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.
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.
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 ...
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."
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Copyright - 1999, J.F. (Jim) Straw. All rights reserved.