Thoughts on Marketing…

No matter what business you’re in, a few good testimonials scattered around your website or in your marketing materials are a good thing. But – and this is the big BUT – most people are afraid to ask for them. It feels like you’re being pushy, or maybe like you’re desperate for business, or maybe so insecure that you need someone to tell you how good you are.

Whatever the reason, I’d guess that asking for testimonials ranks up there with public speaking when the subject is “Things I don’t want to do.”

You don’t have to be so direct. Instead, you can go about it a bit more subtle fashion – by asking some pointed questions. You, or someone in your firm, can do a follow up call a week or two after the purchase and simply chat. When you get something good, ask permission to use it. Then type it out and send it to them for approval.

Here are some questions to get your “questioning” juices flowing:

1. What problem were you trying to solve when you purchased ________?
2. Did it fulfill your expectations? (Hopefully they say yes, then ask “How”)
3. Has using _______ saved you money?  How?
4. Has using _______ saved you time?  How?
5. Do you use this yourself, or does someone else use it?
6. What do you like or dislike about the _________?
7. What would you tell other people about our product?
8. Is there anything you want me to know about our product or our service?

When I had a real estate company we sent out a 4 question form after each closing. We asked if everything was done to their satisfaction, if there was anything they especially appreciated, if there was something we could have done better, and if they had any other comments.

Not everyone returned the form, but we learned a lot from those who did, and we did get some good testimonials. We also got good suggestions about how to improve things, and those have a tremendous value when you’re trying to be the best you can be.