By Carl Weiss
Would you like to know” the secret” to turning your best customers into your best sales people ? How would you like to have them work for you 24/7, 365 days a year? Better yet, how about having them work for you for free (or maybe next to nothing)? Well, this article teaches you just that. I will show you how to get your customers to sing your praises 24/365 and be happy for doing it. So read on and turn your best customers into your best sales people.
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| Courtesy of |
Everyone thinks that being on Page One of search engines such as Google is the be-all, end-all of online marketing. Far from it. In fact, I have known a number of companies that were all over page one but were still failing to convert clicks into cash. Like it or not, the biggest roadblock you have in finding the net profit on the Internet is not only related to generating a Page One result. The other and even more important factor is credibility.
They Don’t Know You!
There’s a 99% chance that first time visitors to your website probably don’t know you. Plus, there are more scammers and spammers online today than ever before and it is natural that most trust is at a premium online. While things like Google reviews and rave reviews on sites such as Angie’s List can go a long way toward building customer confidence, there is an even better way to seal the deal. If you are looking for the ultimate Internet confidence booster, allow me to say two words: Video Testimonials. Now I know what you're thinking, "I already have testimonials on my website. Why do I need to create videos of them?"
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| Testimonial for Homerite |
If you want the short answer to the question, pick up the phone and call a friend and ask him or her when they look at a printed testimonials, whom do they assume wrote them. Nine times out of ten, the answer you will receive will be, "The website owner."
Printed Testimonial Lack Credibility Unless …
The problem with printed testimonials is they lack credibility. Short edited sound bites testimonials look fake. Just like backlinks, it is all too easy to rig the game by planting bogus testimonials on a website. Video virtually eliminates the possibility of chicanery. Since seeing is believing, by taking the time to shoot a 60-second testimonial, you automatically gain points on the old credibility meter. They only way you can use print is if you scan the original document and list it with signatures and names showing. You will also have to get permission to use it online.
Don’t Let the Fear Factor Stop You
The fear factor is the second roadblock stopping many businesses from taking advantage of video testimonials. They are simply too afraid to ask a satisfied customer to stand in front of a camera. One of our previous clients was a chiropractor. When we suggested he ask patients to drop by for an interview he was aghast. “I can’t ask patients to tell you about their treatments. Our relationship is too intimate.”
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| Fear Factor Live (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
To make a long story short, I convinced him to humor me and ask a couple of patients whether they would be willing to be interviewed on video. Not only did the first few patients jump at the chance, but after a year and a half, more than 40 of his patients and that of his partner across town had trooped by our studio to stand in front of the green screen in order to tell us what great chiropractors they are.
Let Your Clients Toot Your Horn for You
Here’s the bottom line, if you don’t ask you don’t get. While credibility is a great reason to take the time and trouble to shoot video testimonials, it is not the only reason. Another reason I encourage all our clients to videotape their testimonials is because satisfied customers are able to toot your horn the loudest. Where you would draw incredulous stares by brazenly stating what a wonderful job you do, or how much your services help people solve their problems, a client can tell your audience exactly how they feel about your business. They are not hemmed in by the constraints of humility in the same way that a business owner would be. They can call it as they see it.
Check out one of our earliest customer video testimonials, it's still working three years later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aHMTq0W3Hw
The best part is, it's not all that difficult to get a customer or two to agree to tell their story via video. In fact, it's been my experience most customers are thrilled to be invited to participate in a taping. Some of them are real hams. The important thing is to tell themthey don't have to rehearse what they are going to say. All they have to do is answer a few simple questions in front of the camera. That's all there is to it. Then you or your videographer can cut and paste the best sound bites together and leave the rest on the cutting room floor.
Short Videos Have Big Impact
Video testimonials do not have to be long or involved to create real impact. You would be surprised how much a happy customer can impart to your audience in 60 to 90 seconds. The objective is not to program a reality TV show, but to show prospects a few choice bits of information about your business designed to convince them to take action.
In this article, I explained how to turn your best customers into your best sales people. By using various forms of testimonials, including video and print, you can make a big impact on prospects and visitors to your web properties. I have also provided details on how to get your clients engaged in helping you and how to use these testimonials 24/7, 365 days a year.
If you found this article useful, please share it with friends, family, co-workers and associates. To learn more about this subject read, "Using Video as a Social Media Platform “ and "The Future of Web Video – Candid Camera for Everyone," located on our blog. You can also search this blog by keying in "videos" or "YouTube" in the search box. If you have something to add or have a difference of opinion, place that in the comments section. Thanks for taking the time to read our blog and by the way, please leave us a nice testimonial.
Thanks again!
If you would like a free copy of our book, "Internet Marketing Tips for the 21st Century,," please fill in the form below and we will send you this free eBook. Your information is always keep private and never sold.
Carl Weiss is president of Working the Web to Win, a digital marketing agency based in Jacksonville, Florida. You can listen to Carl live every Tuesday at 4 p.m Eastern on BlogTalkRadio.
Carl Weiss is president of Working the Web to Win, a digital marketing agency based in Jacksonville, Florida. You can listen to Carl live every Tuesday at 4 p.m Eastern on BlogTalkRadio.
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When it comes to converting clicks into cash, nothing beats video testimonials.
ReplyDeleteVideo testimonials are indeed the way to go. They're far more compelling than reading supposed verbiage testimonials, especially when they have such signatures as " -- John D."
ReplyDeleteThe advent of video online has certainly changed the way we live, work, make buying decisions, etc. Video testimonials carry more clout than quasi-anonymous and/or possibly ficticious ones. Again WWW is right on the mark.
ReplyDelete