If you're like most businesses I write copy for, you'd like to get more recommendations and testimonials from your past and present clients, because you know that testimonials are worth gold.

Gold that transforms a hesitant prospect into an instant buyer. By not getting testimonials you are throwing away certain income that you foolishly let slip away.

How can you stop losing these "letters of gold?"

That's what this newsletter is all about.

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But beyond that, there is a specific formula to writing a testimonial that will help you relieve your prospects hesitation and fear of buying from you. This formula is discussed in detail.

This advice is practical, I use it most every day. There isn't a month go by that I don't get another 5 to 15 testimonials to use in my marketing. Once you've studied this newsletter, the same will hold true for you.

I'll also be telling you different ways to use testimonials in your marketing that will help generate more business for you.

Testimonials are a great support element for successful marketing. You must have believable testimonials. And I've got drawers full of them… not to mention a heft number of gigabytes on my hard drive! It may take some time for you to get this many testimonials, but it is well worth it.

Testimonials are valuable no matter what you're selling or who you're selling to. Why? People are more skeptical than ever… and a good testimonial from one of your past customers that talks about specific results (benefits) they've gotten from buying what you're selling are potent… especially when you do 'em like I tell you to in this newsletter!

Picture this:

The sell went great. The client is absolutely thrilled with his new purchase. The person that bought from you comes up and says, "You were fabulous.... here's your check and we'll call you again." So you take your check and jot down a note to call them for hopefully repeat business sometime down the road, right? WRONG!

Listen. You spent a lot of time and a lot of money trying to get this client. They once were very worried about whether or not to even buy your product or service.
Now you've got to help other prospects (just like this new one used to be) understand that there is no risk in doing business with you.

So you ask for the testimonial.

How though, do you ask for a testimonial?

It begins with realizing that, if you have a good product or service, you deserve solid testimonials. Believe that you deserve them, and start asking for them!

Most people have a damn hard time asking for (and getting) worthwhile testimonials. Why? Cause they hate confronting people and asking for their help! You need to realize that if you've done a good job, you should have no hesitation in asking for a testimonial.

What I've found, is that if I ask, I shall receive! (And I'm not kidding!)

ASK!

Why Bother Getting Testimonials?

Most people don't bother to get testimonials for two basic reasons:

1- Testimonials focus on the prospect and his needs, and not on the marketer. Most marketers are terribly self focused.

2- It can be a time consuming task to bother to get testimonials, especially good ones.
Getting testimonials that are of value can be troublesome. But, it won't be that bad if you have system for it -- which you now hold in your hands!

Your contact with a client should not end the minute you get their check and the deal is done. Money is not all you want!

To get the types of testimonials that are going to boost the pulling power of your copy you're going to have to do these things:

1) Contact your current and past customers and ask for GOOD testimonials

2) Ask for testimonials from every new client you get

3) Keep up with all customers and clients to find out what further benefits were derived from buying your product or service, if there were any.

If you succeed in these things, you can get testimonials that will help you more of your product or service faster. And testimonial-getting is an on-going activity! Don't just do it once and forget it.
If you make it a practice to constantly ask for new testimonials, you'll find that, over time, you'll end-up with a slew of REALLY KILLER TESTIMONIALS.

And a good testimonial really is worth gold to you. It's no wonder that testimonials are worth gold. Just take a look at what a good testimonial will do for you:

People work hard for their money (or at least they think they do) and they DO want to spend it. They really do want to spend it. But, because of past foolish spending, people find themselves very hesitant to do so. They're nervous about letting go of their money because they're afraid of being taken again.

A good testimonial will help you overcome this problem. A testimonial can get your prospect excited about buying (which is something he wants to do anyway) and it also reduces their anxieties about buying from you because he can read (or hear) about the success you've had with someone like him, through a testimonial.

Everyone Needs Testimonials?

Doctors suck… they don't "need" testimonials. Dentists sort of suck, too… although they could probably use testimonials. But other than medical doctors…

I Can't Think Of A Single Business On This Planet That
Couldn't Benefit From Using And Leveraging Testimonials
In Their Sales Copy!

No doubt, anyone who has any type of business could do better with testimonials. In almost 20-years of business, I can't think of a single business that couldn't benefit from having:

a) more testimonials

b) better testimonials

That's why I say … NEVER STOP GETTING THEM!

Testimonials, both on video and on paper, have helped me close more than one deal -- and thousands of dollars worth of writing and consulting business. You need testimonials whether you are a computer manufacturer or a janitorial service.

For each market you are selling to, it will help to have relevant testimonials that include benefits specifically for each market. Different people buy for different reasons, and so will different markets buy for different reasons.

