This is an example of a situation without a customer testimonial:
You have just finished a presentation to a prospect. You have tooted your horn on how good your product or service is and why they should give you their money for it. You are now probably sitting there waiting and wondering why it is they have not called you. Clearly they should have given you their money immediately after you clearly and factually proved to them how good your product is.
Here is the problem, mister salesman, THEY PROBABLY DON’T TRUST YOU!
“When you say it it’s bragging; when others say it, it’s proof”. Jeffrey Gitomer.
Don’t worry, it’s not personal, they don’t know you yet so there is no reason to trust you just yet. So luckily for you there is a solution to your problem.
You can use customer testimonials to speak for you.
So what are customer testimonials?
When you build or design a new solution to a problem or want, people do not automatically jump in your wagon to try out your product, unless it’s your family and friends.
This is why developing your product or solution is only the first step, of many, towards success.
You must have customer testimonials to prove that others and not just you, believe in your product or service and have used it to their benefit. A customer testimonial is a guarantee from one customer to another that your product works and has been proven to work.
If you build it they will come!
This is the worst philosophy to work with. Most business owners and entrepreneurs make the fatal assumption that just because they have a good product or service, customers will automatically line up to buy. This never happens, even for the larger companies. It takes time to communicate to your prospective clients and convince them to try your product.
It’s therefore more accurate to state it as;
If you build it, you then have to let them know what it is, show them how it works and offer proof that it works. Then maybe they will come.
This is why it is so important to understand the value of customer testimonials and incorporate them into your marketing message.
What information is contained in a customer testimonial?
The essence of a customer testimonial is to document the opinion of one of your clients or customers who has had a positive experience from your product or service.
This information has to be presented in relevant detail that is dependent on your marketing strategy. If you want your product or service to seem helpful, your testimonials should include testimony of customers or clients who have found your product or service helpful.
If you want to give an impression of speed and quick delivery, your customers must attest to how quickly and efficiently your product or service works to deliver on its promises. The message must be clear and literal.
Most customers do not have time to read extensive reviews and manuals to know whether your product or service is good enough for them. They mostly over-rely on other users opinions and decide something is good if others have recommended it and bad if not.
Due to this human trait, you must ensure that yours is the information in the customers mind at the time or purchase. So flood your marketing messages with testimonials to give your claims credibility.