Are many testimonials fake?

[Mark_w]

I've just about finished writing my first ebook. I have built a site/blog and written most of my sales letter. The only people that have seen the book (98% finished) are my friends.

I'm not really sure what to do for testimonials. So many out there must be fake, I'm wondering if I should just make some stuff up as well?

How important are testimonials to the sales letter?

My ebook is in the travel niche so it is hard to get "trusted" experts to review my product. I honestly wouldn't know where to start!

Any help would really be appreciated.

[David Babineau]

NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER Make up testimonials. Did I mention Never?

"How important are testimonials to the sales letter?" --> Extremely important. People will believe others a lot more than they will believe you (Social Proof).

You don't need "experts" right now. Why not give away a few copies on a site like this e.g. or on a travel site in exchange for testimonials from real people?

Cheers,
David

[colmodwyer]

I'm not really sure what to do for testimonials. So many out there must be fake, I'm wondering if I should just make some stuff up as well?

That's a rather silly assumption. I wouldn't be so sure about how many testimonials are made up... And even most were, I wouldn't take that to mean you can make crap up too.

Colm

[Kenster]

Many testimonials are fake or fake in the manner that its friends or family that do the testimonials.

I wouldnt suggest this though because its just wrong and your readers maybe able to see right through it. As mentioned above, give away some free copies or give peopel some kind of incentive to write a testimonial for you.

good luck

[Mr. Subtle]

Originally Posted by Mark_w

How important are testimonials to the sales letter?

From my archives...

[digidoodles]

Yes. Many are fake. Or at least "borrowed". For example, a person sells an apple and the customer gives feedback for that apple. "Great transaction. Just as stated. Great customer service. Johnny Be Good is great to deal with!"

Later, Johnny Be Good decides to sell a $10K coaching package and uses the apple testimonial... "Here's what my customers had to say: "

While it's the truth that Johnny's customers did have that to say about the transaction with the APPLE (that was, btw, $2.00), it is NOT true that any customer has anything to say about a $10K transaction with Johnny Be Good. In this case, Johnny Be Bad.

Would you consider this a fake testimonial? Some would say yes, some would say no. I say, undoubtedly, YES. I mean, EVERYONE'S had someone say SOMETHING good about them at some point in their life, right? To list them and call them "testimonials" is totally and completely dishonest.

Brandi

[Daniel Scott]

Subtle nailed it.

Testimonials are part of your credibility... and there's more ways to do that than just testimonials.

Testimonials are great... but they're hardly essential.

In fact unless it's a really well written one it might hurt conversions. Way too many copywriters use far too many... filling pages with them.

That's great... IF they keep your visitor's attention.

Much better to sprinkle them throughout the copy when appropriate... but I digress.

There is no excuse for making up testimonials. You should be ashamed for even thinking about it.

Lots of people mug old ladies. Does that make it okay?

Sheesh... what a question.

-Dan

P.S. Subtle, do you know where I can get that letter... and/or who wrote it?

[cadoutsource]

After having bought many WSo's on this forum and writing some reviews, I always try to be honest and fair about the product. After all the paying customer usually will have the best opinion. I think you should always strive to get feedback from your customers this will keep your credibility in good standing & help improve your products.

[FaJeeb]

I'd go as far to say that 99.9% of everyone who has Anything to sell uses fake testimonials and/or paid actors. This of course, does not mean it's "right."

[aboutalhah]

Testimonials are important.

The best way to get them is to ASK to your readers, subscribers and customers.

Testimonials are only ONE part of the sales page, and you can sell without them...

Download this 14 points copywriting audio ebook here: http://www.mynetmarketingland.com/books/14-Point.pdf
(just download it)

All the best,

Franck

[jasonmorgan]

I have no idea how many are fake or real... I tend not to put much weight into them because it obvious that the author is only going to put testimonials on their page that are going to help sell a product. I typically never read them and they never have an impact on if I am going to buy something.

on a slightly related note:

I was reading the WSO forum, checking out the comments for opinions of a certain product. A member here made some unflattering comments about the product in his and stated that he didn't think it was that great.

