Back to the Basics of Business by Timothy Caron

Archive for the ‘Sales Letter Witting’ Category

Hey Guy’s & Gal’s,

Here’s out next installment on “How to use Testimonials” from “How To Write A Killer sales letter. Now I will have to admit, I tried to put this together myself, but started to go off on a tangent, because there are so many ways to use testimonials on your website so I took a recent article that a friend of mine wrote, that really gets right to the point.

So, I’m going to let my friend Abe describe it best…

Read the rest of this entry »

How to Collect Testimonials from “How to Write a Killer Sales Letter”

Hey Guy’s and Gal’s, we’re but with the next installment of “How to Write a Killer Sales letter.”

Our next subject is on: How to Collect Testimonials.

There are many was to get testimonials from your customers. You can:

1. Hold contest for the best written testimonial. Give them a reward, gift or some publicity in exchange for their testimonials.
2. ask for letters of endorsements from your customers, vendors, suppliers, and any associates you have. Use them to promote your products and services. When you use testimonials to add credibility to what you do, you are letting your customers do some of the marketing for your business.
3. If you are just starting out fresh, give a sample version of your product or trial service to those whom you know. They can be your business associates, friends, or people whom you know need your solution. This is the fastest way you can get testimonials. You start with proving your worth.
4. Get top  names, influential people and experts to endorse your product. Sp, look for top names and experts in your field and get their e-mail address. E-mail them and politely ask for their endorsement. Since they are only an e-mail away, why not?
5. You can participate in active forums and newsgroups where people of similar interest and mindset gather around and dicuss on the same topic. This is a good place where you can meet people and get their testimonials simply by asking for their permission and give them a sample of your product. If you product is of genuine quality, you can count on them to send their honest testimonials in and spread the word for you.

When you use these testimonials, you want to weave them into your marketing story. Use them to support your claims and promises. For every benefit or objective you need to overcome in your products or services, it is the best scenario to  have testimonials establishing or referencing each of those benefits or objections.

The benefit of using testimonials on your website can help link popularity in search engine results as well. Check them out next time you visit their office or website and see for what people are saying about their business practices. You will be amazed.

Next time we’ll time talk about: Examples of How Testimonials and Endorsements Are Used.

Until next time, wishing you abundant prosperity.
Timothy

Hey Guy’s & Gal’s. here’s our next article “Endorsements and Testimonials from “How to Write Killer Sales Letters”

Endorsements and Testimonials

Sure, you could go on and on rattling about what a good offer your prospect is looking at and why he should buy from you, but he would also be interested in the kind of results other customers who have tried out got from the product or service before he dives into the offer.

So, you need testimonials.

Testimonials from your customers are one of the strongest marketing tools available.

What is a testimonial? It is a statement, usually written by your customer, saying nice things about some aspect of you, your product or service and your business.

What to have in your Testimonials

Testimonials about YOUR product, not you. Do not be fooled by the simplicity of this statement. Testimonials that say you are a great person whatsoever are NOT the type of testimonials your rpospects are looking for, though such testimonials can build trust and your name. But your prospects are more interested in how your product can benefit them or solve their problems. They did not read your sales letter to see you praising yourself.

Testimonials that mention result. The more specific they are, the better. Interested prospects want to know what the results other customers have benefited from hte usage of your product or service.

Quality / quantity. If you can get top names in your niche or field to endorse your product, it will help you increase your sales. If you do not know any experts or top names who can help endorse your product, you can make in the quanity of testimonials. The more testimonials you have, the more convincing your sales letter will be.

Customer essential details. Include your customers Full Name and City/State Country after his or her testimonial. You can include your customer’s website URL or contact e-mail address where applicable (with permission). And if you can, get your customers phot and paste it inot your sales letter. Using photos can increase your credibility and shows how pleased your cutomers are when using your product.

In our next post, we’ll talk about “How to Collect Testimonials.
Until next time…
Timothy Caron

Continuing on from our previous article concerning Features & Benefits I’d like to make one more comment.

While we have been talking about selling your product or service through your sales letter, there is one thing you must remember, you do not buy a product for the sake of buying the product! And neither does anyone else on this planet. You buy a product because of getting the benefits or solving your problems! You did not buy a refrigerator because it was a refrigerator, did you? But you bought one because it sure is going to be a problem keeping your food out in the open!.

Top Internet Entrepreneurs know this business principle very well. This also explains why exclusive product memberhip sites continue to thrive and grow. Their selling point is not in the product but the solutions and benefits the product gives.

Tomorrow we’ll talk about Endorsements and Testimonials and why you must have them on your website.

Until next time
May your day be a prosperous one.
Timothy Caron

Benefits vs. Features

Copywirting 101, Lesson 3: What happens when you do not explain the benefits of your product in your sales letter?

Answer: No sales!

That is right. You do not have to be a savvy copywriter to know that. But somehow, most of us make this terrible mistake.

More often than not, features are often being mistaken as benefits. I have been asked by friendly business associates to review their sales letters and sadly, this is a common mistake I always see in their sales letter. If I were in the shoes of the potential customer, I am more interested in how a product can benfit me than know what it looks like. Recall the last time you bought a product, online or offline. Why did you buy it? Did you buy it because of it’s features? Or did you buy it becasue it can benefit you or solve your problem?

To Learn the distinct definitions of benfeit and feature, see below.

• Benefit. According to the Pocket English Dictionary’s definition, it means an advantage; to be useful or profitable to. In the case of selling your product on your web page or blog, you want to tell how useful or how your product can solve your prospect’s problems.
• Feature. According to the Pocket English Dictionary’s definition, it means characteristic. In case of selling your product on our blog, you want to also tell your prospect in what form your product is(digit or physical).

The following are examples of benefits and features:

• You sell slimming powder on your site (Physical product). The feature of your product is easy-to-digest powder packed in a tin or carton. The benefit of your product is that consumers can now lose weight the easy way!.
• You sell and information product on your blog (digital product). The feature of your product are PDF Format and have Master Resell RIghts. Therefore, the benefits are your customers can download it instantly as soon as they pay and they have an income opportunity to make money and keep all the profits to themselves!.

All in all, write BOTH features and benefits of your product. But sella SOLUTION, NOT a product!