There are many ways to market a product or a service and providing potential clients and customers with testimonials is one of the best ways to market.
Its power can never be underestimated. People, especially nowadays, will only purchase products or avail services which have been referred to them by people whom they know. But most of the times, this is not an option that is in the hands of the business owner, he has to do the next best thing, which is to get testimonials from his past clients.
They are living statements from past customers or clients which states that they were satisfied by the product/ service. Every business must have them to be able to stand out in the ever-crowded markets.
There are many benefits to having them here are some of them:
They appease the target market
They usually lessen the doubts of the target market. There are a lot of scammers and con artists nowadays, and this has turned the market into a fearsome one. Credible testimonials provide security to the people who are eyeing a certain product or service. The provision of them gives people a much more relaxed attitude towards a product or service
They assure quality
Aside from confirming the existence of a business and lessening doubts, they provide assurance to potential customers and clients of the quality of the product or service. The fact that they took time out to be able to write testimonials about the product reflect their levels of satisfaction towards the product/service.
They give advantage
Credible testimonials provide a competitive advantage for the product/service. There are many products and services out there and one of the ways to stand out from the rest is the use of credible testimonials.
There are many types of testimonials. Testimonials are usually categorized according to the source. Here are a few examples:
a) Testimonials from satisfied customers
This is probably the most effective type of testimonial. Nothing beats one from a satisfied customer because it is a picture of what the product/service is about.
b) Testimonials from experts
Experts can be credible sources of testimonials. If a renowned dermatologist writes a testimonial for a beauty soap, it will surely help in boosting its sales, wouldn’t it?
c) Testimonials from celebrities
In a world that is run by mass media, celebrities have become powerful sources of testimonials. Today, even infomercials are infested by testimonials from celebrities.
People may think getting them from celebrities will cost a lot, but if it’s a real testimonial, celebrities may even waive their talent fees.
There is much more to making a testimonial an effective tool for marketing than gathering them. Good testimonials are the ones that can be compressed into a few catchy words. “I lost 20 pounds in two weeks’ time!” is an example of an eye-catching testimonial. However, one must never rephrase or edit what the client had said. How to get the right kinds of testimonials will be discussed later.
Credible testimonials should also contain the complete attributes of the people who gave them. Their titles, location, and age should be included whenever possible.
Visual appeal will also be a great help in using testimonials. If the clients are willing, one must insist on taking photographs or videos for their testimonials.
So how does a business owner get started with the whole testimonial thing?
Here are some steps on how to archive testimonials.
1. Before anything else, only products/ services with outstanding quality deserve it, so one must make sure that his product/service possesses exceptional quality.
2. Ask for the help of your customers. One must be able to communicate to his customers his need of getting their testimonials. If they are really satisfied with the product/service, they would be more than willing to participate.
3. Interview your customers. Ask them about what they like about your product/service, why they chose your product, and other questions like these.
4. Ask them if they are willing to make a written one. You can offer to make it yourself based on their responses during the interview but it is still up for their approval. You might want to make the wordings catchy and let them approve it.
5. Ask them if you could record it using a tape recorder or video cam. A video testimonial is better, but of course, many people are camera-shy and this can be a limited option for most.
6. Choose the best testimonials. Use the best ones so as to maximize the benefits that your product can get from them.
They are very powerful and this is the reason why every business should have them. They provide assurance and security and reflect the real essence of a product or a service.