After I had finished reading through the comments I hit google to do some additional research and what did I happen to find... a review site run by the same person who had previously made negative comments about this product, however, this time it was a glowing review of how great this product was and every serious IM webmaster had to buy it, through his links and affiliate codes of course.

so, testimonials... i tend to ignore them.

[Bigsofty]

Jason, you ignore them. So do I. I'm guessing quite a lot of people do.

But it's not about us is it?

Regarding faking them, a heck of a lot of them are fake, plus many may as well be as it's hard to prove one way or the other just by reading. Rarely does a visitor demand proof.

Here's the fun bit - the authorities will, should you just happen to be unlucky, or should someone complain or if you just make great claims about the product.

Then, both owner AND copywriter can be in seriously smelly stuff if you cannot back up those testimonials.

Instead consider something such as a special deal for bloggers or such, in exchange for testimonials. In the meantime, as Subtle sez, look at other means of building credibility.



B.

[rajuthan]

Depends but those video ones i think are real

[moneysoapbox]

Unless they're on the WF, I tend to ignore them.

[rhocam]

Honesty is always the best policy. I don't concern myself with the others that are basically lying to you. I've never known a person who tells lies yet that doesn't eventually get theirs in the end. Remember, you have to live with yourself, not everyone else. It's hard enough to build trust and if someone finds out you are lying to them, their words about you and your business will spread like a disease.

[lklein]

Like many said never make them up.

It may be hard to get them for a new product but there are ways.

I find that my older products get plenty of real testimonials without asking.

Lambert

[Mark_w]

Hi thanks for all the replies.

I did suspect that a large amount were fake (or at least altered in some way). Either way, the comments about what the reader believe are actually quite insightful. Whether they are real or fake doesn't matter in terms of the sale, but the PERCEPTION of whether they are real or fake does.

Now thinking about what makes a testimonial more convincing. Having someone from a blog/site that has some kind off status within an industry or niche seems to be a good start - having their site linked or at least the url unlinked would be good too. Actually getting this might be a bit harder, but I guess it's not essential to have them - it's something that I can develop over time.

Maybe I'm just a skeptical person, photos do little to convince me. Has anyone experienced a noticeable difference in success with video testimonials.

p.s I'm a relative newbie at this so for the most part I'm trying to immitate the methods others use to achieve success to begin with. Ripping on me for even "thinking" about faking a testimonial when it is plausible that many others are doing it is hardly fair. I don't want to start a debate about this though so lets keep ourselves on topic. Thanks

[wirelessgeek]

I'm sure many testimonials are fake. But if you want real testimonials, you should give copies of your e-book to a few friends who are willing to be honest with you and let them review it.

[DougHughes]

Ok, I am going to try and help you out.

Here are some things you can do:

1. Pay for unbiased reviews. Here is a list of paid review sites.
   Blog Advertising - A List of Blog Review Sites | SocialSEO.com
2. Use an independent book reviewer - just google the term.
3. You can also find book review company's that are more well known. If you use CreateSpace to actually self publish a print version of your book they have some resources for reviewing the book.
4. Give the Product away in exchange for some honest reviews.
5. Bypass testimonials to begin with and use other proof mechanisms such as case studies. Another good one is to use portions of news articles from well known news sources related to your topic.
6. Think beyond testimonials and create an irresistible offer.

Fake testimonials are rampant. You should know however that using fake testimonials violates some FTC regulations. In the rare event they nailed you for something like that you would need to provide proof such as emails or letters mailed to you with the testimonials.

[colmodwyer]

Testimonials are great... but they're hardly essential.

I'm not so sure about that.

True, the Insider Code sales letter has done $20m+ (GROSS) without a single testimonial... But I don't think any one has bothered to split test WITH testimonials. So it doesn't tell the whole story.

James Webb Young said - "Readers find the endorsements of fellow consumers more persuasive than the puffery of anonymous copywriters."

Sounds good to me.

Colm

[kimmer551]

I tend to never believe testimonials, just like a screenshot of someone's clickbank earnings!

[Daniel Scott]

Colm, I completely agree with you.

What I'm getting at is you can launch a page without any testimonials and make sales... then when you make sales you get feedback.

And that feedback becomes your testimonials.

I love testimonials as much as anyone else... I'm just saying that you don't NEED them to get a page converting at a decent rate.

Does that make a little more sense?

