Testimonials Convert Prospects Into Buyers

Written by Bob Leduc


Testimonials Convert Prospects Into Buyers Copyright 2004 Bob Leduc http://BobLeduc.com

Big businesses get instant credibility with their well-known company name or brand name. But small companies have to create their own credibility. One of most powerful tools you can use for this is customer testimonials.

Here are 5 tips to help you get persuasive testimonials ...and use them to convert prospects into buyers.

1. Continuously Collect Testimonials

Start by setting up a file to storerepparttar positive comments you get from customers. Many good testimonials are hidden in repparttar 120400 casual comments customers make during normal communications.

Don't overlookrepparttar 120401 positive comments you get by phone or in person. Write them down and add them to your file.

Next, look for some ways you can stimulate customers to give you testimonials. For example, send a postcard or email message to recent customers asking what they liked best about your product or service. You'll be surprised at some ofrepparttar 120402 glowing comments you get.

You don't need a lot of testimonials before you can start using them. Three is normally enough unless your sales message is unusually long.

2. Try to Get Varied Testimonials

All of your prospects and customers are not exactlyrepparttar 120403 same. Different aspects of your products and services are likely to appeal to different prospects.

Try to get testimonials that mention a variety of results achieved by your customers. The more benefits you can reveal with customer testimonials,repparttar 120404 more business they will generate for you.

3. Some Testimonials Are Better Than Others

Avoid using testimonials that are not specific. For example, "I really liked your service a lot", is nice for you to know. But it won't stimulate many prospects to buy.

Instead, look for testimonials that describe specific results. For example, "In just 2 weeks I lost 9 pounds, feel years younger and still continue to enjoy my favorite foods." That testimonial will motivate anybody who wants to lose weight to get your program fast.

Do You Have A Unique Selling Proposition?

Written by Andre Plessis


Unique Selling Proposition, or USP, is a term that refers torepparttar one thing about a product or service that makes it distinct from all others.

No matter what you sell, it is critical to define what sets you apart from your competition, makes your product/service appealing to your target audience, and what benefits your product/service provides your customers. This is your Unique Selling Proposition or USP.

In order to successfully market itself, every company needs to focus on what's special and different about its products/services. The best way to do this is to try to express this uniqueness in a single statement/phrase. If you cannot concisely describerepparttar 120399 uniqueness of your offer, you may not have a chance to fully grow a successful business. Ask yourselfrepparttar 120400 following question: What benefit is so unique about your offering, and what isrepparttar 120401 basis of this claim? If you are struggling with marketing your business, it could be because you aren’t giving potential customers a good enough reason to do business with you, instead of with your competition. Because competition is so fierce in most industries (except ticket sales: Ticket Master),repparttar 120402 only way to increase your sales is by offering prospects a benefit that no one else is. You need a Unique Selling Proposition, or USP. How to create a USP: Without a USP your marketing won’t work andrepparttar 120403 business will inevitably stagnate. Are you currently stagnating? If so YOU MUST have a USP if you want your business to succeed. Amazingly 95% of businesses don’t have a USP. You should aim to make your USPrepparttar 120404 one specific idea that first comes to mind when people think of your product or service. A very famous example comes fromrepparttar 120405 automobile industry: when people hear "Volvo" they instantly identify it with "Safety".

You must obviously educate your target market about your service/product's USP. People did not just automatically associate Volvo with safety. Volvo helped to instill this idea in their heads through advertising.

Your offer should be different, and more valuable than, your competitors' offerings and placing that idea inrepparttar 120406 minds of a target group of customers. Positioning attracts customers by creating a positive and unique identity for your company and its offerings. Positioning is vital for distinguishing your offering from everybody else's. What position do you hold in your industry? There may be very little difference between your product and your competitors' but if you can't find a way to communicate uniqueness and connect it to a need of your target, you might as well quit fighting your competition. How do people perceive your business? How will your business be perceived as different from your competition inrepparttar 120407 minds of your targeted customers? To figure this out, you must look for your best customer and then design a position that matches his or her wants and needs to an advantage that only you can offer. Dorepparttar 120408 work now to develop a clear position for your business vis-à-vis your competition. You will ensure that you getrepparttar 120409 most from your advertising budget. Think how much farther your advertising budget could take you if you had a unique selling proposition. Developingrepparttar 120410 Positioning Statement andrepparttar 120411 Tagline To begin creating your own sense of positioning for your business, answerrepparttar 120412 following questions with short, articulate answers that relate your offering to your customers' needs. 1. What does your business do? 2. Who is your target audience? 3. What is your biggest benefit to your prospects? 4. Prove your claim. To what do you attribute that benefit? 5. How will your customers perceive this benefit, relative torepparttar 120413 competition? The easiest way to understand what a USP is and what it can do for your business is to look at an example of Domino’s Pizza inrepparttar 120414 US that used a Unique Selling Proposition to becomerepparttar 120415 market leader in a competitive business. Domino’s incorporated key benefits into a compelling USP. “Fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed” The focus is on convenience, freshness and quick delivery all important benefits to people living rushed and convenience lives. Notice thatrepparttar 120416 USP focuses only on benefits thatrepparttar 120417 customer gets. Domino’s has included their USP in all their marketing campaigns. As a result, there is a strong awareness inrepparttar 120418 market of what you can expect if you choose Domino’s Pizza. Their USP has enabled Domino’s to take ownership of a big piece ofrepparttar 120419 market as people who want quick delivery of fresh, hot pizza. The USP answersrepparttar 120420 question of why people should buy Pizza from Domino’s. The answer is of course, call them if you want fresh, hot pizza delivered to you within 30 minutes. Note thatrepparttar 120421 USP is very specific. It says that you will get fresh, hot pizza delivered to you within 30minutes, guaranteed! The USP is like a promise to your existing and potential customers. You can imitate Domino’s and make a compelling promise to your customers. First, you have figure out a USP that will appeal to your target market. Then, you need to announce it in a way that attracts attention. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you must make sure that your USP is delivered. Don’t make promises you cannot deliver. Now you know what a USP is. The trick is to develop a USP that will attract your target market and that your business can deliver on. You need to spend time developing a Unique Selling Proposition that will give your business a competitive advantage. Each advertisement must say to each reader: 'Buy this product and you will get this specific benefit.' The proposition must be one thatrepparttar 120422 competition either cannot, or does not, offer. The proposition must be so strong that it can moverepparttar 120423 mass millions; i.e., pull over new customers to your product. Depending onrepparttar 120424 real benefits of your product or service andrepparttar 120425 void in your market that you are filling, your USP might be one ofrepparttar 120426 following (or any number of others you might think of):

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