Take Action Now	Ten Ways To Obtain A Great Testimonial When a satisfied client endorses your product or service, it strengthens the impact of your message by adding: Variety Gives your message a multi-media effect. Voice A voice and perspective other than your own. Value Your credibility is enhanced. Furthermore, you benefit by receiving: Confidence You learn something new about your positive impact. Connection Soliciting testimonials is a healthy customer service task. The next three Lightning Pen Copywriting Tips will focus on testimonials and answer the three questions: How to obtain a great testimonial How to write a great testimonial How to get maximum use out of a great testimonial 10 Ways To Obtain A Great Testimonial: Take time to document spontaneous compliments. Ask three of your best clients for testimonials. If your clients don’t have time to write a testimonial, ask permission to write a testimonial and run it by them for review. Have the testimonial as a part of your compensation: “I’m offering you a price break in return for your testimonial if you are satisfied with my service.” This creates a double-effect: You help your client make a buying decision and end up with a personal endorsement. Have someone else solicit a testimonial for you (an employee, significant other, business friend), and, in exchange, you solicit a testimonial for them. This again creates a double effect. It puts you in contact with valued clients of your business friend. They may be a market for you, and your business friend will likely give you an enthusiastic referral. Do a testimonial trade with a business colleague. You write theirs, they write yours. Ask strategically. Select people who have great credibility with your target market. Select people who represent different market segments (men, women, students, right brain, left brain…). Select people who have utilized different services. Make it easy for someone to write you a testimonial. Tell them they don’t have to compose a written masterpiece—just jot down a few thoughts. Assure them that you will do the work of writing, crafting, and editing. Next week: How to Write A Great Testimonial. It helps if you know the format for a great testimonial before you ask someone to write a testimonial for you. To your success and significance, David Smith, President, www.SuddenlyInSite.com P.S. Forward this article to a business associate. They can register to receive this free Marketing tips e-zine at www.SuddenlyInSite.com I appreciate your comments: davidsmith@definewrite.com ********************** Contact me to arrange a quick, but very effective marketing assessment. Benefits to your business: A more compelling image in the marketplace More business contacts and clients Greater conversion of contacts to clients Creative packaging of your current products and services Discovery of new market opportunities Greater clarity of your marketing goals and process More influence for your team (internal marketing within your corporation) Includes two consultations and a one-page outline marketing assessment. David Smith (503) 816-9665 davidsmith@definewrite.com ******************************** Try email marketing. It's fast, easy and inexpensive so you can communicate with your market audience on a regular basis and stay "top of mind" to them. I use iContact. It has all the features you need: Contact management, ability to create and format emails, blogs and RSS feeds, autoresponders for series, a sign-up form for your Web site, excellent training in how to use the tool and more. Please take a look at this powerful tool. It is central to a successful email marketing program. Don't try to patch your email marketing together with Outlook or some other less powerful program. It simply won't work. ****************************** Need help soliciting a great testimonial? I provide this service. I will: Contact your selected clients Coach them in preparing a great testimonial for you Edit their testimonial Obtain their approval of the edit Provide you with a powerful, targeted testimonial You end up with a powerful tool you can use for years in your marketing. I guarantee that over the years this valuable tool will pay for itself many times over. davidsmith@definewrite.com (503) 816-9665
* Tools
* Links
Build Knowledge
* E-zine
* Marketing tips
* Copywriting tips
* Books
* Glossary of Internet terms
* FAQs
Additional Resources
* Networking education
* Become a member
* Member login

Ten Ways To Obtain A Great Testimonial

When a satisfied client endorses your product or service, it strengthens the impact of your message by adding:

Variety
- Gives your message a multi-media effect.
Voice
- A voice and perspective other than your own.
Value
- Your credibility is enhanced.

Furthermore, you benefit by receiving:

Confidence
- You learn something new about your positive impact.
Connection
- Soliciting testimonials is a healthy customer service task.

The next three Lightning Pen Copywriting Tips will focus on testimonials and answer the three questions:

How to obtain a great testimonial
How to write a great testimonial
How to get maximum use out of a great testimonial

10 Ways To Obtain A Great Testimonial:

Take time to document spontaneous compliments.
Ask three of your best clients for testimonials.
If your clients don’t have time to write a testimonial, ask permission to write a testimonial and run it by them for review.
Have the testimonial as a part of your compensation: “I’m offering you a price break in return for your testimonial if you are satisfied with my service.” This creates a double-effect: You help your client make a buying decision and end up with a personal endorsement.
Have someone else solicit a testimonial for you (an employee, significant other, business friend), and, in exchange, you solicit a testimonial for them. This again creates a double effect. It puts you in contact with valued clients of your business friend. They may be a market for you, and your business friend will likely give you an enthusiastic referral.
Do a testimonial trade with a business colleague. You write theirs, they write yours.
Ask strategically. Select people who have great credibility with your target market.
Select people who represent different market segments (men, women, students, right brain, left brain…).
Select people who have utilized different services.
Make it easy for someone to write you a testimonial. Tell them they don’t have to compose a written masterpiece—just jot down a few thoughts. Assure them that you will do the work of writing, crafting, and editing.

Next week: How to Write A Great Testimonial. It helps if you know the format for a great testimonial before you ask someone to write a testimonial for you.

To your success and significance,

David Smith, President, www.SuddenlyInSite.com

P.S. Forward this article to a business associate. They can register to receive this free Marketing tips e-zine at www.SuddenlyInSite.com

I appreciate your comments: davidsmith@definewrite.com

************************

Contact me to arrange a quick, but very effective marketing assessment. Benefits to your business:

A more compelling image in the marketplace
More business contacts and clients
Greater conversion of contacts to clients
Creative packaging of your current products and services
Discovery of new market opportunities
Greater clarity of your marketing goals and process
More influence for your team (internal marketing within your corporation)

Includes two consultations and a one-page outline marketing assessment.

David Smith (503) 816-9665 davidsmith@definewrite.com

************************************

Try email marketing. It's fast, easy and inexpensive so you can communicate with your market audience on a regular basis and stay "top of mind" to them. I use iContact. It has all the features you need:

Contact management, ability to create and format emails, blogs and RSS feeds, autoresponders for series, a sign-up form for your Web site, excellent training in how to use the tool and more.

Please take a look at this powerful tool. It is central to a successful email marketing program. Don't try to patch your email marketing together with Outlook or some other less powerful program. It simply won't work.

********************************

Need help soliciting a great testimonial? I provide this service. I will:

Contact your selected clients
Coach them in preparing a great testimonial for you
Edit their testimonial
Obtain their approval of the edit
Provide you with a powerful, targeted testimonial

You end up with a powerful tool you can use for years in your marketing. I guarantee that over the years this valuable tool will pay for itself many times over.

davidsmith@definewrite.com (503) 816-9665