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Home » Business And Finance Articles » A Testimonial Is Worth 100 Cold Calls

A Testimonial is Worth 100 Cold Calls

If you hate cold calling, and even if you don't, you should start capitalizing on the work you've already done.

So often we don't utilize one of the most persuasive selling components in our marketing materials â€" the words of our own clients. Many creative people have wonderful testimonials from clients, but never use them for fear that they are "bragging" or that it is "too self promotional."

Well of course it's self promotional! That's what good marketing is!

When you are finished a project for a client, why not capture that moment in the client's own words to use for showing potential clients the value of your services? Testimonials are even more crucial for creative businesses because it is more difficult for the average person to set a value on most arts related items and services. Seeing others talk about the value of working with you will help them more readily understand the value of your work.

If your client doesn't come running to you with a testimonial, then ask her for one. There is nothing wrong with that and most clients are honored you asked them.

The best testimonials are ones that show a measurable goal has been reached and uses language that your potential clients can identify with.

For example, here is a testimonial I received from a client who is an artist:

"I just recently got back from a job I did up in Cape Cod worth over $11,000 and it is because I used the techniques I learned from you to turn a consultation into my biggest job ever." -Amy Ketteran, Ketteran Studios

Here's another example of a testimonial I received from a corporate client:

"My improved confidence/speaking skills has helped my career as well as Verizon Connected Solutions since we are now working on developing partnerships/joint ventures with some large manufacturers and I am involved with seminars to promote these potential partnerships. Since I began working with Kirstin I've had several speaking opportunities and I can tell you her methods work. In fact, because of my work with Kirstin, I gave testimony in court that caused VCS to win a nearly $1 million lawsuit with customer who refused to pay. I can't thank Kirstin enough!" -Ed Ruby, Director of Business Operations, Verizon Connected Solutions

If you have testimonials, but they are not measurable, then they aren't as persuasive as they need to be in order to sell a future client. To get measurable testimonials, all you have to do is ask for them. If you receive a testimonial from a client that isn't measurable and doesn't show a specific example of how that client has improved since working with you, then thank the client for the kind comments and ask him to narrow down the success to one or two specific items that are improved due to your work together.

You can respond with something like:

"Thanks for your feedback. It's wonderful to hear about your success. What specifically has improved during our work together? Were you able to measure the difference?"

The more measurable the testimonial, and the more the client speaks in his own words, the more persuasive it is to the potential client, and the easier it is to generate new business.

Review your client list and look back over recent projects. Ask your best clients for measurable testimonials. It's a whole lot easier than making a cold call!

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Managers: Yes, You DO Need Public Relations!

Why? Because sooner or later, virtually all business, non-profit and association managers must alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors among their most important outside audiences.

And they must help persuade those external publics to their way of thinking, then move them to take actions that allow the manager's department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

Yes, all managers really DO need public relations.

Which means, should you be such a manager, that you must do something positive about the behaviors of those important external audiences of yours that most affect YOUR operation.

Results can come quickly when business, non-profit or association managers use public relations to alter individual perception among their target publics, leading to changed behaviors which then helps to achieve their managerial objectives.

Fueling such an effort is the reality that people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

If you decide to undertake such an effort, please keep in mind that your PR effort must demand more than special events, brochures and press releases if you are to achieve the quality public relations results you're counting on.

No end of positive results can come your way. Capital givers or specifying sources begin to look your way; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures appear; politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities; customers start to make repeat purchases; membership applications on the rise; welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects starting to do business with you; and community leaders beginning to seek you out. Your public relations staffers, who are already in the perception and behavior business, can be of real use for your new opinion monitoring project. But be certain that the PR staff really accepts why it's SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. And make sure they really believe that perceptions almost always result in behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.

Meet with your PR folks and review with them your plans for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions along these lines: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? Are you familiar with our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Measure the cost benefit of using those PR folks of yours in that monitoring capacity against the cost of using professional survey firms to do the opinion gathering work. You may find that using your public relations people is the better bargain. But, whether it's your people or a survey firm asking the questions, the objective remains the same: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

At this juncture in the problem solving sequence, establish a goal calling for action on the most serious problem areas you uncovered during your key audience perception monitoring. Will it be to straighten out that dangerous misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or, stop that potentially painful rumor cold?

No one these days sets a goal without a supporting strategy to show them how to reach that goal. However, there are just three strategic options available to you when it comes to doing something about perception and opinion. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like butterscotch syrup on your fish sticks, so be sure your new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You wouldn't want to select "change" when the facts dictate a strategy of reinforcement.

Here comes some real work. You must write a persuasive message that will help move your key audience to your way of thinking. It must be a carefully-written message targeted directly at your key external audience. Your very best writer will be needed because s/he must produce really corrective language. Words that are not merely compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

Some view the next step as a wild and wacky part of the effort -- selecting the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. There are many available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

Fact is, HOW you communicate should also concern you since the credibility of any message is fragile and always up for grabs. Which is why you may wish to unveil your corrective message before smaller meetings and presentations rather than using higher-profile news releases.

The thought that a progress report may be needed usually pops up at about this point. Which means you and your PR team should view the notion as an alert to begin a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You'll want to use many of the same questions used in the benchmark session. But now, you will be on strict alert for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

Of course, the reality that you can always speed things up by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies, will be a source of comfort for you should program momentum slow.

So, it's true. Sooner or later, virtually all business, non-profit and association managers must alter individual perception in a way that leads to changed behaviors among their most important outside audiences.

Which translates this way: managers really DO need public relations to achieve their managerial objectives.

end

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1155 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2005.