What your customers have to say about you is vitally important in harnessing the power of word-of-mouth sales.
Customer uncertainty during difficult economic times can make any salesperson's job harder - especially when pitching to new prospects. In an environment of elevated risk, it's human nature that we stick to what we know and what we're sure of ... and that certainly applies to customers when choosing between buying from you or your competitors.
As a sales professional, you already know how important it is to first sell the benefits of your product or service, so that a prospect or existing customer can make a purchasing decision with confidence. However, there's still much more you can do to help influence and boost a buyer's confidence - and that's where testimonials come into play.
Testimonials can transform selling benefits
Let's face it, there is a whole lot of fear out there today. Among the many things companies are worried about is whether they're making the right choices when it comes to suppliers. Will you be able to deliver on your promise? Are your fundamentals strong ... or could you be out of business soon? Are you stretching the truth with the unique benefits you are offering, simply to secure a sale?
No matter how polished a sales presenter you might be, those questions are the kinds that your prospects will be asking themselves until they are given a good reason to feel differently. Whether you're trying to persuade one person or a room full of people, testimonials provide your audience with something tangible and solid: someone else's positive experience, their satisfactory results and their glowing praise.
On the face of it, these are opinions, but when they are seen as credible opinions, testimonials have the potential of taking on the similar weight as facts. Why? Because they give your prospects something they can measure against their own needs and expectations.
Testimonials are especially powerful when they come from a peer or from someone in the same industry as your prospect. It's meaningful when you're able to say: "We've been doing business with your colleague, Phil, for over ten years, and here's what he has to say about that experience."
Turn the great things people already say about you into testimonials
I often meet people who say: "I know my customers love doing business with me, but I'm not all that great at getting testimonials ... what am I doing wrong?". If you want testimonials from your clients, you have to ask them. It's as simple as that.
People generally like to be helpful to other people, but they'll never get that opportunity to give you that all-powerful testimonial if you don't ask first. Keep your ears open for kind words and praise from your customers. Follow-up right away with a phone call or an email, explaining how important testimonials are in your line of work, and then ask: "Would it be okay if I included what you said in my collection of client testimonials?"
Another approach is to simply follow-up with a customer who purchased from you recently. This is especially important when speaking to new customers, as they are the ones who are most excited about having found you. Make the most of it. Also, be sure to ask probing questions, such as:
- "Why did you choose to do business with us over someone else?"
- "Why do you continue to buy from us in these economic times?"
A customer who is happy with the products or services they are receiving from you, is quite likely to share a few really solid reasons why they keep placing orders.
Review with your sales team the very best feedback your group has received to date, and then go down the list of your existing customers to identify the ones who could provide new testimonials. Get on the phone and make those calls.
Testimonials work best when you use them often
Proving to others what you already know is true - that's the real power of testimonials. However, you can't extract their full potential unless you use them often. It is worth your time and effort to sit down and identify every opportunity possible to include testimonials on outward-bound communications.
No matter how large or small your company is, make sure every proposal that goes out the door has at least one testimonial on the front page. Every page on your website should feature glowing feedback and recommendations from your customers. You can also collect a group of testimonials and insert one in the signature line of each email you send. Like so many things that characterise the business habits of the Top 10% of sales professionals, the key is to be consistent.
The proof you need to sell more
More than any other marketing tool - from advertisements to opinion polls - recommendations from other consumers is still ranked the number-one selling tool, according to a study by Nielsen Research.
In an economy of all seasons - from sunny to stormy - it remains effective because it provides consumers with something that is valuable to them: proof. It demonstrates that buying from you isn't a risky decision - it's a smart decision, backed by the track record you've earned from those who know best: your customers.