-Dan

Originally Posted by colmodwyer

I'm not so sure about that.

True, the Insider Code sales letter has done $20m+ (GROSS) without a single testimonial... But I don't think any one has bothered to split test WITH testimonials. So it doesn't tell the whole story.

James Webb Young said - "Readers find the endorsements of fellow consumers more persuasive than the puffery of anonymous copywriters."

Sounds good to me.

Colm

[colmodwyer]

Yeah Dan, I get you.

I'm just saying that it's better to be of the mind-set that testimonials are - absolutely essential - because I suspect you'll make a lot more money that way.

But yes, you can sell without them... as a last resort.

Colm

[Daniel Scott]

Colm,

I agree with you.

I don't believe they're so "essential", however, that you should make them up. I know you don't think that, either... but that was kind of where my post was coming from.

-Dan

[jennifermL]

yeah i do believe that some testimonial are fake but i think they still incounter that situation but not from their self alone but from other people yet they share it because they know that the said experience could help other... i just hope that fake testimonial wont hurt anybody. thanks for posting...

[CLcrax23]

I would say that most are fake and I don't really understand why. testimonials are so easy to get (if you have a good product...and if your product stinks, dont sell it). All you have to do is give away a few review copies to trusted people and you are good to go.

[Charleskidd]

Some are fake and some are real. It is very easy to make a fake one, however if you get the right kind of people to do them it makes a difference. Example: Like what procative is doing with all the celebrities.

[Ashley Wright]

It is very easy to make a fake one up but it is also very unethical and can get you into all kinds of trouble if you are found to have and ruin your reputation which is important on the internet. Best way to get some real testimonials is to give out a few copies and just build up from there!

[lenlatimer]

If I may quote another famous warrior:

"Yes, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.”

I think Integrity wins out. Avoid the dark side (fake testimonials)

[travlinguy]

Many deadlines are fake (buy before ___date to get the intro price)
Many scarcity claims are fake (Only 4 left, Act NOW!)
Many bank account screenshots are fake
Many scratch and dent claims are fake (“Graphics guy misspelled title,” get it Now!)
Many ‘make money with this exclusive program’ claims are complete BS
Many marketers claim to have made BIG BUCKS before they’ve even earned their first dollar
Many people calling themselves copywriters couldn’t write a grocery list
Most how-to ebooks and reports are utter crap and don’t come close living up to the promises in the sales copy


So… the easiest of all the hyped-up claims to lie about is the testimonial, draw your own conclusion on how many of them are fake


You must forgive me, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that the ‘make money online’ portion of Internet Marketing exists in the back alleys of online commerce. And people wonder why the FTC is getting aggressive. Go figure.

[marioilking]

If so many people are convinced that most testimonials are fake, why bother with getting testimonials in the first place? It is a very good idea to try to get real testimonials by giving away a number of free copies on forums or friends as suggested. BUT if the general opinion is that testimonials are fake, how will you make your subscribers believe that yours are genuine? I guess I will do without them.

[Greg Jacobs]

Let me chime in here with some very recent experience.

We are currently in a launch cycle for a mid-high ticket system.

So what we did a few months ago was go and find a core group of "influencers" in our industry. These are what we could call a group of "power users" who have had some experience and would be able to pick up the system without too much trouble.

So we recruited them and we worked closely with them for our product. Basicly we gave them as much or little support as they required to find success.

Then what we have are a core group of happy and successful users who are pleased to give testimonials and spread the social proof. And the testimonials are real and that realness really shows. and spreads the news of the product like wildfire.

This goes deeply with the concept of 1000 true fans. Or to start -10 true fans will do the trick. Find 10 people and get them to be your true fan and believe in what you are doing. Keep going and looking until you have those ten.

After you have 10 people who really believe in your product, then you are ready to go to the next step.

[SuzanneR]

I think the way testimonials are now done (and formatted) is predictable and status quo--and therefore has no deep impact on the reader.

I don't have solid proof on how important they are.

But I do think testimonials with specificity are a heck of a lot better than a bunch of generic gushing.

One thing you might want to consider doing is interviewing a couple of satisfied customers--on the phone, with a tape recorder. With the mutual understanding that you're exploring why they like your product-- and that you MAY want to use a slice of what they say as a testie (get their permisson).