Good & Bad Testimonials

There is a difference between a good testimonial and a bad one. Too many testimonials go something like this:

"We enjoyed your product."

DUH…

"Your salespeople are really incredible."

DUH…

"I really liked how your product worked"

DUH…

"What's up with the 'DUH…', Brian?"

Well… these testimonials may look okay… and even passable at first glance. But, these testimonials aren't pointing to any specific benefit that your prospect is hoping for when they buy your product or service.

GREAT testimonials come directly from benefits that your buyers have gotten from you! And GREAT testimonials talk about specific benefits received!

A wonderful exercise to do is this: List every benefit that your prospect gets from your product or service and then solicit specific customers to get a testimonial for each one of these benefits!
OK. OK. I can hear you whining… "Waaa…. Waaa…. Waaaa!… How am I going to do that!!??"

Do you want me to go get the "whaaambulance?"….

Not to fear... just keeping on reading dear reader… and you WILL find out how!

Getting A Testimonial For Every Major Benefit That You Offer

There are other ways, but this is the simplest. I make an evaluation form that asks my customer what they thought of each benefit. After every time I provide a service I give the customer a postage paid evaluation form to fill out.

Evaluation forms are wonderful... if your service or product is good, then evaluations are a real balm for the ego.

But, better than that, if you word them right they also tell you why your prospects buy... a nice side benefit to be sure!

For example, in a copywriting evaluation form I would put in questions like these:

1)Please rank in order of importance WHY you used my professional copywriting services:

· I don't have time to write advertising

· You make my job easy by doing all of the writing for me

· You blah blah blah....

· Other. Please specify:

You get the picture?

Now this stuff is nice to know, because it tells you why your customer bought you. Or at least the biggest reasons why. BUT, let's relate this to testimonials.

Later on in the evaluation you put this:

8) In question #1 you ranked the main reasons why you took advantage of my services. Please explain how I "delivered" on these benefits. Include any praise or suggestions for your reason #1, reason #2 and reason #3. (Refer to question #1)
Then you leave a big blank space for them to tell you how great your are concerning each specific benefit.

Does this work? YOU BET IT DOES! I use it constantly, and so should you.
On the evaluation you should always end with a question along the lines of this:

10) IMPORTANT: Please summarize your feelings about my 100% guaranteed copywriting services and give any additional comments, suggestions, or praise.

Then leave another large blank space for them to write in their comments. This will sometimes be left blank. But usually this is where you'll get your really strong testimonials.
After that question, have a place for them to sign the evaluation, and after they sign it, have two little tick boxes with a yes or no response along side them and ask "May I quote you?"

That's all there is to it, and you can quote them all day and all night!

What A Good Testimonial Will Do For You & Your Prospects

A good testimonial will get a prospect excited about booking you because he sees the benefits that a person like himself achieved by using your services.

When a prospect reads a testimonial about you (or hears or watches one) he needs to know immediately what kinds of benefits he gets from buying from you. Your prospect needs to see that the endorser is someone that he can relate to, someone that he has things in common with.

That's why you want to do your darndest to get testimonials from people from all walks of life… young or old, black or white, etc., etc., etc.

As your prospect reads the testimonial he needs to say to himself, "Hey, this person is like me. It must be a good decision to buy this product because it worked well for this person and they are like me."
Now - they usually won't "consciously" think that… but there's a part of them that's thinking that, and getting that "reassuring feeling".

When your prospect reads this, their hesitancy to spend their money on you diminishes, and they also get more excited about the possibility of you doing such a good job for them as well.

Getting Good Testimonials - Even if You Don't Have Any

As long as you are in business, you need to be in the business of gathering testimonials. Whether you're just starting out or have been in business for years, you need testimonials.
If you're just starting out, I suggest that you simply get testimonials about yourself. These are better than nothing, but really can't possibly have specific benefits focused on your service. For starters though, they may help build credibility.

Better yet… JUST GIVE YOUR PRODUCT TO PEOPLE IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR TESTIMONIAL… and many times… YOU CAN WRITE THE TESTIMONIAL FOR THEM!!! That way you get the exact testimonial you need!

Now… if you've been in business for a while then it's a simple matter to get testimonials, if you believe you deserve them and overcome any fear of asking for them.

The very simplest way to get testimonials is when a customer comments about your product or service, simply ask, "May I quote you?" Then write down what they said, send it to them with a short note and a self-addressed stamped envelope and ask them to sign it granting permission to use it in your marketing communications. Or just email it to 'em.

Remember to ask for specific information from them, name, business, title, etc. The more specifics you have to show other prospects that people like "just like me" have bought from you, the more powerful your testimonial will be.

