Do we need a book on 'Testimonial Etiquette?'

[Corwinnx]

Hey Warriors,

OK.. this is so odd, that I've sat on the topic for quite a while, debating on whether or not to even post about it, but my curiosity is getting the better of me, so let me just put it out to the masses.

Here goes:

A while back, I sold a product.

Now, I recommended someone else's product within my own with NO AFFILIATION whatsoever! The product I recommended happened to have been a very good complement to the strategy, and so I recommended it.

Now, when I recommend someone else's work, especially if there is no affiliate relationship involved, I give them a review copy out of 'courtesy,' because the person may not want their name associated with mine if they think my product is garbage... never happened yet, but... you never know, right?

So, needless to say, the other product owner did like the report, and did in fact send a testimonial.

The report sold pretty well and I didn't have one single refund request, so I'm assuming it's all good.

Then.. I get an email...

A purchaser is angry about the testimonial from the other product owner.

First he says he bought the product because of this persons testimonial
Then he says that he doesn't believe the 'testimonial' can be 'real' because the testimonial claims that the person learned a bunch of stuff they didnt' already know, and he just didn't see how that was possible because of her very high post count.

I offer refund.

He declines and says that while he did know everything in it, it was a strategy that he wanted to implement and he appreciated that it was all laid out for him. He was just upset about the testimonial.

He had no problem with the product. He liked it and thought it was good.

I could see this being an issue if the report sucked, but he liked the report...

So I dont' get it... the situation is fine.. ho harm no foul...

The problem, aside from my confusion, is that I just feel bad that the reputation of someone else was 'sullied' because of a testimonial for MY product.... which is still respected no less, and this person is someone I RESPECT.

All thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

-Marcus

[Kay King]

I don't think any reputation was sullied - you just had a customer who felt like complaining.

He says he bought because of the testimonial - but then says the testimonial can't be honest. Says a lot about the customer - but no one else.

Very few people here know all there is about every topic or about every strategy used online. The one commonality of successful marketers is that they are always learning. I've written hundreds of articles - but still learn from other writers. Does that mean I can't write? No, it just means I can keep learning to write better.

kay

[Corwinnx]

Kay,
Thank you. That is EXACTLY how I responded to the customer as well. It was just such an 'odd' complaint.

I like your product.
I have no problem with you.
I bought because of a testimonial saying it was good
And it was
But now I dont' believe the testimonial even though I liked the product...

Maybe he was having a bad day. I dunno. I was more concerned for the other person's reputation than anything else. I happen to LIKE and RESPECT her. And she does have an 'expertise' which had NOTHING at all to do with MY product.

Weird. But thanks Kay. You gave me some peace with it.

-Marcus

[JohnMcCabe]

Marcus, the key is in WHY he didn't trust the testimonial...

The person couldn't possibly have learned new things because they had a high post count?

Your buyer must have bumped his head when he fell off the turnip truck or something...

I've read products where I came away with new insights even on subjects I believe I know well. The author just happened to connect the concepts in a way I hadn't thought of before.

Warning - blatant Tina Turner ripoff...

"What's post count got to do with it?"

[Corwinnx]

Thanks John. I kept it to myself for a while but it was just buggin me. I couldn't wrap my head around how strange the complaint seemed, but I think Kay nailed it, or possibly you did. Maybe he DID hit his head, LOL. I was wondering if I did.

Warmest Regards,
Marcus

P.S. By the time I get home, that fish is gonna be this big

<<< >>>

[R Hagel]

Originally Posted by Corwinnx

Thanks John. I kept it to myself for a while but it was just buggin me. I couldn't wrap my head around how strange the complaint seemed, but I think Kay nailed it, or possibly you did. Maybe he DID hit his head, LOL. I was wondering if I did.

I think John and Kay did hit on some good possibilities.

Here's another one... (though a bit far fetched)...

Is the person who complained also a marketer who creates products similar to yours? Or maybe someone who WANTS to?

I ask because I've seen people who get angry and lash out at others over seemingly weird stuff. The problem is, he didn't have any beef with you. But maybe you created a product he wanted to create, and he got irritated. He couldn't see that he was actually irritated with himself for not taking action (or whatever). And since he liked your product, he figured he wasn't upset with you. So he just picked on the easiest target.

You can see this sort of anger right here on this forum (it tends to bring out a lot of senseless guru bashing). Look to pop culture and you can see it there too, where people pick on celebrities for no good reason.

Just a thought.

Ok, psych class is over...

Cheers,
Becky

[Corwinnx]

Tina,
Thank you.

Becky... that thought never crossed my mind. I'm going to chew on that for a while.

-Marcus

[Devon Brown]

Marcus -

The reality is that some people just like to find stuff to bitch about.
I wouldnt' think twice about it ;-)

[gb4biz]

I agree with Renegade! No matter what road you travel, there will always be a pothole or some type of _ _ _ hole. When ever I do a testimonial or recommendation, I speak what I feel and I'm sure Ten other people would find something to disagree with! Enjoy the weather, and, anytime you get an idea for a new report or book, do it, It will always benefit someone! Have a nice one.

[Herricks]

Originally Posted by Corwinnx

Hey Warriors,

OK.. this is so odd, that I've sat on the topic for quite a while, debating on whether or not to even post about it, but my curiosity is getting the better of me, so let me just put it out to the masses.

Here goes:

A while back, I sold a product.

