Hard Advice For The Persuasive Marketer Part Three: Make Your Audience Believe

February 20, 2008 · Filed Under Customers Are Your Gold, Marketing Advice and Tips, Marketing Vault, Persuasion Marketing Series

photo by john nangel

Do you realize the power of selling that trust carries?

Do you know the monetary worth of a great customer testimonial?

If not, you should…

You Must Build Trust, Or No One Will Buy

So far we’ve talked about knowing your target audience or market, and not giving them too many options.

In Part Two, we talked about the essential importance of having a strong call to action. So, in Part Three of how to become a persuasive marketer, we talk about building trust, or what the copywriters like to say, social proof.

What Is Social Proof?

Social proof is the ability of a large number of people to convince someone of something, a truth of you will. For example, if a large number of your friends says that a new movie is awesome and that you must go now, chances are, you will go.

Why?

Simply because you were won over by the number of people who gave you social proof.

Secondly, you can also be won over to a social proof if a certain person holds more authority and credibility over another.

The Doctor Is Right

Imagine your friend tells you to eat a certain vegetable, as it increases concentration and memory, two things a entrepreneur needs. Let’s say you ignore him because your doctor tells you that instead of eating vegetables, that 3 apples per week will give you the same results.

Who has more cred?

Your doctor of course.

You trust him more because he has the white lab coat, the degree, and the stethoscope.

The same thing goes for your business or website when you want to start building social proof.

Words. They Make All The Difference

The simple but highly effective and dynamite use of testimonials from satisfied customers will do AMAZING things for your bottom line. It’s like I always tell my clients, I could write the most convincing copy in the world, but if I don’t have your customers saying the same thing in testimonials on your website and print ads, I really don’t have much social proof-there is not much for the prospect to fall back on.

Testimonials change all that, don’t they?

So, today, right down 10 people-customers, clients, and associates, that could either review your products or services or that have used them successfully, and turn those into testimonials.

Wait! Remember These Testimonial Rules

1. Don’t make testimonials up

2. Try to make your customers and clients give you specific information on how you helped them save time, double their profits, etc.

Got any tips on how you used your testimonials effectively? Have a question? Just leave a comment below.

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