Web Site Marketing - can Testimonials be automatically collected?
Discover The Simple Automatic Way To “Collect”
Testimonials From Your Happy Customers!
Copyright © 2006 Quick Turn Marketing International,
Ltd.
Dear Friend,
Okay, this week we’re moving on to “higher education”
with Website Conversion 101. It’s a practical lesson
and so easy to apply you’ll wish someone had told you
about it sooner.
Now, as you already know, people are skeptical as
hell. They don’t trust anybody… especially on the
Internet. The intangible nature of web businesses
makes them inherently shady to an already skeptical
consumer.
That’s a problem.
Fortunately, you know the solution: the #1 most
powerful way to overcome skepticism is with
testimonials. There’s nothing like a little “he
said/she said” to convince consumers how much people
just like them have benefited from your product,
service or expertise.
Let someone do the bragging for you instead of tooting
you own horn. (Although you do have to toot your own
horn from time to time as well.)
Instant trust!
And instant “killer copy.” Testimonials are worth
their weights to gold. The words and “trust me, this
works” message they convey can beef-up your headlines,
web copy, email messages, order page language, P.S.,
follow-up emails… whatever.
Even though you might not use every testimonial
immediately, you’ll want to gather as many as you can
to use in the future. Think of them as “something for
a rainy day.”
I don’t really care how many testimonials you have
right now; you need more. It’s like the old MTV slogan
says: “Too much is never enough.”
The bottom line is that you can never have too many
testimonials. Here’s why:
Let’s say you’re doing a sales letter and have 50
testimonials in your “pocket.” You don’t have to
include all of them in the letter. Pick the best of
the best… the most enthusiastic and flattering of the
bunch… and use them.
You don’t even have to use them in their entirety!
You can feature snippets from the Top 10 and then have
a link that opens up a new page with the complete
testimonial and the other 40 that didn’t make the
first cut.
This way, you don’t interrupt the flow of your letter
with a huge block of testimonials. Instead, you give
your reader a option to “Click Here” if they want to
see more “proof”.
Okay, that’s my theory on testimonials. Now let’s get
to the action you need to take…
Instead of hoping and praying that your customers
might send you a testimonial whenever they feel like
it, you need to chase them down like a Kodiak bear
goes after Alaskan salmon.
The best way to do that is to build your request right
into your marketing message! That your “system”
automatically collects testimonials for you.
Intrigued?
Or are you worried that you’re going to need a lot of
blood, sweat, and tears to make it happen?
Come on! You know me better than that! I wouldn’t
steer you towards a complex, difficult-to-manage
business process. My two favorite letters in the
alphabet are E-Z.
And testimonial “farming” is actually quite E-Z to
automate.
First of all, you’ve gotta make sure they’ve used your
product. If your customers haven’t used and benefited
from what you offer, how the heck can you get a
testimonial from them?
Let’s say you’re selling the Widget Weigh Station, a
piece of exercise equipment with a built-in scale.
It’s in your best interest to find a way that’s
effective and cost-effective to “facilitate use.”
It could be a manual, could be a video, could be a
DVD. Whatever. The key is to provide the support,
motivation, and impetus to get your customers to
actually USE the darn thing.
To make it more likely that your customers do their
“reps” and see the results of their workout with the
Weigh Station, include some sort of instructions on
how to assemble the machine and how to use it.
Most people don’t want to find their own way. They’re
looking for leadership… someone to point them in the
right direction. And you know what I always say:
Give the people what they want! Lead them!
If you’re selling an information product like the $397
Widget Real Estate Home Study Course, include a quick
jump-start CD or a step-by-step guide on how to study
or “consume” the course.
Start with this CD first, and then read that manual,
and then watch this DVD… you get the idea?
Now, remember, this is the first step on the road to
Testimonial Acres. Because the more people use/consume
your product, the more benefits they enjoy. And the
more benefits they enjoy the more satisfied they are.
And the most satisfied they are, the more likely you
are to get mountains and mountains of rave reviews and
solid-gold testimonials.
Of course…this all assumes that your product/service
is exceptional and deserves the accolades! If you’re
trying to pass off a sow’s ear as silk, none of this
applies.
But, I assume you’re one of the good guys (or gals) in
the world of business and that you’re selling a
product or service of genuine value. So let’s move on
to the next step.
Set up an autoresponder series
Did you just break out into a cold sweat, horrified at
the prospect that you’re going to have to write a
bunch of killer emails? Well take a deep breath and
calm down…
I’ve got a gift for you.
You don’t have to beg, borrow, steal, or (heaven
forbid) create your first message. I’ve got a
prototype you can have with my blessings. I don’t
mind. (But do send me an email and thank me though)
You’ll certainly want to “tweak” the contents and
modify it until it fits your business like a
hand-tailored suit, but this will give you an idea.
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Subject: “Alex, I’d Like To Put Your Name On My
Website!”
