Georgia Public Service Commission said the number of Georgians registered on the Do Not Call List has passed the five million mark. SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 3 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Jingwei International Limited , one of the leading integrated marketing companies in China, today announced that management will be participating in the ... Jingwei International Limited , one of the leading integrated marketing companies in China, today announced that George Du, President and Chairman has informed Jingwei of his intention to purchase up to 100,000 ... Five men who allegedly used more than $100,000 they claimed they were raising for police and veterans charities for personal expenses are scheduled for arraignment this morning. Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon pledged Tuesday to go after fellow politicians who make prerecorded phone calls to people's homes without properly disclosing who's behind them. Those pesky automated telemarketing calls could soon be disappearing. A Flash player error has occured, please make sure you have the latest Adobe Flash Player. Put aside the balloons and the baby kissing: The surest sign that it's an election year is an increase in lobbyist spending. With the Democratic National Convention just ended and the Republican National Convention just getting under way, it's no wonder New Jersey lawmakers are thinking about ways to improve the election process. Tired of those telemarketers interrupting your lunch, your snooze, or your favourite TV program? If so, you're definitely not alone, which is but one reason why as of Sept. As a deadline for a new cell phone no-call list approaches, more than 200,000 Wisconsin residents have signed up. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan last week sued two Chicago-area auto dealers alleging deceptive direct mail practices, her office announced. " The Georgia Public Service Commission announces that the number of Georgians registered on the Do Not Call List has passed the five million mark. I was interested in a recent article in a leading marketing trade magazine, Advertising Age, about the relatively flat "advertising" spending in the past year - up about 1.7%, led by super-marketer Proctor and ... Commerce Bank has signed an agreement with Dallas-based Alliance Data's Epsilon business unit to provide the bank direct marketing services. |
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Internet Marketing and Public Speaking: The Murder Board Practice I recently posted an article titled "Internet Marketing and Public Speaking: Ten Tips for When the Twain Shall Meet." One of the tips concerned a means to practice your sales presentation with a "Murder Board. Classified Ads - What Works & What Doesn't Do classified ads really work? Should you include an email address or fax number in them? How about a call to action?Questions like these are often brought to the attention of OhioHelp.net, an Ohio-based company specializing in helping businesses worldwide with their marketing, public relations and freelance writing services. 5 Secrets to Building a Successful Internet Business Everyday I talk with people who want to get started on the internet with their own business. But the whole process seems a mystery to them whether they have an affiliate marketing program, a real estate course or they sell health and fitness products. You are Being Lied About Reciprocal Links! Exchanging links has been an important part of generating traffic since the concept of Internet marketing was first established, but at least 90% of people looking to trade links don't understand the real benefits and, therefore, fail to make the most of them.The vast majority of web site owners think that exchanging links is only helpful because it can boost their rankings in search engines such as Google. Manipulate Your Visitors With Reverse Psychology Many people say that it is easy to write a sales copy and that there is really nothing to it. Well, all I can say is they are wrong! For many, writing your sales copy is difficult. What Does It Take To Become An Internet Marketer? I have heard many people say all it takes to make it in Internet Marketing is desire.Well desire definitely plays a role in it. Take the Guesswork Out of Niche Marketing Many of us learn from the Gurus that we should identify a niche and dominate it, so we can make money online. They give us brief glimpses about what is to be done, like identifying a niche market by browsing magazines and hanging around in forums and discussion groups to see if we can be hit by an idea brainwave. If you Sell a Product, Use Online Marketing, Part 1 When you offer your products via an email campaign to get people to visit your Web site, you reap many rewards-you create more profit, spend a lot less time promoting and marketing, and get to be known as the leader in your field. 1. Internet Marketing On A Budget Establishing a web presence on the internet is based on two factors when you are on a budget, your willingness to devote time to your marketing efforts, and knowing the true facts of what really works in the world of internet marketing. There are many site promotion companies that promise to generate traffic for your site, but if you are a business on the Internet, you want more than just hits; you want potential customers to visit your site. Internet Marketing - Short Term Strategy After spending a lot of time and effort on building a site, many wonder where they should start with Internet marketing. Site owners can be bombarded with pitches about marketing and it is hard to sort out what should be done. If It Sounds Too Good To Be True You've heard that cliché over and over I'm sure, but it has never been more true than it is on the Internet.With this in mind, I randomly pulled the following ads out of ezines and newsletters. Successful Marketing Using Websites and Why So Many Businesses Get It Wrong Many great website concepts are developed, launched.. All Along the Digital Watchtower It's no secret interactive (web-based) marketing has arrived. The IDC research group just released a study in late June of this year indicating 99. Attitude - The Marketers Most Important Trait Attitude is a key part of each of us. A central part of our make-up, who we are as individuals. Making Money in the Online Dating Gold Rush of 2004 Have you noticed the explosion of Websites related to love, sex, matchmaking, relationships, etc.? They're popping up all over the place. 7 Ways to Become an Obvious Expert in Your Field Obvious Experts enjoy a compelling advantage over their competition; they're the first ones thought of when there's a challenge to be addressed. Obvious Experts are resources whose advice and expertise are welcomed, trusted, and enthusiastically recommended. Click here to return to the Internet
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