When people talk without pressure, they say more things than they would in writing.

If testimonials are worth it to you...it may be worth the extra effort to go this route. Just make sure you're not pressuring them to say what you want--or ask them loaded questions.

[Craigd]

Hey Mark,

Its funny how much your post reminds me of me. I just released my 1st ebook, I did my 1st sales letter and I have no testimonials other than my own success story.
I wondered about this for a long time, and was tempted I must admit to do fake testimonials ( I knew others were). Needless to say it never went further than a flashing thought, I just dont think its right, regardless of how many others are doing it. I do think a really well written sales page will sell without testimonials.
How do you know if the one you wrote is good, conversions and tweaking and testing.

[lakishacopeland]

Some testimonials may be fake. However many internet marketers let people test out their products in return for a testimonial. Another term for this is a beta test. Give out your product to a few select people in return for a testimonial. Not many people will turn this down. Everybody wants more publicity.

[Joseph88]

I would recommend any buyers or friends to give an honest testimonial including pros and con of a product.
Because in my own point of view, 9 out of 10 or maybe 10 out of 10 is'nt perfect, bound to have cons. So, by including pros and con, it would seems more real, rather than all testimonial gives positive comment, people would doubted it.

[RentItNow]

Proof video (of your own success if you have to) achieves the same thing. Don't fake testimonials.

You can also use other people's proof/testimonials in that field. For example, if you are selling an Atkin diet book, point to studies that support it in medical journals, whatever.

[cosmolito]

Many warriors here are correct - it's NOT a good idea to make up testimonials. It's not ethical. It won't feel good either knowing you're lying to every potential customer who comes to your site. This is not a good way to get started and also if you understand certain laws in this universe such as karma and the law of attraction, you'll realize that in the long run, this strategy will not work very well and in the end you won't be satisfied with the results.

Best just to sell a good product and ask for testimonials from satisfied customers. It'll have that raw sense of authenticity to it and customers will sense that and feel more at ease which will convert better for you

Cheers

[natscash]

Don't make up any testimonials...just ask a few readers...maybe you can find some here on the forum, to read your ebook and write a review about it. As an incentive you can tell them that you will post their website link at the end of their review.

[HeretohelpU]

Relatively new to all internet nuances especially split testing and testimonials. Ive been asked in the past to do testimonials for a particular product or service and by the time they were done editing it I didn't recognize my own testimonial. But if you are really going to make an impression with people looking to buy something from you you have to be honest with them, because not everyone that uses your product or buys from you will always be satisfied give them both sides and let them make an informed decision.

[euhlir]

Having dealt with product creators in the past, I can say that a lot of them are either fake, or not entirely true. Product Creators often have other top PC's do their testimonials. They'll send them prewritten testimonials they can use, and I think these are often used.

[Raydal]

I found this disclaimer at the end of a sales letter only recently:

*Testimonials here illustrate extraordinary results and unique experiences. The pictures of people shown are not real customers but are merely photos for illustration purposes only. Testimonial statements are compensated and each persons results will vary and experiences will be different.

I knew by looking at the pictures that the pictures were not real
customers but models.

-Ray Edwards

[zim]

I really don't know if many testimonials are false but having come across people who want to hire your services for posting comments on their sites, I believe a fair proportion of testimonial are false. Keeping aside the legal aspects of the issue, personally I believe that in the long run, honesty and truth pays.
What I can suggest is to give away a few copies in return for genuine testimonials or use a renowned review service for the purpose, as suggested by some of the others. Get genuine testimonials and make sure to have an arrangement for viewers to confirm what they see by giving an email/ telephone number. This in itself would turn viewers into believers into customers.

[searchnology]

I had the same issue. This is what I did.

1. I had friends and family give me the initial testimonials.

2. After I had a few customers, I offered them a free report if they gave me their testimonial.

3. I obtained permission to use in marketing collateral and also slightly reword the testimonials if necessary in both cases since most people don't won't write them well anyway. Another tactic to get testimonials without an offer is to just write the testimonials for them and ask them to edit or approve as is. (This saves both parties a lot of time if what you write is true and you usually get a better testimonial)

4. I used SurveyMonkey to record all of the above for reference and documentation purposes in case any of my affiliate networks or regulators came knocking.

