Well, to begin with, not all "copy writing gurus and experts stress the
vital importance of testimonials." -- I know I don't.
On page #11 in the mailorder bible (my book; "Own Your Own Mailorder
Business"), you will find my experienced observations about the use of
testimonials. -- Pay close attention to the two schools of thought on the
subject.
Note: "Own Your Own Mailorder Business" ... the 'bible'
of the mailorder industry ... is available in the
"POWER TOOLS" at the
"Business Lyceum."
When I wrote the book, I had discontinued using testimonials in any of my
sales pieces ... I even explained "why" in the book. -- Since then, I
have added "true" testimonials to my sales letter for my "WorldWide Business
Exchange" - but - I did it my way ... which is different from the way some of
my contemporaries use testimonials. -- I used them as a 'qualifier.'
In choosing the "testimonials" for my sales letter, I used testimonials
that would appeal to "real" business people ... as opposed to "wannabes." As a
matter of fact, I used testimonials that would 'turn-off' the majority of
"hype" customers because the testimonials were purposely chosen to make those
kind of people feel inferior to my readers.
Note: You can read those 'testimonials' in the
information about "WorldWide
Business Exchange" at the "Business Lyceum."
Now ... back to Dave's situation, in answer to Sydney's
Question:
Although all four of Dave's alternatives are viable, #2 and #4 are the
methods I have used consistently - but - #1 and #3 touch upon some other
methods I would use if I absolutely wanted to use "testimonials" in my sales
material but didn't have any.
First. Instead of "referrals" from people who know and like "me," or
"joint ventures" with other notables in the industry, I would try a ...
Celebrity Endorsement Approach
Referrals from your friends may be ego-building, and may even inspire your
potential customers - but - your potential customers may too easily see
through them. After all, "friends" have a way of expressing their
friendship with more sentiment than rationality.
Joint Ventures, on the other hand, while being a viable "marketing" ploy,
could be considered "suspect" by your potential customers because of the
obvious profit motive.
So ... why not use a "celebrity" endorsement instead.
For many years, our ol'friend, Gary Halbert (another ol'pro in the
mailorder industry), espoused the use of underpaid, over-exposed, minor TeeVee
and Movie Actors as "paid" endorsers for your products or services. In
his material, Gary detailed the methods to use to contact those minor
celebrities; told how to approach them; and recommended how much to offer
them.
Even though these are "paid" endorsements, they can carry a great deal of
weight because your potential customers recognize and, thereby, think they
"know" the person making the endorsement. -- It's all the better if you can
afford to "hire" Rush Limbaugh, Cher, Charlton Heston, Alex Trebek, or some
other super-well-known celebrity to do the endorsement.
Note: Since I've never used "paid" celebrity
endorsements ... like Gary Halbert ... I would be remiss in trying to relate
the methods to use in contacting and compensating those celebrities - but -
if'n you look around, you might be able to find some of Gary's writings on
mailorder marketing to help you. -- Unfortunately, I haven't heard from Gary
in too many years and the last letter I sent him came back undeliverable, so I
don't even know how to tell you where to get ahold of him or his
materials.
Of course, using "paid" celebrity endorsements costs money ... even if it
is just a few hundred dollars for a very minor TeeVee or Movie Actor - but -
there is a cheaper and more effective way.
In many industries ... not all; or even most; but many ... there are
notables (industry celebrities) who are well-known to the people who may want
or need your products or services. -- Instead of using "testimonials" from
people who know you, try to get "quotable comments" (indirect endorsements)
from people your customers know.
As an example: When I finished writing "Own Your Own Mailorder
Business," one of the first things I did was to have a bunch of bound
manuscript copies put together. Then, I mailed those copies ... with a
personal letter ... to all of my old friends and acquaintances in the
mailorder industry. These were people who knew me but, they were also
well-known to my customers.
My purpose in sending the advance review copies to those people was to get
their input. I wanted to know if there were things I should have
included in the book but didn't ... or things I had included in the book that
I shouldn't have.
Even though my intention was not to gain "quotable comments" from those
people, almost every one of them told me I could quote them ... if I wanted
to. -- But ...
Had I chosen to "quote" any of those mailorder notables, I would have first
written up the "quote" exactly as I would be using it in my sales
material. Then, I would have sent a copy of the ëquoteí I proposed using
to the person who had made the comment to get their approval and permission to
use the quote as written. -- I really wouldn't have had to do that because
almost all of the letters I had received told me I could quote them but it is
something I have always done. As a matter of fact, that little practice
once saved me from a lawsuit.
You can use a similar approach to create your own "celebrity"
endorsements.
Just select a list of well-known people ... people your potential customers
will recognize and respect ... in your industry. Then, send them a
"sample" of your product (or service) for their use and comment. -- You can do
that even if you don't know them and they don't know you ... as long as your
product is something that they should, would or could comment on within the
industry.
