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Write You - The Secret to Adding Credibility to Your Business - Testimonials!
Management guru Tom Peters says white collar workers and managers in functional departments need to protect their futures.They have to learn "the difference between doing totally acceptable work and creating very new value...." he notes, in an Industry Week article. In other words, people in departments like Human Resources and Finance need to become entrepreneurial.With that in mind, let's look at three ways you can use communication to add new value, whether you work in a functional department or n
FORMAT FOR TESTIMONIALS
Written testimonials are the most common and easiest to create. There are other options that engage additional senses, the ears and eyes. Audio testimonials are becoming more popular (often accompanied by a ph
Businesses nowadays are now aware of the power of the internet. Who would think decades ago that Yahoo, Google, Ebay or Amazon will became large corporations today? Twenty years ago no one would imagine that this would happen. Now even here in the Philippines there are some online entrepreneur from rags to riches made his way to success. So what is the most important thing to start a business? Is setting up a brick and mortar (this is a physical business like a grocery store for example ) comparable to an online b
Whether you are just starting out or have been in business for years, testimonials are a proven way to communicate the value your business delivers. Think about it, don’t you want to know what other people think about a product/service before you buy? I do!
The reason testimonials are so powerful is because they come from someone, other than you, who has used your products/services and knows how fabulous they are. This is great news if you don’t feel comfortable ‘blowing your own horn’ because the words come from your clients. You are simply 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 an e-mail or ask verbally. Just ask, “Would you be willing to help me?” In my experience satisfied clients are more than willing to write testimonials.
If you want to give clients an incentive to give you testimonials you can offer them something of value in return for their time and effort. In exchange for the testimonial you can offer a discount, create a drawing for a prize, or provide them with additional information.
You can also incorporate asking for testimonials into your business process. One way to do this is to ask for them in an evaluation or survey. Another way is to let clients know up front that once they become a client that you plan to ask what they 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 you verbally and write to you in e-mails or letters. If you hear or see a compliment ask the person if you can quote them on what they said and include it in your marketing materials. Think about 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’s name and/or company with their testimonial. You can give the options of using initials or first names only if people do not want 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 ears and eyes. Audio testimonials are becoming more popular (often accompanied by a pho
When Patrick Lencioni wrote ‘The Five Temptations of a CEO’ he gave a pretty clear picture of the level of mastery required for high performance leadership. These are tricky times make no mistake. CEO’s have a 90 day or less window to show results which makes sense given the speed of time but not when placed in corporate culture and working environments distracted by superficial symptoms of a deeper dynamic.Global change activates a subtle, typically undetected dynamic, putting pressure on the cultural cont
HOW TO GET TESTIMONIALS
All you have to do is ask. You can write your request in an e-mail or ask verbally. Just ask, “Would you be willing to help me?” In my experience satisfied clients are more than willing to write testimonials.
If you want to give clients an incentive to give you testimonials you can offer them something of value in return for their time and effort. In exchange for the testimonial you can offer a discount, create a drawing for a prize, or provide them with additional information.
You can also incorporate asking for testimonials into your business process. One way to do this is to ask for them in an evaluation or survey. Another way is to let clients know up front that once they become a client that you plan to ask what they 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 you verbally and write to you in e-mails or letters. If you hear or see a compliment ask the person if you can quote them on what they said and include it in your marketing materials. Think about 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’s name and/or company with their testimonial. You can give the options of using initials or first names only if people do not want 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 ears and eyes. Audio testimonials are becoming more popular (often accompanied by a ph
For the most part, people buy from people and not from companies.That's something many salespeople (and many people who don't consider themselves salespeople but nevertheless run a business) already know.After all, isn't it true that you build a relationship with some clients...and it's these clients who go on to become your best customers?So that's why I always say it's important to inject some personality into your newsletter.Now...I don't mean you should splash your picture and your
You can also incorporate asking for testimonials into your business process. One way to do this is to ask for them in an evaluation or survey. Another way is to let clients know up front that once they become a client that you plan to ask what they 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 you verbally and write to you in e-mails or letters. If you hear or see a compliment ask the person if you can quote them on what they said and include it in your marketing materials. Think about 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’s name and/or company with their testimonial. You can give the options of using initials or first names only if people do not want 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 ears and eyes. Audio testimonials are becoming more popular (often accompanied by a ph
When you come up with great ideas for business gifts by looking at all of the wonderful possibilities available on the market today, you will be very pleased. Merchandise like nice office supplies that serve a practical purpose as well as looking great, or office items that are strictly for use as elegant office d?cor, there are many types of business gifts. Search for great business gifts that no one else will think of. You can come up with the very best business gifts of all when you reach out to find the pe
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’s name and/or company with their testimonial. You can give the options of using initials or first names only if people do not want 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 ears and eyes. Audio testimonials are becoming more popular (often accompanied by a ph
I walked into the office of my Chiropractor/Acupuncturist and signed in. There on the desk were three pens. One looked like a syringe, another was a crooked pen and the third looked like a bone."What are these," I asked, knowing full well they were pens."They're pens," the doctor replied. "I'm trying to decide which one to promote my practice with. What do you think?"It took me a minute to respond. I was dismayed that someone was trying to sell him such clich?' ideas. Who ever this someone was
FORMAT FOR TESTIMONIALS
Written testimonials are the most common and easiest to create. There are other options that engage additional senses, the ears and eyes. Audio testimonials are becoming more popular (often accompanied by a photograph) as are video testimonials, which allow you to see and hear someone speaking about your products/services.
WHAT TO ASK FOR IN A TESTIMONIAL
If you’re like me, you want some guidance when asked to provide information. 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 your products/services and then ask them to describe the situation now, the benefits that they experienced and how they feel as a result of this.
WHERE TO USE TESTIMONIALS
Once you have your raving testimonials, and permission to use them, 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 what they can mean for your business? Choose the approach that feels right for you and get into action today!
(c) Stephanie Ward 2005
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