What to do if you have no testomonials

[mowse73]

Hi everyone.
I am currently putting a product together and one problem I have is a lack of testomonials.
Is there anything a copywriter can do to overcome this problem?
I m going to offer a free sample( try it for 30 days before you pay) and 1 or 2 yr moneyback guarantee.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Martin

[Andrew Gould]

The obvious answer is...

Go get some!

Give your product away to a few people who need it in exchange for their testimonials.

And make sure you build into your post-sale AR series an email asking for feedback.

But if the above isn't an option, then you need to consider that a testimonial is a form of proof and credibility. So if you're can't use them, then you have to strengthen the other forms of proof in your pitch (never a bad thing anyway).

Some suggestions:

Make sure there's a logical flow to your sales message, you want everything to make perfect sense to your reader. If your claims are bordering on unbelievable, start with things you know your prospect will believe and agree with you on.

Use strong "reason why" copy. If you answer "why should they listen to you?", "why are they a perfect prospect?", "why your product?", "why should I buy now?", and "why this price?", you'll have answered most objections.

Be specific in all of your claims.

Check for any credible scientific research done into any of your claims.

As you said, offer a strong guarantee, but not just in the terms - in how you word it as well. For example, make a personal promise to your reader that they will get the benefits your ad promises (gives you as chance to remind them of the benefits).

Demonstrate your product in action. If at all possible shoot a video showing your product doing its thing.

Use your personal credibility such as any media appearances and your track record in the area.

Admit a fault. Your prospect knows, and accepts, that nothing's perfect so tell him about a minor problem (that's not related to delivering on the promises).

Have your contact info on the site (go beyond just an email address), and all the proper terms & conditions, and disclaimers, etc.

Hope those few ideas help.

[Don Schenk]

I have a similar situation with a new audio project - 10 CDs recorded in a studio. The set of CDs teach marketing to people in a particular industry.

I decided to go with a snail-mailed offer for a free set of the very helpful CDs, and went to one of the wholesale suppliers in that industry. He agreed to let me send my snail-mailed offer to 25 of his customers along with a letter telling his customers he likes the product.

I bought 6x9 inch envelopes with a large 4x7 inch window in each. I wrote a 7 page "salesletter" selling this group of his customers on the idea of reviewing the CDs, stuck a crisp, new $2 bill to the top of each letter to let the $2 bill show through the window in the envelope.

Those letters went out yesterday, so I should see some requests by tomorrow.

I also spoke with 4 people I know from around the country who are in that industry, and they each agreed to write a review of the course for my website. One of them sent an email to me this morning with a good testimonial.

You need to find someone who has the audience you are trying to reach, and give out review copies. That is how it is done in the publishing industry - review copies go out to reviewers.

:-Don

[Spock1]

I agree with AG. Post the site and have a limited special offer for testimonials or give the free samples in exchange for the testimonials.

[RickDuris]

Yes, you CAN write the copy without testimonials.

For instance, I'm currently working a detox info-product. They have no testimonials yet.

Instead, I decided to borrow credibility through pull quotes from periodicals about toxins in the environment. I sprinkled them liberally along with their logos through out the piece.

Problem solved.

- Rick Duris

[ewenmack]

Martin,

Don't know what you are selling,
but you can sell many things in large quantities without testimonials.

Would a man lost in a desert for 2 days without food or water
want testimonials for your water?

No way!

So you get your OFFER in front of the RIGHT PEOPLE at the RIGHT TIME.

Work on those 3 areas and you increase your chances of success exponentially.

Best,
Ewen

[automaton]

Originally Posted by ewenmack

Martin,

Don't know what you are selling,
but you can sell many things in large quantities without testimonials.

Would a man lost in a desert for 2 days without food or water
want testimonials for your water?

No way!

So you get your OFFER in front of the RIGHT PEOPLE at the RIGHT TIME.

Work on those 3 areas and you increase your chances of success exponentially.