Originally Posted by Craigd

Hey Mark,

Its funny how much your post reminds me of me. I just released my 1st ebook, I did my 1st sales letter and I have no testimonials other than my own success story.
I wondered about this for a long time, and was tempted I must admit to do fake testimonials ( I knew others were). Needless to say it never went further than a flashing thought, I just dont think its right, regardless of how many others are doing it. I do think a really well written sales page will sell without testimonials.
How do you know if the one you wrote is good, conversions and tweaking and testing.

[Scorched Earth]

Many of course are fake. And those that are - are pretty obvious.

Me:Yes I use testimonials - real ones, from real clients - they are easily verifiable... I like to look myself in the mirror and feel good about myself....

My advice - always be honest. If what you have done is good the real testimonials will come in time.

[sanjid112]

Yes, I guess. Many but not all of them are fake. But, that's not a reason to legitimate you using the same method as they are. What I'm doing, usually I give some free copy to my friends, relatives or even my colleagues. After that, I asked them to write honest testimonials about it.

Testimonials is essential but that's not everything.

-Malik

[Lee56]

Originally Posted by Raydal

I found this disclaimer at the end of a sales letter only recently:
I knew by looking at the pictures that the pictures were not real
customers but models.

-Ray Edwards

Some use pictures of everyday looking people to make them look real. I see lots of projects posted at Elance for testimonials stating they must be realistic, etc. Maybe when the new FTC law kicks we'll see more honesty.

One way I've seen marketers get testimonials is to include email in the AR that gets sent to your customer list a two or three days after they order and asks if they downloaded everything ok and such. Fishing indirectly you know. Another way is to just directly ask for feedback. Whenever a customer sends you something that is good testimonial material ask if you may use their first and last name and city and state. This will also give you valuable information about your customers and what they want.

Before you have customers, you can as it was suggested above, offer your book for free, but again, don't ask for testimonials in exchange or you'll need to write a disclaimer (new FTC laws). Just ask for feedback. Best wishes to you!

[searchnology]

The new FTC rules are a joke and won't have any teeth. If they really want to protect consumers they should require testimonials/endoresment claims to be verified by a third party. After all isn't that what companies do before they extend credit to consumers? Consumers can make all the claims and provide all the characters references they want but the lender is still going with the credit bureau report.

The FTC may go after a few large guys to set an example and make themselves feel good, but they are severley under resourced so 99% of the sales page sites you see out there will fly under the radar. They just aren't worth pursuing.

Also, I believe the benefit to consumers for these new rules will be lackluster at best as there will be oodles of loop holes.

Example....Everyone knows by now that drug companies are required to disclose the side effects of their latest concoctions but HOW to do they do it?.....they rattle them off at the end using a speed talking specialist or they provide mesmerizing music and imagery to keep you distracted. The same with lenders. I actually caught a speed talking specialist on a radio ad saying that the interest rate for a credit card could go up to 30%!!! I initially had only heard the teaser rate of 5% which was pumped up front.

And much like the drug company ads, the marketing methods for testimonials/endorsement claims will become so commonplace that you will just ignore them after a while, because consumers will still want the "candy".

[Jag82]

A lot of testimonials looks fake and feels fake because:

- They are often generic in nature and lacks specific details of results

- The testimonials giver seems to be plucked from nowhere. For all
you know, "they" could simply be a figment of someone's imagination.


I agree that testimonials are NOT a "must".

If you can give value + good information within the
sales page, that really helps (I find that Frank Kern
and Eben Pagan are excellent at this).
That said, well-written and specific testimonials will help a lot.
Especially those given by a person who is credible, well known,
and highly trusth-worthy.

Well-constructed social proof can help tip people on the fences
into buyers.


You may also want to try out a different form of testimonials
- photos testimonials making a big (and specific) statement.

To illustrate, here are a few testimonial examples from
Joe Polish's Piranha marketing
students who are in the carpet cleaning niche here:
=> http://joepolish.com/freereport/

These pictures speak a thousand works isn't it?

It feels real, believable and highly credible.

Jag

[myonlinebusinessteacher]

Testimonials are important. If you want to get testimonials, you can give some away at a cheaper price or even for free before launching your products