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How to Keep Unscripted Testimonials Alive
10 Tips To Producing Genuine Testimonials |
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During your quest to make the perfect ad, your client suggests, “Hey, let's try using a testimonial from my favorite customer.” You stop, pause, put finger to mouth--hmmm is the only sound heard by your client. You’ve seen and heard testimonials before, and they usually seem fake, scripted, and contrived. Then, you remember a few testimonial ads that resonated down to your cellular level. In fact, you never forgot those testimonials that seemed genuine and thought provoking. So here is the question: how do you create a testimonial ad for your client that will be sincere and unforgettable? Here are 10 tips to producing better testimonial ads.
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Reduce the interviewee's anxiety level.
As a loyal customer, he or she is ready to help as much as possible and will try his or her best to deliver the "right" answers.
Make sure to explain to the interviewee that anything he or she says is correct, even if it seems to contradict what the advertiser wants.
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Don’t use a script.
You cannot tell the interviewee what to say.
If you do, the language will sound robotic, and most will be able to tell it is staged.
Even the smallest hint of a faked response and the testimonial becomes insignificant.
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Prepare and use an outline of questions at the audio session to keep you on track and on schedule.
Send that outline of questions to the person being interviewed the day before the recording.
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Use open-ended statements and questions like, "Tell me about your business?" Rather than closed statements like, "How long have you been in business?"
The first requires a full explanation; the later only requires a simple answer.
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Talk with the potential interviewee before hand.
Even if he or she is your client's best customer, he or she may not have a talkative, outgoing personality. If they seam uneasy about being interviewed, suggest to your client that this particular person may not be the best one for the job.
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Record more testimonials than you will need.
Then you can pick and chose only the best ones. Better to have too many good takes than not enough to make an effective ad.
Be sure to tell each person that you interview that there is no guarantee that he or she will actually be featured in the ad.
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Do not force or cajole statements out of the interviewee. Instead, ask questions, listen, summarize, and repeat.
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If you feel you must coach an interviewee, do so one suggestion at a time. Take baby steps, or they will be trying to remember too many things at once.
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Do not use local TV or radio celebrities for testimonials.
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Producing good, clean audio will positively influence the overall effectiveness of the testimonial.
Your major objective is to help the interviewee feel confident and to trust the process so that they can reveal genuine commentary. Anything south of that, just don’t use it! In other words, almost as good is the same as unusable.
 Read About Adam Deatherage
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Do you sound like an expert? Boring?
A creative idea exercise for your next ad. |
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I usually delete humorous emails sent to me but this one reminded me of a point I would like to make today. Experts can be boring. Their language is too contrived, rehearsed, routine and perfect. The novice on the other hand has no credibility to lose and can describe things closer to the mark in the minds of your customer. Consider using the language of your typical uninformed customer in your next ad rather than writing yourself what you
wish they would say. Here is the email I didn't delete.
After receiving an incoherent phone call from Frank, I got the complete story from the paramedics at the scene, which was corroborated later by Frank himself.
"Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge 3."
Here are the scorecard notes from the event:
CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI...
Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy s***, what the h*** is this stuff?
You could remove dried paint from your driveway.
Took me two beers to put the flames out.
I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.
CHILI # 2 - AUSTIN'S AFTERBURNER CHILI...
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children.
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain.
I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver.
They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.
CHILI # 3 - FRED'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI...
Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.
Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now
my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting s***-faced from all of the beer.
CHILI # 4 - BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC...
Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice.
Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. woman is starting to look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is
chili an aphrodisiac?
CHILI # 5 LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER...
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground,
adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must
admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and
I can no longer focus my eyes. I f**ted and four people behind me needed
paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her
chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by
pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning
my lips off. It really p***** me off that the other judges asked me to
stop screaming. S**** them.
CHILI # 6 - VERA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY...
Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili.
Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and
garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous,
sulfuric flames. I p**ped on myself when I broke wind, and I'm worried
it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me
except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my b***
with a snow cone.
CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI...
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of
chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am
worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be a bit of distress as he is
cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I
wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sigh t in one eye, and the world sounds
like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which
slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my
shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me.
I've decided to stop breathing its too painful. S**** it; I'm not
getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through
the 4-inch hole in my stomach.
CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI......
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too
bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild
nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 broke wind,
passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself.
Not sure if he's going to make it. poor feller, wonder how he'd have
reacted to really hot chili?
Judge # 3 - No Report
Read About Adam Deatherage
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Weekend Expo nets 3 direct sales on Monday
Gathering a month's worth of customers in 2 days. |
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Part 3. Wearing a comfortable pair of shoes and with a good nights rest, I enter the trade show prepared and alert for the 9am opening. I expect to get a fair number of leads, but what I finished with was so much more. As the day progressed, people discovered my business, and I uncovered new qualified businesses. I didn't even know they existed before, and I had been probing hard.
This morning I dumped a pile of business cards onto my desk, pulled out the qualified leads, and called them. I scheduled seven appointments and closed three direct sales all before mid-afternoon and all from the leads I found at the trade show. The real nugget came when I talked to a potential client that I had been hoping to converse with for several months; I saw him in the isle walking towards my booth where I had all my sales tools prepared. We made a connection and talked for an hour and a half.