Another way to get testimonials is to give each client an evaluation form (as we talked about earlier) after you perform your service, or about 3 weeks after they've had a chance to look at and use your product.

Make it easy for them to fill out and return so that the likelihood of getting it increases. Pay the postage for them, and put the evaluation in letter form. And email is always cheap!

Ask questions that are going to be valuable to you like:
"How did my service compare with other services you've had?" and "On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate..."

You want comments that you're going to be able to use in your sales letters, brochures and flyers, not just general comments that are unspecific about benefits gained.

As long as you make it easy for them, most people love to help out, and do you a favor. Let them know that you'll be putting their name in your brochures and flyers. People thrill to see their names in print!

7 Ways To Use Testimonials & A Few More Tips For You To Use

Here is a bunch of tips, hints and ideas about using testimonials:

1) Testimonials can be used effectively in any marketing format:

Emails

Fax Blasts

Websites

Live-audio Testimonials on your site

Brochures

Flyers

Business Cards

On-Hold Messages For Incoming Calls

Video Tape Demonstrations

Audio Tape Demonstrations

Cover Letters

Advertisements

Posters

Basically anywhere that can be used to induce prospects to take action that will lead to a sell.

2) As a very general rule of thumb, use about two testimonials per page in each of your marketing documents. But that doesn't mean they have to be spread out… sometimes you'll want them all bunched up together. Other times it'll help your copy more to have them spread out.

3) Always get testimonials at every chance you can.

4) Never stop gathering testimonials.

5) Use evaluation forms for EVERY MARKET NICHE that you work. This is perhaps the simplest way to get testimonials.

6) Get testimonials for every benefit that you offer to each market.

7) Testimonials will help you excite your prospects about the benefits that you have to offer, and lower their anxieties about buying from you, because they know that people just like them have received the promised benefits from you.

The Winning Testimonial Formula

Winning testimonials are benefit packed. They help reduce prospect anxieties and get them excited about buying you.

Winning testimonials show a prospect that someone just like him has received real benefits from what he is now considering buying. That's what a winning testimonial does.

Now let me tell you the winning formula that'll make sure you get winning testimonials. Here's what it says to your prospects:

I am like you. I was concerned about buying a that would really do a good job. We were worried about this and this and this.

We decided to give a try. Now we know that does a great job! He delivered this benefit and this benefit, and most of all this benefit.

We highly recommend that you use him if you want these same benefits. If you have any questions about what he did for use, call me at (555) 123-4567."

Here is the formula stripped down to its bare-butt naked bones just in case it's not obvious to you:

* I am like you.

* I had a problem like you and wanted to achieve the same benefits that you do.

* Like you, I was concerned about what I should do, wondering if anyone could really help.

* Well, now I know. (Your product or service) provided (the benefit I desired). Just like it will do for you!

Does this formula sound simple? It is. It works, and it works well enough that I suggest you give this type of outline to any customer of yours that's crazy about how good a job you do -- or how great your product performs, and have them follow it when they write your letter.
It is benefit packed and tells your prospect that someone like him is out there, that has used you with great success.

Conclusion

Now you know what a winning testimonial says and you know how to use them and how to get them.

You're on your way partner! But let me warn you….

This information in this newsletter only works if you use it!

What?

You thought you could just pick up your magic copywriting pen and swish it here and there and all this stuff just falls into place for you?

You thought it didn't take work?

Well… you are delusional!

You gotta use this stuff to make the big bucks! I'm tellin' ya right now… Take some time to prepare the stuff, evaluation forms, etc., you need to gather testimonials in a time efficient manner. Just to make it even easier for you… here's what you're gonna need:

1) The basic winning testimonial formula

2) An evaluation sheet for each market you sell to

3) The evaluation sheets should help you gather testimonials for each benefit that you offer

4) Marketing documents to use your testimonials in

Testimonials have two main purposes to keep in mind:

* They make your prospect less nervous about buying from you because he sees that people like him have used your product or service with success. In a testimonial, a third-party is endorsing your product or service in their own words. This "endorsement" is much more credible and convincing than you praising your own product!

* Testimonials get your prospect excited about buying your product or service because you use specific benefits in your testimonials.

You need to get more testimonials.

You can get testimonials and it's not a difficult thing to do. It's up to you.

You can keep letting these "letters of gold" slip through your fingers, losing hundreds of dollars in business, or you can start acting like a marketing professional and get the testimonials that your quality product or service deserves.

You decide.

But, I'll be honest with you: you'll make a lot more money if you follow the simple suggestions in this newsletter -- and you'll see these letters help fill your bank account with gold!