Business Technology

As a copywriter, you’ll find that many of the testimonials you have access to aren’t as good as they could be. They might be too vague, or just plain boring. If that’s the case, don’t think you have to use them. Testimonials can be a great selling selling tool for a copywriter — you need to take full advantage of them.

Don’t wait for great testimonials to come to you. Go out there and get them! When you do, you’ll be able to get testimonials that highlight certain key benefits. This lets you show your prospect that someone just like him has used this product and gotten great results!

A typical testimonial is what I call a Before and After testimonial. The customer tells you about the problem he use to have, and how it went away after he started using the product. The Before and After testimonial is a lot better than what we use to see, which was “I love your widget!” But for today’s prospect, you need to do even better.

Why do I say that? Because nowadays everyone gives Before and After testimonials. They’ve become common and after awhile they start to all sound alike. They simply aren’t as powerful as they use to be.

To get your prospect’s attention, you want to have testimonials that talk about specific benefits or selling points in a way they can relate to. If you don’t have them, it’s just a matter of getting out there and talking to customers.

Start out with a list of happy customers. Get on the phone and talk with them. Take a half hour and interview them. Find out what their real story is. Uncover the emotions they felt, the things they worried about or the frustrations they use to have. Why was it so important to find a solution?

The next step is simple, and it’s the key behind getting the best, most powerful testimonial possible.

As you finish your interview, take a moment and ask the customer you can use what he said as a testimonial for the product. Most likely, he will say yes. When he does, tell him that you’d be happy to type one up based on the comments he’s made. Let him know that he will have final approval on it before it’s used. Most customers love this idea.

Now it’s a matter of taking the information you just got and crafting the best testimonial possible. If you’ve done a good job interviewing them, you should have some great material to work with.

Start by reviewing your interview notes and asking yourself a few questions:

* Which angle should I take?

* What are the key benefits I want to emphasize?

* Which one does this story support the best?

* What is the best way to position this particular testimonial?

* Is there some part I can include that will make my prospect stop and think, “Hey, that guy sounds just like me!”

Just imagine how much more powerful and effective these type of testimonials will be. All of the different angles you can take and the great real-life tidbits that you can weave through your sales copy.

The truth is, there’s no better way to get these type of powerful testimonials. When you know how to guide the interview, you can uncover the “good stuff” quickly — every single time. Then all you need to do is take what you have and position it, and you’ve got a testimonial that will make selling your product that much easier.

You’ll have a testimonial that’s written in your customer’s words, only better. It’s laser-focused. It addresses key selling points and reveals real needs and desires that your prospect will immediately connect with. It’s a testimonial that most copywriters only dream about!

Tags: online marketing
Filed under: online marketing