The secrets of my trade show success are listed in my first post from the Expo,
10 Tips For Trade Show Success. I added an 11th tip in the second post,
12 Qualified Leads in 3 Hours.
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I got 12 qualified leads in 3 hours
The end of day 1 of 2 at the expo |
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 I followed the 10 tips in my previous post and ended day one with 12
good leads. Here is what I am doing differently for day two. 1. Make
sure I take notes on each lead encounter so I don't mix up faces just a
few minutes later. 2. Stand in front of the booth and not sit behind
the table. 3. Wear comfortable shoes because tomorrow will be a long
day. And let me add an 11th tip to the orgional 10. Go with at least 2 people. One person
that roves the floor while the other staffs the booth, then switch. Now
it's time for me to get a good night's sleep
Read About Adam Deatherage
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10 Tips For Trade Show Success
Live from the BCI EXPO |
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Of all the marketing mediums available to companies today, none have enjoyed the growth and acceptance as much as trade shows. Trade shows are one of the most effective sources for sales lead generation, image building and new product/service introductions. These tips for trade show success can make your company's experiences valued endeavors with resounding successes.
Tips for Trade Show Success:
1. Know why you are exhibiting or attending. Go with a definite purpose in mind. Goals that you might set could be: "to generate 40 high potential leads and to close 10% of these within six months."
2. Plan Logistics in advance. If no checklist of deadlines is included, make one up yourself.
3. Pay attention to booth design. You have about 5 seconds to capture the attention of a person walking past your booth.
4. Use motion to attract visitors. Independent studies have shown that sales will increase up to 50% when motion is added.
5. Show them what you can do. Studies tell us that two of the primary reasons visitors go to trade shows are to see what new products look like and how they work.
6. Staff for success. Don't send rookies or novices to a trade show as a training exercise!
7. Generate sales leads! Learn to qualify quickly and efficiently.
8. Practice good booth manners. Smile. Show your enthusiasm.
9. Take care of yourself. Wear comfortable shoes and get a good nights sleep.
10. Follow up. Amazingly simple advice, but only 20% of all leads generated at trade shows are ever followed up!
Stay tuned for further updates and suggestions
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Bums Don't Drive Mercedes
To Assume is Bad |
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A friend of mine who
works for a large Mercedes Benz dealership in Houston, Texas told me a
great story from his early days in the business. It was a typical hot,
dusty summer day along the gulf coast and business was slow. The sales
staff was standing around bemoaning the lack of customers when they
noticed two people in the distance walking down the highway. Even from
afar it was apparent that the two walkers had seen better days. When
they turned from the highway and started towards the dealership, all of
the sales staff, save for my friend, conveniently found pressing issues
that demanded their attention away from the sales floor. My friend was
curious and decided to speak with them and find out what they needed.
The woman plopped a large carpet bag purse on my friend's desk and
boldly stated, "We need a car. My favorite color is purple." Playing
along with the charade, my friend checked the inventory and said "You
are in luck. We have one purple sedan in stock and you can drive it out
today for only $10,000." To his amazement the woman reached into her
bag and rummaged around until she came out with a handful of money,
laid it on the desk and said , "take what you need." When my friend
could get his dropped jaw working again, he started filling out the
paperwork and asked the woman, "what name should I put on the title?"
"Janis Joplin", she replied. The moral of this story is never assume
anything or you could miss a golden opportunity because of your own
short sightedness.
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Christmas is Coming
Getting Your Share of Holiday Dollars |
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Christmas is coming.
There is a stack of bills on your desk.
This year's holiday sales have to be good.
You are thinking about gambling on some TV advertising.
You know that you watch TV the most, out of all your media options of places to advertise, so you decide to roll the dice.
Now that you are committed to spending more money on advertising this November and December than any other month all year long,
you want your moneys worth.
"I MUST put as much information in that ad as possible!" you declare.
"I need to get my money's worth, Christmas is coming."
Placing too much information in a single ad makes that spot easier for the viewer to ignore.
Does it make sence to leave the majority of your inventory out of this years advertising plan?
Assuming that you do not have a budget to make a separate ad for each section of the store, I suggest picking the one product or service that you are best at doing and has the widest appeal. You must insist that this commercial is clear and powerful. Your store will finally be remembered when your customers realize, Christmas is coming.
Try using these techniques this gift giving season; then in January start over anew. Advertise consistently each month so that you don't end up in this same jam again 12 months from today. If you want your customers to think of you first when Christmas 2007 arrives, then January 1 say to yourself: I must get my money's worth, Christmas is coming!
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Unusual Words in Unusual Combinations
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You may have seen the following list bubbling around on the web, and while I was already emailing it to my English teacher wife for corrections, I thought why not post it here on the ASB site. While she reads each entry, I expect my wife to cringe and laugh out loud with her collegiate "Ho, Ho, Ho." I on the other hand, who took English 9 times in college to pass, thought the entries would make wonderful ad copy, unusual words in unusual combinations. Here's the list. Wut do yu thenk?
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides
gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances
like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when
you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced
across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains,
one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other
from Topeka at 4:19 pm. at a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences
that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who
had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was
the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap,
only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike
Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not
eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either,
but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land
mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender
leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around
with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells,
as if she were a garbage truck backing up
Read About Adam Deatherage
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