Hey ... don't be chintzy. -- Send them the most valuable sample of the
product you have. No matter how much it costs you, it beats the cost of a
"paid" endorsement. -- The most favorable comments you get can be used ...
after getting permission ... in your sales material.
Note: Some of the "comments" you get back from the
notables in your industry may not be quotable ... even uncomplimentary or
derogatory. -- Use those comments to refine, revise and improve your product.
-- In other cases, the comments you get ... while not necessarily usable as
indirect endorsements ... may provide key-phrases, buzz-words, motivational
buttons, or other marketing ideas you can use to enhance your sales
material.
Beyond that, you might want to ...
Create a Board of Advisors
Invite well-known people ... people your potential customers will recognize
and respect ... in your industry to serve on your Board of Advisors. -- If you
have received some favorable "comments" from notables in your industry ...
comments you might use as "celebrity" endorsements ... when you ask their
permission to use their quotes, also ask them to serve on your Board of
Advisors. Then, print your Board of Advisors in a side-bar on your
company letterhead. -- Use that letterhead in all your correspondence to lend
credence to company.
This works well even if there aren't any well-known, recognizable
authorities in your industry.
How many times have you received a letter with a "Board of Advisors" or
"Advisory Board" (or some other nomenclature) listed on the company's
letterhead? -- The names on that board are such people as the company's
Banker(s), Accountant(s), Attorney(s), etc. -- Any "professional" who serves
the company. -- Sometimes they even list the organizations the principals
belong to, degrees the principals hold, and awards the company and/or
principals have received.
Using a Board of Advisors (Advisory Board; whatever) on your letterhead ...
even if you don't have any "testimonials" or "endorsements" ... can lend the
"credibility" of your "advisors" to your company ... enhancing the "image" of
your company in your customers' eyes.
By the way, it is easier than you might think to put together a Board of
Advisors.
Some years ago, I helped a young company put together an Advisory Board
made up of some of the most recognizable names in the Financial Industry. --
All I did was write to each of those people explaining the financial 'service'
the new company would be offering. In the letter, I also asked if the
company could call upon them; personally, on occasion for advice in their
field of expertise.
Once I had a response from those people ... most of them graciously
agreeing to provide advice ... I wrote back and advised them that I was
putting together an "Advisory Board" for the company and would like to list
their name on that board. -- You wouldn't believe the big, Big, BIG names I
finally ended-up with on that board.
Remember, all people like to think of themselves as giving and caring - and
- they also like to have their egos massaged ... so, being on an "Advisory
Board" massages their ego and makes them feel caring and giving.
Then again, even if there aren't any well-known people your potential
customers will recognize and respect in your industry, you might want to
...
Use Professional Endorsements
Some years ago, a small company that marketed a patented air purification
device was preparing their very first mailorder sales campaign. -- They, too,
had read all about using "testimonials" in their sales materials but they
didn't have any.
At first, their sales materials focused on "cleaning the air in your home
or office." So, they had some friends use the devices in their homes and
report the results. -- Those reports ... although not very convincing ...
became their very first "testimonials." But, they did make enough sales
of the device to start getting some "real" testimonials from buyers.
One of the "testimonials" they received was from a Doctor who had bought
one of the devices for his asthmatic daughter ... to clean-up the air in her
bedroom. -- That "testimonial" made the company refocus their sales
message.
Having learned that their device was helpful in the treatment of asthma,
the company decided they could sell more units by offering it to asthmatics.
But, they only had the one "testimonial" from one Doctor about the device's
effectiveness. So ...
The company sent a letter to a list of Doctors around the country who
treated asthma patients. -- In the letter, the company offered to provide one
FREE air purification device to an asthma patient of the Doctor's choice IF
the Doctor would agree to document any beneficial results to the company. --
Of course, they limited the offer to the first 100 Doctors and required the
Doctor to complete a survey form about the patient who would received the
device ... along with the Doctor's signed agreement to provide feedback
about the applied use and effectiveness of the device. (They enclosed a
copy of the "one" doctor's testimonial as initial evidence of the
effectiveness of the device in the treatment of asthma patients.)
Within 3 months, the company had enough "real" testimonials (endorsements)
from "real" Doctors to fill a full-page. -- That page of Doctor's testimonials
became the foundation for their mailings to lists of asthma patients across
the country. -- A year later, the owners of the company were "real"
millionaires.
If you are marketing a product (or service) that can be most effectively
tested by some profession, why not create a "survey" for members of that
profession (doctors, lawyers, accountants, Indian chiefs) and have them "test"
the product or service on their clients? The resulting "testimonials"
can give you a ho'bunch of Professional Endorsements to use in your sales
material.
Then again, if you can't find any "celebrities," don't know who to put on
your Board of Advisors, or don't have a product or service to get some
"professionals" to endorse, try ...