Best,
Ewen

Like Erwin says, testimonials are not a must, usually a picture or a video speaks more then a testimonial.

[bigballin6161]

You can buy them on fiverr.

[videolover7]

Demonstrating a product in copy can be an effective credibility builder.

For example, you see it done in many weight-loss ads... a before and after picture.

VL

[Ken_Caudill]

Think about having an announcer read your copy via video, or an editorial approach. There are ways to sell things without using the hackneyed claim/social proof/guarantee formula.

[mowse73]

Thanks for all your replies.

Martin

[CoffeeWithRyan]

It all depends on your offer really.

If you're promoting a method that rides on the coat tails of something else, use it as social proof. For example, if your method is being used by celebrities, utilize it. For example, in the self-development niche, I do remember a certain product riding off the tails of a previously powerful product (through the form of being a prior student)... I think it was the Silva Life System method, or something along those lines.

You could also utilize the Law of Association. That simply means that whatever you associate the product with will most likely bring about the same kind of connotations. If you can associate the product creation with a recognized expert existing in that niche, use that as a leverage. Interviews, maybe?

Of course, copy doesn't really need testimonials if you have strong proof in other forms. Testimonials are just a form of social proof which gets people to "follow the crowd" and increase the faith of your product performing as expected.

Show something like... Before and After. Show the proceedings, the workings of the system or product. Gradualize desire upon your prospect until it is almost too much to bear, and cognitive dissonance forces him to the buying decision.

Of course, I'm not telling you to just give up on testimonials. These are just methods you can fall on to minimize the risk of lower conversion.

Once you get testimonials, request them with specificity. You want to have testimonials, but the ones that are of common interest to your copy's audience normally increase conversions by a few percentages.

Take the chance to ask your customers why they bought the product, which point resonated with them the most, how it changed their lives... no matter how minute it is.

Of course, you can simply change the format of your copy... into video. Or a webinar (those are really popular for conversions these days). In these formats, the need for visual social proof dissolves quite a bit when you get a face-to-face presentation with a real person.

Good luck.

- Ryan.

[mowse73]

Originally Posted by CoffeeWithRyan

It all depends on your offer really.

Of course, I'm not telling you to just give up on testimonials. These are just methods you can fall on to minimize the risk of lower conversion.

Once you get testimonials, request them with specificity. You want to have testimonials, but the ones that are of common interest to your copy's audience normally increase conversions by a few percentages.

- Ryan.

Thanks Ryan.

I have been listening to a Gary Bencivenga interview lately And he was saying that people throw up a few testomonials and think that's it, job done. He says that simply isn't good enough. You need as much proof as possible.

But i would still like some genuine testimonials.

Martin

[staffelseo]

No testimonials? Get them! How? for me there are two things, Hire people to do that or advertise your product. I dont know your product yet so I can't have anymore suggestions to offer you but those were the easiest and convenient ways to do such.

[CoffeeWithRyan]

Originally Posted by staffelseo

Hire people to do that or advertise your product.

Not Cool.

I'm not saying you can't do that - but if you hire people that sell testimonials there are several damaging risks involved. What happens if your prospect realises that you paid for those testimonials and that they were not genuine?

You get screwed.

You could play along those lines and ask someone you know to check out your product and give a review. However "reciprocity" states that they'd have to talk honey about your product, so I wouldn't expect it to be a really genuine testimonial.

Like I said on top, it depends on your offer and market. If your copy is really good, you probably don't even need social proof. If it's that good, it just resonates and people just have to buy.

If someone knows your problem like the back of their hand and their own backyard... They know you have a secret habit... They know what you've seen in the past and are sick of... What you've been through... It becomes a whole new level of personality and rapport.

Check out my post above for more ideas.

Kind Regards,

-Ryan

P.S - This reminds me of one person who paid for testimonial gigs on Fiverr, and got totally screwed through word-of-mouth rumors... even in the WSO thread itself. Just don't do anything that risky.

[mowse73]

I only intend to get/use genuine testomonials.

