The testimonial, a very powerful item to have for sales and marketing, it provides assurance to the vendor about your work ethic, honesty, integrity and commitment, but how do you as a new start-up business prove your work ethic without them? I run a company that provides web marketing services for new start-up businesses, and I got asked this question by one of my clients.
It got me thinking about this, if you are brand new in business, how do you prove how good you actually are? Yes you may have your qualifications and passed exams, you must tell the world about them and how proud you are of your achievements, but that will only go part of the way.
A testimonial is a virtual way of getting a referral, and a referral puts you 80% of the way towards the end goal, a sale or signed contract.
The power of the testimonial cannot be overrated, one very huge example of how testimonials can work is a website like trip advisor.
Although these are classed as a review, in a way they are also a testimonial.
If you are looking for a hotel, and want the inside info as to how the hotel really is, for most hotels now there are hundreds of testimonials, OK some are bad ones, but if you find a hotel with raving reviews/testimonials you will more likely book that.
It is exactly the same for any business, a good testimonial will go a long way towards getting the sale, the only difference is we get to cherry pick what we show on our websites and promotional literature, namely the best testimonials.
OK you're a new start-up and you don't have any testimonials yet, or you're an established business which has never asked for one.
I was like that a few years ago, I was too shy, or too worried about the criticism I may receive.
I found however the opposite reaction when asked, my clients were only too happy to give referrals and it is now a standard part of my marketing strategy, do a job get a referral.
One thought you may have had is OK I'll make some testimonials up, Sounds like a good idea but what if your potential client decides to contact the referee, that would backfire on you big time and make you look dishonest.
In many ways meeting a potential client it is like a mini job interview, they are sizing you up, trying to decide whether you're up to the task and whether they actually like you.
So why not treat it like a bit like a job interview.
The place to start is to obtain pre-start references.
Go to previous employers, ask them to write you a reference, they should be only too willing, especially if you tell them you are starting your own business.
One addendum to this would be if you were starting up in competition with them.
Secondly Have you done any work for friends or family, could they write a short testimonial for? Have you done any voluntary work or been involved in an association or club, where you had responsibility? At the end of the day, most people when looking at buying a product or service want the assurance that what you are offering will fulfill their needs, especially when selling a service where you are selling yourself and your knowledge.
So it's time to get your thinking hat on, who could write you a testimonial or character reference.
Once you get some references get them on your website, get them on your promotional literature, and tell the world "yes I am actually this good at what I do" Finally best of luck in your new venture.