Let’s start by answering the important question: What do we really actually mean by testimonials?
We define a testimonial as getting the business communication result you want to promote your business from people who know like and trust you and your products and services. In other words, getting social proof so that people will believe and trust in you and your business, so you get that feeling of success and growing your business through customer proof and referrals.
The fact of the matter is that a testimonial can be an incredibly effective psychological method for tipping a new prospective customer’s buying decision over in your favour towards purchasing your product and service because if they see and hear that others in the same situation are getting the outcomes they desire and recommending you, then they too will feel that they can achieve the same success.
Why it’s important to use testimonials
Here’s the big problem… As purchasers we have now become so accustomed to hearing everyone in business claim that their product, their service and their methods are the number one best, cheapest, fastest or easiest to use …that we now take such bold statements with a pinch of salt and therefore, we don’t actually believe them anymore!
In old sales terminology, it sounds like someone trying to sell us snake oil and it’s just a bait and switch.
And yet you’re busting a gut, working all hours of the day and not getting the rewards you think you should because people aren’t rushing to your door to buy your product and service. Yes, it’s hard to take, but why should they?
Why should they believe you? Why should they trust you and spend their own hard-earned money and savings on you? And even if they do search for you and find you, where’s the proof about all the wonderful things you’re claiming that your product can do for them?
The fact of the matter is, they’re actually saying to themselves: “Ok, this sounds good, but will it work for me and has it worked for others and if so, who?”
They’re actually having this conversation with themselves and their friends and family and their colleagues and associates.
But after all your efforts to communicate your fabulous offer to them, it turns out they don’t believe you!
They’re really telling themselves and you that they’ve heard all this stuff before …they tried this and that, they’ve been let down umpteen times before, and it’s never worked for them.
So, what do you do?
You need 3rd party proof!
In other words, you have to prove to them that what you’re actually talking about and showing them will actually work for them.
And that’s when a powerful results-based testimonial from someone who has genuinely used your product and service successfully and who is willing to stand up and tell everyone that they used it and they got these great results and here’s the proof…”
Results-based testimonials
You see, it’s these types of results-based testimonials which you really have to have. And when they’re created correctly, these outcome-focused testimonials can instantly increase your credibility and provide the kind of ‘social proof’ that will:
- Attract new customer prospects and help people to do business with you because when they see your testimonials this will immediately increase their confidence in doing business with you and at the same time, decrease the risk when they can see other people who are just like them saying what you’re selling is actually good for them!
- Develop lasting loyalty because having great quality testimonials instantly puts you head and shoulders above everybody else in your market who doesn’t have a testimonial
- Increase repeat sales from prospects, new customers and also your current long-term customers
That’s because testimonials motivate customers to think: “If they’re doing it and are getting results, then we should too”.
So, an effective testimonial delivers the word-of-mouth proof that the products and service you offer actually work because you are able to demonstrate specific results from the products and services you’re offering.
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