Endorsements and Testimonials

Sure, you could go on and on rattling about what a good offer your prospect is looking at and why he should buy from you, but he would also be interested in the kind of results other customers who have tried out got from the product or service before he dives into the offer.

So, you need testimonials.

Testimonials from your customers are one of the strongest marketing tools available.

What is a testimonial? It is a statement, usually written by your customer, saying nice things about some aspect of you, your product or service, and your business.

What to Have In Your Testimonials

• Testimonials about YOUR product, not you. Do not be fooled by the simplicity of this statement. Testimonials that say you are a great person whatsoever are NOT the type of testimonials your prospects are looking for, though such testimonials can build trust and your name. But your prospects are more interested in how your product can benefit them or solve their problems. They did not read your sales letter to see you praising yourself.

• Testimonials that mention results. The more specific they are, the better. Interested prospects want to know what the results other customers have benefited from the usage of your product or service.

• Quality / quantity. If you can get top names in your niche or field to endorse your product, it will help your increase your sales. If you do not know any experts or top names who can help endorse your product, you can make up in the quantity of testimonials. The more testimonials you have, the more convincing your sales letter will be.

• Customer essential details. Include your customer's Full Name and City/State/Country after his or her testimonial. You can include your customer's web site URL or contact e-mail address where applicable (with permission). And if you can, get your customer's photo and paste it into your sales letter. Using photos can increase your credibility and shows how pleased your customers are when using your product.

How to Collect Testimonials

There are many ways to get testimonials from your customers. You can:

• Hold contests for the best-written testimonials. Give them a reward, gift or some publicity in exchange for their testimonials.

• Ask for letters of endorsements from your customers, vendors, suppliers, and any associates you have. Use them to promote your products and services. When you use testimonials to add credibility to what you do, you are letting your customers do some of the marketing for your business.

• If you are just starting out fresh, give a sample version of your product or trial service to those whom you know. They can be your business associates, friends, or people whom you know need your solution. This is the fastest way you can get testimonials. You start with proving your worth.

• Get top names, influential people and experts to endorse your product. So, look for top names and experts in your field and get their e-mail address. E-mail them and politely ask for their endorsement. Since they are only an e-mail away, why not?

• You can participate in active forums and newsgroups where people of similar interest and mindset gather around and discuss on the same topic. This is a good place where you can meet people and get their testimonials simply by asking for their permission and give them a sample of your product. If your product is of genuine quality, you can count on them to send their honest testimonials in and spread the word for you.

When you use these testimonials, you want to weave them into your marketing story. Use them to support your claims and promises. For every benefit or objective you need to overcome in your products or services, it is the best scenario to have testimonials establishing or referencing each of those benefits or objections.

The benefit of using testimonials on your web site can help link popularity in search engine results as well. Whether you use this marketing tool for either inbound or outbound reasons, you will have an advantage over your competition. Check them out next time you visit their office or web site and see for what people are saying about their business practices. You will be amazed!

Examples of How Testimonials and Endorsements Are Used

Example 1    :         My Wizard Ads

The testimonials by happy advertisers arranged neatly on your right. If you want to know more about the results of using this service, you can check with the testimonial writers who have left their web site URL under their names.

Example 2    :         Trafficology

The top names are endorsing this service. Is there anymore doubt to using it if you need web site traffic?