What’s the single most effective type of B2B marketing?
Hint: It’s not email marketing. Not a PowerPoint presentation. Not an advertisement. Not a web page, cool video or demo.
Word for word and dollar for dollar, nothing beats a good customer testimonial.
When a customer attests to the value of your products or services, the selling power is enormous.
Why’s that?
The reason is that testimonials work on so many different levels:
Overcoming Skepticism
For one thing, people are skeptical of what you say; after all, you get PAID to say good things about your company.
Prospects are a hundred times more likely to believe what other people say about you, since the marketing message is coming from paying customers — and not the business itself. The reader tends to believe your customer is speaking honestly and is unlikely to have an ulterior motive.
The Oldest Form Of Marketing
In essence, a testimonial is equivalent to word-of-mouth advertising – the oldest form of marketing which dates back thousands of years. And word-of-mouth is still the most cost-effective way to get new customers.
A testimonial takes word-of-mouth and leverages it to the fullest extent possible.
If your customers have great things to say about your business, why not publicize those testimonials for the world to see?
Marketing That Can’t Be Imitated
Unfortunately, competitors can copy just about anything you do: your products, services, prices… your technology, your ideas, your advertising… the list goes on and on.
But one thing competitors can never copy is what your customers say about you. Truly, testimonials are the only form of marketing that can never ever be imitated.
Real-Life Proof
Testimonials give tangible, real-life examples of why your business excels. Good testimonials separate yourself from the competition with proof that the benefits you offer are for real.
Social Proof
Social proof is one of most powerful forms of persuasion. Exactly what is social proof?
In short, when we have to make a decision, and we’re not sure what to do, we look to others for clues. We assume the actions of others reflect the right behavior.
For example, social proof is the reason why people will choose a restaurant that’s packed with customers over one that’s half-empty.
Likewise, more credence is given to a company if multiple sources vouch for it.
Social proof heavily influences a customer’s decision making process, and testimonials are the ultimate form of social proof.
It’s Not Bragging If Someone Else Says It
Buyers are bombarded with product and service claims. But tooting your own horn just doesn’t cut it.
A testimonial is an excellent way to gain credibility without bragging. You get to showcase your strong points, but with someone else — a peer of your prospects — doing all the talking.
What’s more believable, a brochure that says “we answer the phone 24/7″ or a testimonial that says,
“I couldn’t believe it when they answered my call at 11:30 on a Friday night —on the second ring“?
The Most Versatile Form Of Marketing
Testimonials work in all forms of B2B marketing and advertising: web pages, newsletters, press releases, business cards, print ads, sales letters, white papers, resumes, bio’s, proposals, presentations, webinars, videos, shopping cart pages, trade show displays – even telemarketing scripts.
Virtually any marketing piece can be improved with the right testimonial.
Risk Reduction
Most buyers — especially in B2B situations — are worried about the risks that go along with their decisions. If something goes wrong, reputations, jobs and careers are on the line.
If I’m a prospect, nothing makes me feel better about choosing you as a vendor/supplier/partner than knowing someone in a similar situation — or someone whose opinion I value — has already chosen you, and is happy about it.
By showing that your product or service works for others, it reduces the risk associated with the buying decision.
Works For All Businesses
In sum, testimonials work for any business, whether you sell products, services, software… high-tech, low tech… small, medium, large companies, non-profits…
Comments from real people, with real names, who work for real companies and provide information you can put into direct quotes are far more believable than any sales pitch you can create on your own.
A good testimonial does more selling in a single paragraph than a full page worth of features and benefits.
However, using testimonials is tricky business. If you’re not careful, they can backfire and do serious damage to the customer relationships you have, and the ones you are trying to build.
In part two of this article, I’ll provide the essential testimonial tips you should know, plus how to avoid the most common pitfalls and mistakes.