[Jason Kanigan]

IF you understand your target market's world, and their problems, then you may not need testimonials. After all, the good copywriters don't share samples of their work.

IF you can show the reader that you understand their urgent need for a solution, and you show them a solution, then they will buy without needing extra encouragement.

**ADDITION**

Just saw this post in the main forum. Check out the tip for getting awesome testimonials!

[Nick Brighton]

Originally Posted by bigballin6161

You can buy them on fiverr.

Which is not only illegal, but also another reason why testimonials are one of the weakest forms of proof you can ever use in your copy.

[sabreena]

Hi,

Thanks for all of you for your replies they increase my knowledge...!

[YasirYar]

The easiest and sure fire way is to ask real people in the industry to try out your product for free and give a honest testimonial. If you see negative testimonials you will have a chance to improve your product. In most cases someone will come forward and offer you real help by pointing out your shortfalls.

[Matt Ausin]

In addition to all the excellent advice here I'd suggest doing documented, in-house case studies.. Really powerful.

Because, in essence, the problem is validating the product. To show that it can do what you say it can do.

Show the results of these case studies. You don't have to show every detail, blur out the juicy bits, but this sells.

In my opinion, such case studies can work even better than the average "my life was miserable but now it rocks" testimonial.

[sethczerepak]

Ask someone you know to write a recommendation, it's not a testimonial but it's good enough for getting traction till you get some.

Then again, I've had plenty of new products sell without testimonials, just make it relevant and communicate a very clear end result benefit and a reason your solution is something they can't get anywhere else.

[tomokun]

Testimonials are not needed to sell. If you get them, great. If you don't have them, create a sales page that sells your product, and make sure that your product is so spectacular that people want to GIVE you testimonials.

Then you don't have to worry about adding that little astericks which is the signal that your testimonials were incentivized in some way.

[v4victoria]

If you are sending something free, ask people who liked it to either provide a testimonial or put something like that on the bottom of your product, but not as an opt in.

something like ' if you liked this product I would like to hear from you'.
Just a thought.

[itsjordan]

In regards to buying testimonials, I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. Some of the biggest products in the world (including ones you see in television commercials) used hired actors and it works.

You don't NEED testimonials but I don't think it's as black and white as hired actors = bad

[Tessa Holmes]

Did you have any sales already? Have you added some 'follow up' option for your clients to give your their opinion about your product? You can send them emails asking for couple words about your product. You can install some online form that would allow people to send a 'feedback' to some dedicated 'email address'. You can choose best responses as 'Testimonials'. If you did not have any sales - that would be another story - just keep promoting it until you would get some.

[mowse73]

Thanks again for all the helpful replies.

[HimanshuS]

Thank you AG for the detailed solution. Thanks Rick. Plenty of solid info on testimonials. I was searching for some info to solve my testimonial problem.

[monkeytrousers]

You can look through the product reviews section and find people who have been especially lucid and descriptive with their testimonials.

Offer them a free copy and the rest will happen like magic...

[stevet563]

I'd like a review copy of your product. If I like it, I will tell you why and I will also tell other people about it so they can check it out too. One good customer, happy with your product will tell other people.

~Charles

[Duncan2222]

That is a good idea. Thanks for sharing. D

[mowse73]

Thank you Charles.
I will be in touch when it is completed.

[sanakhan]

Get review from the warrior forum's member and ask them to write you a testimonial for the product or service you are promoting.

[Michael Newman]

I'm sure you'll get fellow warriors who'd be willing to use the product and provide objective
testimonials. There is a sub-forum, under the ''Warrior products and services section''. All the best with your product.

[dailyearn]

thanks for your articale

[almiller]

Originally Posted by Spock1

I agree with AG. Post the site and have a limited special offer for testimonials or give the free samples in exchange for the testimonials.

EXACTLY! Don't try and game the system with fake or made up testimonials. Looks way too transparent. Give it away and get some honest reviews. You may actually gain some valuable insight.

Alberto