Dear Alex,
As you can see from the headline above, I’d like to
put your name on my website. I’ll tell you more about
that in just a moment.
But, first things first. Alex, what is even more
important right now is that I say…
Thank You! I really mean it.
You took a chance. I admire that greatly… and… I
want you to know that I did everything within my power
to make your investment… the best investment you’ll
ever make in your online business.
You wouldn’t believe how much I love working with EACH
one of my clients.
A hell of a lot thinking goes on “behind the
scenes”… and I slave over every project I work on,
to give you the biggest bang for your buck.
Now, I’m really hoping you can help me, Alex.
What I’m really hoping is that you’ll be kind enough
to take just a couple of minutes to let me know what
kind of benefits you’ve received from (Insert Your
Product Name)
All you have to do is answer a few simple questions
and reply to this email. Don’t worry, it’s real easy
and won’t take more than a couple of minutes of your
time.
And Alex, if you do participate in this small
questionnaire you stand a very good chance of seeing
your “name in print” on my website.
Here’s the questionnaire:
Full Name (inc. Company Name):
Address: City, State, Zip:
Occupation: What is your overall experience of the
(Insert Your Product Name)you received?
Describe the one or two benefits that you have gotten
from (Insert Your Product Name), that you value most.
Explain any specific results (i.e. higher rate of
conversion / increase in profits) that you’re
experiencing because of the (Insert Your Product Name):
Any other information / feedback you’d like to give:
Do I have your permission to use the information in
this questionnaire as a testimonial on my website?
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A special gift
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If you call 1-800-609-9006 x2691 toll-free, and leave
me an AUDIO testimonial AND email me your photo
(International callers may use 678-255-2174 x2691.)
I’ll mail you a very very special “mystery” gift
that’s worth its weight in gold.
I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.
And, as I said earlier, if you can do me the small
favor of answering the questions above and replying to
this email, there’s a very good chance you’ll soon see
your name on my website.
Sincerely,
Dan Lok
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Were you surprised to see that I asked for a photo and
an audio testimonials? Don’t be.
Through extensive testing, I’ve found out that a
testimonial with a photo and an audio produces pulls
much better compared to just a plain old written
testimonial.
But don’t believe what I say, why not test it and see
for yourself?
I use Audio Generator
(www.danlokrecommends.com/audiogenerator.html) for
this important function. When I signed up with the
service, I was given a personal toll-free testimonial
number where my clients can just call in and record
their testimonials.
It doesn’t cost them a penny and it’s convenient.
People can be lazy or procrastinate about things that
are important to THEM, let alone something like a
testimonial that’s important to YOU.
That’s why you want to make it E-Z (there are those
letters again!) for your customers to share their
thoughts.
Think about the alternative: you have software that
sits on your desktop that can convert MP3 into a flash
audio button.
Seems good for you, but what about your customers?
THEY have to record the testimonial on their own, send
it to you, and then you convert it to a flash audio
button. What a pain in the butt.
And, ultimately, not so good for you, after all.
Here’s something else that’s not so good: vagueness.
Vague testimonials are not believable because they
don’t communicate anything tangible. “Oh, I love
Widgets” and “I think Widgets are very good.” are
compliments, but they don’t describe how a consumer
benefited from using widgets.
A good testimonial is descriptive.
It communicates exactly how the customer benefited.
“Thanks to Widget, I lost my love handles and gained
the love of my life.” or “Now that I use Widget
Fertilizer, my tomatoes are twice as big and twice as
tasty.”
A great testimonial builds up trust, but that trust
can be lost in the blink of an eye.
Imagine this scenario: you see a great testimonial
saying how great a product is. You’re all fired up
that “someone like me” has weighed in, but when you
read further, the testimonial is signed “John” or
“J.S.”
Talk about “buzz” kill.
People don’t trust initials. They’re one step above an
attribution of “Anonymous” and do nothing to inspire
confidence.
The attribution information is your customer’s way of
saying, “I stand behind my words.” To avoid Initial
Shock, get permission to use the customer’s full name,
business name, occupation, URL, or business address,
if appropriate.
The more details you have, the more believable your
testimonial will be.
Oh, one more quick tip:
Whenever, someone sends you a nice email with praise,
thanks, or any kind of compliment, you should
immediately respond with a thank–you. And while you’re
at it…
Ask permission to use the content of the note as a
testimonial. (Get them while they’re HOT!)
Okay, that’s it.
You’re now ready to go bag some testimonials… and
with your “automatic weapons” you should be able to
get quite a few.
Today, more testimonials… tomorrow, more inquiries,
more prospects, more customers, and more sales.
That’s a Lok!
Dan Lok
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A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself
from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a
multi-millionaire. Today, Dan is one of the most
sought-after business mentors on the Web, as well as
a best-selling author. His reputation includes his title
as the World’s #1 Website Conversion Expert.
To find out what Dan is up to now, visit him at:
WebsiteConversionExpert