"Show me the proof!" "Show me I'm not alone!" This is the mantra of so many prospects. Every sales person should make it their top resolution for 2006 to get more testimonials about the company that they work for and testimonials about themselves.
Here are some guidelines for creating testimonial requests that will help you sell more, build trust, and establish your credibility better than anything you say about yourself:
1) Make a list of all your clients. Rank them based on the services or products that you provided and the results of those services. All companies have horror stories – include the clients that you were able to turn around and make happy.
2) Try to think of any comments that were said to you that were complimentary. Compliments are just the start to get you going.
3) Even better, try to think of any comments that were said to you that showed a tangible, net result that would sell your prospects on what you can deliver to them.
4) Make the most promising clients your target.
5) When contacting your clients, help paint the picture that brings them back to that warm fuzzy feeling. Case in point, "Joe, I remember when you were stressed that your salespeople weren't hitting their numbers. We were able to suggest and then implement some points of action that lead to your appointment/sales volume increase. Do you remember that? Well that's the feeling most of my prospects have before they work with me and I think it would be helpful for them to see that we can help them."
6) Think about your 5 most common selling objections. Did any of your clients say something that will help you overcome a prospects resistance to do business with you in the future? Think of ways to help them say a closing statement about your product or service.
7) Make sure they use their own words. They may not say exactly what you think they should say, but resist the temptation to edit what they say - it will be 100 times more believable when a prospect reads it.
8) If you have to, give them an incentive with something that you know they would like to get in return for their testimonial.
9) Make it clear that you intend to use their testimonial in your marketing materials and get a signature that they give you full rights to their comments without any compensation. Get the legal department's blessing on this one.
10) Testimonials mean nothing and can actually hurt your credibility if you don't provide a real person (full name), title and company name. Using a testimonial that says it's from Scott D. from Chicago, or A Major Manufacturing Company doesn't fool anyone. It's better not to use a testimonial like that at all.
Testimonials are your best sales people. Learn how to get them and how to use them to your business advantage.
Part 2 will cover how to set up the request and provide an example of a successful testimonial request.
David Wells is a business development expert, speaker, trainer, consultant and founder of http://www.emdco.com We do what most salespeople don't. Subscribe to "The B2B Insider Sales Stretegist's Tips of the Week" ezine at http://www.emdco.com/RegisterNow.html.
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