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Selling Offline Services with No Testimonials

by Geek3000
11 replies
I do social media for small businesses. I don't ave any testimonials and am trying to find out a way to sell my $600 per month service. Any suggestions?
#offline #selling #services #testimonials
  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    Without adequate testimonials, no one will shell out $600/ month. You need impartial service reviews to encourage buying decisions. The solution in your trade is often to give free reviews with the "request," not the condition, of honest reviews.

    - Tom
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  • Profile picture of the author cgkoste
    This is almost the catch 22 of the real world. Person wants a job, but can't get the job because they don't have experience, but they can't get the job without experience. First a couple of things. I know some people that say 'make up testimonials' DON"T DO IT!

    What I would do is this. I would go after clients for your services, and give a very deep discount. Not free, but a deep discount. I would even do it for as little as $197/month. In your sales copy, you use the word' 'because'. Because is a great word, and it bridges the 'too good to be true gap'. Because I am starting out and I want to prove myself, I'm giving a deep discount of...or Because I have experience in the abc niche and I am getting into the xyz niche etc.

    You can also use 3rd party endorsements- if you had an article published on CNN or USA Today, or in any other publications, that can overcome the no testimonial issue.

    Good luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author morg2k2
      In now days, selling online will require the social proof!
      Take a look here in the forum, the WSOs for instance, who sell more, someone with tons of testimonials or a seller without any Testimonials?

      On a website, it's quite the same. So I would get testimonials from clients. If i could not get clients i would offer a HUGE! Discount so they can buy from me and give a testimonial. When you have a bunch of testimonials and clients then you can increase your price for the "Regular" value.

      If you continue to push the rope... You will get no sales for a long time.
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      • Profile picture of the author webmarketer
        If you don't have testimonials yet for your offline services, you may want to try professional references.
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  • Profile picture of the author AuthorityBuilder
    Originally Posted by Geek3000 View Post

    I do social media for small businesses. I don't ave any testimonials and am trying to find out a way to sell my $600 per month service. Any suggestions?
    It's almost impossible to sell a $600 per month service without testimonials. Trying providing some review service where you do something for a client in return for a review (without actual monetary charges). That way, you get 5 to 10 testimonials and then start selling your real service.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve B
      I would consider offering a "lite" version of your full blown $600/mo service. You will most likely find there is a much larger market for, say, $199/mo service. This should give you an easier starting point. Make it a priority to get some testimonials . . . service businesses depend on them.

      Even if you have to give away a few lite versions in exchange for testimonials - you do what you have to do to get your business up and running!

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Originally Posted by Geek3000 View Post

    I do social media for small businesses. I don't ave any testimonials and am trying to find out a way to sell my $600 per month service. Any suggestions?
    Sell something else... online. Something for cheap. Build up the sales and eventually... get testimonials, make THEM your clients, and sell your $600/month services that way.
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  • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
    Do you have results yourself?

    I think selling 600 bux a month to businesses is going to be tough, follow Steve's and Magwood's ideas, test test test.

    gjabiz



    Originally Posted by Geek3000 View Post

    I do social media for small businesses. I don't ave any testimonials and am trying to find out a way to sell my $600 per month service. Any suggestions?
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  • Profile picture of the author DRP
    Originally Posted by Geek3000 View Post

    I want to start doing social media for small businesses. I don't have any actual experience or testimonials and I only got the idea from this course I bought. I am trying to find out a way to sell my $600 per month service. Any suggestions?
    Fixed that for you.

    BTW, you're not gonna convince any intelligent small business owner to spend $600/month for whatever it is that you do. Not gonna happen...I'll just save you the suspense.

    Social media is vague to the point of useless too. What is it that you do exactly? What qualifies you to provide such service? Why should I pay you $600/month? What exactly do I get for $600/month? Why can't I just do it myself?

    Those are the questions you'll have to answer, and judging on your OP, I don't think you can adequately answer those questions to sell your "services".
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    I'd rather tell you an ugly truth than a pretty lie.
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  • Profile picture of the author cjsparacino123
    I just did this, i started a business had no testimonials so i offered a discount and made the prospects aware of that, but i did 2 things different, first thing is i manifested closed deals and the second is i demonstrated that i KNEW what the hell i was talking about, it took about 2 weeks but i have a few people
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Assuming you can't or won't do what's been advised so far. Your only other option is to offer a Free Trial.

      If you have no social proof, allow your prospect to prove it to themselves ... at your risk and expense! Perhaps with a specific promise of a specific benefit at the end of the free trail, so they can measure its value.

      Still that would be a tough sale. Skeptical "business minded" people would immediately think, "if you're so good why are you offering a free trial instead of charging". But you may hit paydirt with some adventurous prospects willing to give you a chance if you can push the right buttons.

      But you'll have to do a 'kick ass' job of qualifying the real prospects from the looky-loos and freebie-seekers, because you'll get a lot.
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