02 Nov Don’t Take Our Word For It
Your product is great. Why is it great? Because you say so of course. But really, what else are you going to say? Are you going to say it stinks? I don’t think so. It’s your baby. It’s your livelihood. So, you have to find other ways to promote what you do without the promotion always coming from your lips.
For this reason, I want to focus on the importance of client and third-party testimonials. Vendors get caught up in their solution, their features, their return on investment, but some times that gets drowned out. Make no mistake, all that is great and needed to run a successful company. However, it doesn’t have as much pop coming from the vendor vs. a user or a third party using the solution. And let’s face it, don’t you want your value proposition to pop?
As vendors go down the road of getting testimonials they often run into problems. Vendors often as me: How do I get these testimonials? I can’t get in touch with the client. I don’t know what questions to ask the client when I do get them on the phone.
I say: Start simple. Every vendor gets e-mails or calls from clients saying that they like the solution. That’s where you start. Use what you have. Play to your strengths.
How? You can make use of e-mails in marketing material. Also ask yourself: Are there blogs out there that mention you that you can pass along? How do you find out what people are saying? Use Google alert, it’s free. Find out what people are saying about you.
I’ll bet it’s some good stuff.
In the end, if a testimonial or endorsement comes from a user or third party it appears to be much more credible. Everyone states they have great service, but what do others think about your service? We’re living in the Recommendation Age. If you’re looking for an app you read reviews. The same goes for if you’re buying a new TV. The same is true in B2B selling. People want to know what the community thinks of you and your products. They want to be comfortable choosing your application.
How so? Other companies want to know who is using your product. They want to know how the user adapted to your tool. If they know how your solution helped others, they’ll feel more confident about how it can help them. So get out there and see what people are saying and use it to build an even stronger marketing strategy. It works. Testimonials can gain you credibility and drive traction for your products and services.