Customers like to feel reassured that the purchase they are about to make will do everything that the sales person has told them it will do. Why? Because there is a principle based around social proof that effectively confirms “if other customers like this, it must be good”. The power of using testimonials during different stages of the sales process increases sales when ‘real’ customers are seen or heard testifying as to how beneficial a product/service has been for them. They increase your credibility, because they are third-party endorsements rather than words out of your own mouth. The goal of a customer is to predict the future about a product/service, and by offering real stories from other real customers can turn a picture of your proposition into a tangible experience.
When using testimonials, there are a number of elements that can maximise their effectiveness:
• The more specific a testimonial is, the more power it has for the customer. For example; ” Great company, great service” lacks meaning because it is vague and doesn’t tell the customer anything. Consider the impact when a testimonial becomes more specific: “I was really impressed with this company’s speed of service. They pulled out all the stops so that I had product sitting in my warehouse within 24 hours.”
• Every testimonial should include the customer’s name, their title and their organisation’s name (if relevant) and ideally a thumbnail size photograph of that person. This helps to convey the authenticity of the testimonial and builds credibility.
• Dividing testimonials into different aspects of the sales process can be really useful. When used in context, they create more impact. For example; if a sales person is struggling to get an appointment with a prospect, a relevant testimonial could help persuade that prospect to agree to a meeting:“It took me 2 years before I agreed to meet this company. Having worked with them almost a year, I wish I’d seen them earlier.”
• Within the context of the sales cycle, testimonials can be used at many stages, particularly:
- Initial letters/emails to request a meeting
- Sales presentations to reinforce key points
- Objection handling and negotiations
- Post – meeting follow up to provide reassurance
- Managing ongoing relationships with regular contact
• Validating the benefits of your product or service can be achieved brilliantly by using a video format for your testimonials at the end of your presentation. This provides a powerful benefits-driven summary that confirms and proves your claims. Just remember, the only thing better than saying the right thing at the right time is when your customers do it for you–and better.
• You and your team are already acutely aware of your most frequently encountered objections. That’s why testimonials should acknowledge and mention these objections, before explaining why they still decided to buy from your organisation. For example: “I was initially surprised with their prices until I saw the quality of their product and experienced their vast range of promotional services.” Testimonials are really powerful when they acknowledge an objection that paces the probable experiences of your prospects, then wipes out the objection with an overarching benefit.
• When requesting testimonials, you are looking to obtain a genuine viewpoint that praises your organisation/product/service. Therefore, the best time to ask for this is when your customer has experienced the benefits of your product/service. To help busy customers respond to your request, provide them with other examples of testimonials so they can see how easy they are to write. It also helps if you can provide them with a simple structure to follow, for example:
- Why did you agree to meet us?
- What persuaded you to buy our product?
- What benefits have you gained from using this product?
- How would you describe our level of service?
Maximising the Impact of Testimonials - To learn more about this author, visit Nikki Owen's Website.
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Nikki Owen
(Visit Nikki's Website)
Nikki Owen has dedicated the last 16 years
to the development of sales professionals
and sales leaders for many large
international organizations. She has
coached and mentored over 6,000 sales
people and their leaders.
In 2004 Nikki conducted the largest sales
research projects ever undertaken,
involving 2663 organizations to identify
the 5 biggest barriers to sales success.
This extensive report has been referred to
in global publications as the ultimate
solution to creating high-performing sales
teams.
Nikki is the creator of The Sales
Activator® an award winning sales toolkit.
As a certified Master Practitioner and
Trainer of NLP, Nikki is an expert with
applying seeming complex techniques within
a corporate sales infrastructure. Nikki
lectures on sales leadership using her own
case studies from her client portfolio
including Shell, Barclays Bank and Zurich
Life. In 2007 she became an accredited
firewalking instructor with the
Firewalking Institute of Research and
Education and studies Quantum Physics.
Nikki is the author of 'A Second Chance to
Live' that was first published in 1991 by
Transworld and was translated and sold in
16 different countries. She has been
interviewed on numerous television and
radio shows and is finalising her next
book titled – An Audience with Charisma
based on her cutting-edge seminars that
she hosts at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre,
London.
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