In part one I talked about why testimonials are so important to your marketing and three reasons why they work so well.

When an ordinary consumer tries your product and loves it enough to send you a testimonial, it establishes valuable third-party credibility you can use. This is taking word of mouth advertising to the next level. Ad agencies often hire actors to perform scripts that sound like testimonials, but they lack authenticity and can misfire with consumers, or simply leave them indifferent. You get authenticity when you go out and interview actual customers to find out what they really think. If it’s a glowing review, find a way to feature that in your product marketing promotions. Great product or company testimonials should be used throughout the company website and in your PR and social media channels.

In this blog I will be talking about how to find good testimonials for your product, service or business, along with some interviewing tips to help you create better authentic testimonials.

Finding Great Testimonials

Currently in Business

Your customers or clients are the best source of honest feedback about your product or service. The first place to look is your own database. When we are gathering testimonials for a product launch I will usually schedule two taping days, one on the east cost and one on the west coast to create a diversity of testimonials and also trying more closely to find relatable people for any potential new customers who might be viewing them.

We look through the customer database for the zip codes for an area where the customers are more densely populated. We then send a series of emails to the people telling them we would like them to participate in our testimonial taping. Many people who like your product or company will be happy to do so, if you just ask!

New Product Launch or Start-up

If you are just starting and you do not have a customer database, then you will have to give some of your product away to people and have them use it for 30 to 60 days and then go back and videotape them based on their experiences. As a bonus for doing this I always let them keep the product for their efforts. If you can show people the improvement customers have experienced from using your product in before and after videos, it makes a compelling argument for buying what you are selling.

From the very first moment you start selling yourself or your product, you should be collecting testimonials. For example, you could send out a “Tell us How We Did” postcard to new customers with a grading scale and a final question along the lines of, “Finally, what would you say to someone else considering using <YOUR NAME / PRODUCT NAME>?”

Every chance you get, gather feedback. Eventually, you’ll have an entire library of testimonials. This is incredibly valuable. You’ll find that you will have one that fits any type of advertising you do to any type of demographic.

Here are some tips on live interviewing techniques that work for me: 

• Get your subject talking first; don’t ask whether they like or dislike your product — just ask how they “feel” about it.
• Be ready for a classic “deer in headlights” response, which is most people’s initial reaction to being filmed. They’re liable to shut down to simply answering “yes” or “no” if you give them the opportunity, so don’t. Instead ask questions that require them to speak at more length. One technique we use is to have the camera rolling when the person first sits down. As you are greeting them and having a normal conversation, the interviewed customer will be more at ease when they don’t think the camera is rolling.
• Always ask people to include your question in their answers. Don’t put words in their mouth as the answers tend to come out stilted and fake. Here’s an example:

Question; Would you recommend  the GoPro camera to friends?

Answer: “I would recommend the GoPro camera to friends because….”

• When you get someone who wants to talk, don’t interrupt them with more questions. Let them talk. Nod, be responsive, take notes to show you’re listening, but let them talk. You can go back and ask more specific questions based on what they’ve said. For instance, let’s say you were interviewing people about the George Foreman Grill. The conversation could go like this:

Response: “I like the fact that it’s very convenient. I can just come home from work, grab something out of the refrigerator, throw it on there, and two minutes later it’s ready.”

Question: “So, what you like about it is the fact that it’s convenient. It saves you time,” and see how they respond.

• Focus on the benefit, and use what that consumer has said as a prompt for your next person’s interviews. “Tell me about how convenient this product is to use at home. How does it help you when you come home from work? How does it help you prepare meals for your family?” Hone in on one particular benefit of the product. Another consumer might say, “I can’t believe how great the food tastes when it comes off the grill.” That gives us the prompt for the next interview: “Why do you like the taste? What’s different about the flavor the food has, cooking it this way versus the way you normally cook food?”
• Be alert to any negative answer trends coming out of the interviews. If we’re interviewing thirty consumers and all thirty say, “I don’t like the fact it takes too long to heat up,” or something like that, then that’s information that should go back to the manufacturer: “You’ve got to do something about this. People are waiting ten minutes for your grill to heat up and it’s going to be an issue.” That feedback can provide vital help in fine-tuning the product and making it better. You’re not going to have a successful brand if there are issues out there that people are concerned about.