In today's marketing world, it is no longer suppliers and manufacturers who control the buying cycle and decide what the customer sees, when they see it, and where they see it. Customers today have already traveled a majority of the way through the buying cycle before they contact a company. What should you do now that you no longer control the buying cycle? To be successful, you must cater to the customer's search and provide them with content and information that will help them make their decision. One of the strongest tools to use to do this are customer testimonials, and here's why:
Customers are looking for proof of what you claim
Anyone can shout that he or she is the best, but without proof of your claim it remains just a hollow phrase. True, it is important to emphasize where your specialty lies and why exactly your organization is the best party for the customer, but at least as important is to provide proof of this. And who better to do that than your customers? Your potential customers are looking for confirmation and preferably receive it from the party with whom they can best identify, namely your existing customers.
Customer testimonials are seen as trustworthy
Because customer testimonials do not reflect your own voice, they are considered unbiased beliefs of how well your products and services are being received. Customer testimonials do not come across as a sales pitch, which is something many customers will appreciate. The information is seen as trustworthy, so customer testimonials can contribute greatly to the customer's choice of your product or service.
Customer testimonials convince even the biggest skeptics
Good customer testimonials are able to convince even the biggest skeptics that your products and/or services have really made a difference with your customers. Especially in important decisions that represent a significant investment or have a major impact on business operations, customers will adopt a skeptical attitude and not take all claims for granted.
The bottom line is simple: make sure you use customer testimonials in communicating with your target audience. It is one of the most effective, inexpensive and easy-to-use tools in your marketing and sales strategy.
Philip van Kemenade is a marketer at Dysel and has daily contact with end users of software.
