customers, consist of just a few sentences or paragraphs that tell prospects why you, your company, and your product or service are so damn good.
These testimonial letters do a super job of giving you and your company credibility. When presenting your company or solution, you should carry with you at least three testimonial letters from happy users.
Throughout my career the products that I have been most successful sell- ing were also the ones that had the most testimonials backing them up. My most successful product of all time was like an out-of-control freight train. It was an $11,000 scope, and I sold lots of them. Early on, I decided that I was going to get as many testimonial letters from happy users as possible. To do this, my objective was to get one testimonial letter for every three happy users. As I began to sell more products, I began to get more testimonial let- ters. The more testimonial letters I got, the more sales I began to get. And this pattern continued until I led the company in the sales of that product.
In the end, I had over thirty-five letters from happy customers. These letters were from many different types of users that were happy about many different things. There were doctors that were happy about the performance of the scope. There were nurses that found the scope easy to maintain. There were medical assistants that found the scope easy to clean. There were office managers who could not believe the price of the scope and saw great value in it. And there were patients that found some value in being able to see the results of an exam in real-time.
I had all of these letters in my presentation binder, ready to pull out at a second’s notice. When a medical assistant would bring up a concern about the cleaning of the scope, I would pull out the two or three letters from other medical assistants. These letters would say that these current users also had concerns at first, but were now convinced that what I had said in my presentation was true. When a nurse would tell me that they were con- cerned about the maintenance of the scope, I would pull out three or four letters from nurses that once felt the same way, but were now happy.
These letters were gold. I can’t tell you how many times these things pulled my sale back from the abyss and turned the prospect completely around. They often gave me credibility I could find nowhere else. They were like having a hundred or more medical professionals standing in the bullpen waiting for me to call them out at a seconds notice to back up everything I was saying.
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How Do I Get Testimonial Letters?
First, you need to plan to get testimonial letters. Set an objective to get it done. Remember, the more you have, the more credibility you have—so don’t skimp here. To make sure you don’t neglect this step, you should make time in your daily planner or PDA to follow up with recent cus- tomers. They will appreciate your follow up and that you are checking to see that all is well. If all is well, they will usually be willing to share their positive experiences in writing. I usually like to help them in the writing of the letter by asking, “What is it that you like about the product? How is it making your life easier?”
Once they tell me, I then ask if we can put those specific points on paper so I could share them, if need be, with other interested customers.
You will be amazed at how easy this is.
If they like you and what your company has done for them, this should be a piece of cake. If they agree to do it, but are strapped for time, offer to take the words that they just said and put them on paper yourself. If they agree with what they see, ask for permission to put it on their letterhead, and then put it into your presentation binder.
Here is how I ask.
“Dr. Allan, I often have interested physicians that would like to talk to a colleague to get their opinions on how our product and company have performed. I know you have a busy practice and have little time to jump on the phone during the day. Would it be okay if you just put your thoughts in writing? This way, when doctors ask if they can call you, I can quickly let them know your opinion without them interrupting your day.”
If I ever sense any reluctance, or feel like I am annoying the hell out of them, I back off. The following is an example of a testimonial letter that has been responsible for some sales.
A Testimonial Letter That Works
Allan Family Medical Practice November 14, 2003
Dr. James Allan 21 Maple Street
Shelbina, Missouri 63468
Dear Brian,
This is just a brief note to express our satisfaction with your Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor, and our thanks for continuing to provide service and new and improved products. The monitor saves our staff time, which in turn saves the practice and patients money. We had the privilege of being a beta test site for your new software for the device, and let me say we are excited about this new and improved version of the software. Your company’s attention to detail and customer satisfaction continues to impress us, and we look forward to continuing to use your products in the future.
Regards,
James Allan, MD
James Allan, MD Family Physician
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