DID YOU KNOW THAT TESTIMONIALS ADD PUNCH TO YOUR MARKETING MATERIALS?

Testimonials from satisfied clients and customers can add flair to your marketing materials, But some business owners don't know where to start or how to properly use testimonials. Here are a few tips.

Soliciting Testimonials:

If your customers don't send you, letters of praise then you need to ask them to give you a testimonial. Simple send a letter or an email to clients and customers who are happy with your product or service and ask for their comments.  Remember there is POWER in the ASKING.  In your letter or email, you should ask your customers to give you their opinion of your service and the products they purchased.

Ask these clients what they liked about your services and encourage them to give you any suggestions or criticisms.Also let your client know that this information will help you gather valuable information, which will help you serve your clients better in the future.

Using Testimonials:

Always use authentic testimonials. Do not make them up. It is very hard to match the sincerity and credibility of praise from real customers and clients, now matter how great a writer you are.

If a customer tells you to just write what you want and they will just sign it, let them know that you would prefer if they just give you their own opinion in their own words.Longer testimonials that consist of two or three sentences are more believable than single rod testimonials. Ask for specific, detailed testimonials rather than general testimonials.

Use Full Attribution:

To increase the believability for your testimonials, it is important to have the person's name, city and state, and if it is a business customer, include their job title and company.  The readers are more likely to believe a full disclosure testimony than those that conceal the identity of the speaker.

Keep Testimonials Together

Most marketing experts believe that it is better to group all your testimonials together within your materials.  When a prospect reads all the testimonials in one place, one right after the another, they have more impact and power than when the testimonials are separated and scattered all over your material piece.You can do this in a box, on a separate page or on a separate sheet. The separate sheet of paper has a certain advantage in that as new testimonials come in, they can be changed without having to redo your marketing materials.

Always Get Permission

Make sure you get permission from your customer to reprint what they have sent you before you include it any copy that you send out. Sent them a letter or email outlining the quote you want to reprint and ask permission to include them in ads, social media, direct mail, brochures and other materials used to promote your firm.

This general release allows you to use the testimonial over and over without having to ask permission every time you want to use the quotes in any letters or marketing materials.

Start today by identifying those customers who are pleased with your services and asking them to put it in writing.