Focused use of customer testimonials is one of the keys to impressing potential customers.
1. Don’t use testimonials too early. There’s a temptation to put a customer’s glowing words in front of a new prospect out of the gate. Problem is they may not be sure the product or service is right for them. Result: Testimonial carries little weight.
2. Use them to answer a question. A testimonial works best when it answers a prospect’s question about service, quality, etc. Instead of answering the questions yourself, suggest that one of your customers may provide a more compete and useful answer.
3. Find the right match. Not every testimonial works for every prospect. To make sure they ring true and pack more punch, target certain prospects for certain testimonials, such as:
- someone in the same industry
- someone with similar concerns (such as shipping, quality), or
- someone reluctant to buy at first.
4. Show action and make a call to action: “I used to use a competitive product. I switched to ABC and so should you.”
5. Overcome an objection. “I thought their price was too high, bought it anyway, and came to realize they had the best value.”
6. Reenforce a claim. “I increased my productivity and earned more profit.”
7. Show a happy ending. “Ease of use. Speed of service. My people like this product.”
(Adapted from the Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer.)