Now, I recommended someone else's product within my own with NO AFFILIATION whatsoever! The product I recommended happened to have been a very good complement to the strategy, and so I recommended it.

Now, when I recommend someone else's work, especially if there is no affiliate relationship involved, I give them a review copy out of 'courtesy,' because the person may not want their name associated with mine if they think my product is garbage... never happened yet, but... you never know, right?

So, needless to say, the other product owner did like the report, and did in fact send a testimonial.

The report sold pretty well and I didn't have one single refund request, so I'm assuming it's all good.

Then.. I get an email...

A purchaser is angry about the testimonial from the other product owner.

First he says he bought the product because of this persons testimonial


Then he says that he doesn't believe the 'testimonial' can be 'real' because the testimonial claims that the person learned a bunch of stuff they didnt' already know, and he just didn't see how that was possible because of her very high post count.

I offer refund.

He declines and says that while he did know everything in it, it was a strategy that he wanted to implement and he appreciated that it was all laid out for him. He was just upset about the testimonial.

He had no problem with the product. He liked it and thought it was good.

I could see this being an issue if the report sucked, but he liked the report...

So I dont' get it... the situation is fine.. ho harm no foul...

The problem, aside from my confusion, is that I just feel bad that the reputation of someone else was 'sullied' because of a testimonial for MY product.... which is still respected no less, and this person is someone I RESPECT.

All thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

-Marcus

I think this customer is just one bad apple you happen to get business from, being nit picky. You can't go around telling people how to post a testimonial! That's like telling people you're searching the web the wrong way. (there's no wrong way to search the web; you just type in a term and go) People can say whatever they feel about a product. In my experience, you buy a product because of its value to you. If you're a person who uses reviews of a product before you buy it, then clearly you would be looking at multiple reviews and the general concensus about the product is what normally would constitute your decision to either buy the product or look at a different brand that sells the product with a better overall rating. And the keyword here is OVERALL.

That's one sad apple you came across there. If this was your only bad encounter, then I don't think you have much to do but overlook this one.

[Corwinnx]

g4biz and renegade, I agree as well.

Maybe I should have titled thread differently, since I'm definitely NOT suggesting a book on 'testimonial etiquette.' Maybe 'testimonial protection' or something.

QUICK! LOOK! Marcus at a loss for words... hehehe

All kidding aside, his beef was with the fact that he bought because of her testimonial, then didn't believe her testimonial to be true based on something so insignificant as a 'post count.' (I've seen members on here with over 1,000 posts, who have been here only a few months, have terrible sales letters, confusing offers, and sometimes what I call "3 year old syndrome" 'in brain, out mouth' no filter! I've been here close to a year and a half and I've got less than 700 posts. I think. And I do ok with online stuff. ) On top of that, he felt that she was blatantly lying simply because I was promoting her product and she had a 'vested interest' in it being sold.

Now, the "Pollyanna" in me would LOVE to believe that, regardless of the recommendation, she felt the product was great, and she wouldn't have given testimonial otherwise.

But the 'business man' in me, (ahem, realist) says... "For God's Sake... DUH! It's BUSINESS. Of course she had a vested interest in giving a good testimonial. If it was ME, and I thought the product was crap, I wouldn't give a testimonial for it, even with the backlink in it!

Want to know the real kicker? The report was only $5.00!!! SERIOUSLY.

I agree, it was just one bad apple, but like I said, it was bugging me, so I had to get it off my chest. Thanks for all the support my Warrior friends. I was just really curious to see if anyone else would count that against the person who GAVE the testimonial. I just didn't want to see her hurt.

Warmest Regards,
-Marcus

[Fox30]

You'll never make every single person happy. It just won't happen. I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, that's one person out of how many???

[Corwinnx]

Fox,
yeah, man. I know you can't please everyone all the time. My concern was more for the other person's rep. Since the guy had no beef with me or my product. I just found it odd, and disconcerting because someone else's rep was being attacked.

Warmest Regards,
Marcus

[Cynthia A.]

A little twist to the topic. I saw a site for a WSO that has some familiar Warriors names as testimonials (I won't name the product here). I'm not saying the testimonials are fake, but they all sound like they were written by the same person (whose native language is not English - & a couple of the Warriors are American). Someone might buy based on seeing a name they recognize.

[Corwinnx]

Cynthia,
Excellent point. It's such a shame to see something like that. It hurts the rep of not only the OP, but also, respected members of the community. Unfortunately, 'policing' is not my specialty, I would not even know where to begin to try to combat stuff like this.

-Marcus.

P.S. I noticed your sig, would you mind if I sent you a PM with a question?

[Takuya Hikichi]

Marcus,

Honestly, MRR rights to that one WSO product you sold was a good deal. The strategy was scalable, and I liked the resources you included for article directories, PLR sources.

Well, that's my testimonial for your product - you're welcome to display it.

I believe persuasive testimonials come from people "just like us". If I as a buyer can associate with "someone like me" who shares a positive experience, it's more persuasive to me than hearing ones from super marketers.

[Corwinnx]

aww... thanks Tak. Now I guess I HAVE to re-release it. LOL

I definitely agree with you about having the right mixture of testimonials... the right combination of heavy hitters AND underdogs gives a 'human' element to the testimonial power of a sales letter.

I've been meaning to email you to see how things are going for you. Shoot me an email or a PM... let's catch up.

-Marcus