Using Article Reprints
Usually, when most business people think about getting a News Release
published, they do so with the intent of having the resulting article generate
inquiries for; or even sales of, their product. But, there is an even
better use of those published articles.
When I finished writing my book, beyond sending bound manuscript copies to
other giants in the mailorder industry, I also sent out a ho'bunch of "Review
Copies" to book reviewers. -- Along with those review copies, I sent a very
brief (two paragraph) description of the book to give the potential book
reviewer an idea of what the book was about ... with a copy of my bio-sheet;
so the reviewer would have some idea of who I am.
Of all the reviews that were written about my book, the very, very best was
written by the book reviewer at "Jackpot." -- As a matter of
fact, where the reviews in other publications did pull some inquiries about
the book, the review in "Jackpot" eventually pulled a total of 17 "paid
orders" for the book. (At $50 per, that ain't bad fer a Freebie.)
To be quite honest with you, since I had sold over 1,000 copies of my book
without any testimonials or endorsements, I really wasn't looking for anything
to enhance my response - but - when I saw the number of paid orders coming-in
from that review, I decided to reprint the article and make it part of my
sales letter offer. -- The results were phenomenal ... still are. -- That
reprint increased my response rate by from 50% to 200% ... meaning lists that
pulled a 1% response without the reprint pulled from 1.5% to 3% with the
reprint.
Having said that, you now have an even bigger reason to get some News
Articles printed about yourself, your business, and your products or services.
-- It isn't just the inquiries the articles can generate, it's the potential
use of reprints of some of those articles to build your business image.
Now, following up on what I just said, here's ...
How To Get A Good News Release Written
Most Journalists are on the low-end of the pay scale. For that
reason, they are always looking for "freelance" writing assignments.
When you want to get a news article (Release) written about yourself, your
business or product, go to your local newspaper office and talk to some of the
reporters. Ask if any of them would be interested in earning a few bucks
on a "freelance" writing assignment.
Once you have the reporters' interest ... which will happen almost
instantly ... tell them you want a dynamite news article written about
(whatever) . -- Tell them they don't have to offer the article to their
newspaper for publication ... just write it. -- Ask them to suggest or
recommend ideas, publicity stunts, gimmicks, tricks or anything else you can
do to give them a "story" to write. -- Offer to pay the reporters from $100 to
$500 for each "story" you accept. -- Buy the articles that have the most punch
to them. -- Use those articles as News Releases.
Hey ... it works! I've done it myself.
Can you stump the old master? -- Betcha can't!
Over the past 40 years (man and boy), I have made bundles of money in
direct selling, service contracting, wholesale merchandising, entertainment (I
was a professional Trumpet player, vocalist & Radio Announcer), freight
forwarding, import/export, retail merchandising, warehousing, real estate,
electronics manufacturing, finder's fees, closeout merchandising, financial
brokerage, business consulting, steel fabrication, gold and coal mining,
offshore banking, mailorder, writing, and publishing. -- That being the case
...
No matter what business you're in ... whether you're just starting, well on
your way, or at the top of the heap ... I've probably been where you are, done
what you are doing. -- So ...
Anytime you have a question about 'how' to do something in your
business ... or - if you have any comments about anything I've said in
issues of this e-Letter; or if you want to add your 2 cents worth ... just
"ask" me or "tell" me.
Send your Questions, Comments or 2 Cents Worth to ...
eletter@businesslyceum.com
with "Question" - "Comment" - or, "2 Cents Worth" in the
SUBJECT.
If I, personally, don't have an answer to any question you may ask, I will
contact some of the professionals in your field of endeavor (I will probably
know one or more personally) to get the real 'skinny' for you.
Note: If you want to ask a question anonymously
just tell me so when you send in the question. Nobody but you and I
will know who asked the question.
Well ... that's it for this month. -- In order to make every issue
responsive to YOUR needs, please send me your questions; or tell me what
sources or resources you need to build your business; or give me any thoughts
you want to share with your fellow members.
Believe it or don't ... I ain't a mind-reader. -- If'n you doesn't tell me
what you need, I may never touch upon the information, sources or resources
you need.
This is your Discussion Group and your publication for you to use to your
benefit ... I am just your moderator.
Until next month, keep well ...
J.F. (Jim) STRAW
Mailorder Master
Thought For The Month!
An old Chinese proverb advises ...
"If you would have one year of prosperity, cultivate grain. If
you would have 10 years of prosperity, cultivate trees. If you would
have 100 years of prosperity, cultivate people."
Them old Chinese know what they're talking about.
Adding to that sage advice, old J.F. (Confucius) Straw says, "If
you would have a prosperous business, cultivate satisfied customers."
Making Money is FUN & EASY when you know how! Learning "how" is Fun & Easy too -- when you use the
... FREE Reports ... FREE Resources ... FREE Newsletter ... available from the "Business Lyceum."
Jim Straw's Business Lyceum