The Secret To Adding Credibility To Your Business – Testimonials!

You may not realize it, but you already have a gold mine ofnendorsements waiting to be created. Everyone who is seriousnabout building a business and creating credibility uses thisnidea. What is it? Testimonials from your satisfied clients.

Whether you are just starting out or have been in business fornyears, testimonials are a proven way to communicate the valuenyour business delivers. Think about it, don’t you want to knownwhat other people think about a product/service before you buy?
I do!

The reason testimonials are so powerful is because they comenfrom someone, other than you, who has used you
products/services and knows how fabulous they are. This isngreat news if you don’t feel comfortable ‘blowing your ownnhorn’ because the words come from your clients. You arensimply sharing what others have said about you. Even better,ntestimonials 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 anne-mail or ask verbally. Just ask, “Would you be willing tonhelp me?” In my experience satisfied clients are more thannwilling to write testimonials.

If you want to give clients an incentive to give yountestimonials you can offer them something of value in returnnfor their time and effort. In exchange for the testimonialnyou can offer a discount, create a drawing for a prize, ornprovide them with additional information.

You can also incorporate asking for testimonials into you
business process. One way to do this is to ask for them in annevaluation or survey. Another way is to let clients know upnfront that once they become a client that you plan to ask whatnthey thought about your products/services.

In addition to asking for testimonials you can ‘listen’ andn‘watch’ for them by paying attention to what clients tell younverbally and write to you in e-mails or letters. If you hear ornsee a compliment ask the person if you can quote them on whatnthey said and include it in your marketing materials. Thinknabout 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’snname and/or company with their testimonial. You can give thenoptions of using initials or first names only if people do notnwant 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 earsnand eyes. Audio testimonials are becoming more popular (oftennaccompanied by a photograph) as are video testimonials, whichnallow you to see and hear someone speaking about you
products/services.

WHAT TO ASK FOR IN A TESTIMONIAL
If you’re like me, you want some guidance when asked to provideninformation. 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 you
products/services and then ask them to describe the situationnnow, the benefits that they experienced and how they feel as anresult of this.

WHERE TO USE TESTIMONIALS
Once you have your raving testimonials, and permission to usenthem, 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 whatnthey can mean for your business? Choose the approach that feelsnright for you and get into action today!nn(c) Stephanie Ward 2005