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Testimonials and Reviews Increase Your Real Sales Potential
Copyright (c) 2006-2023 Bill Platt
It does not matter whether you are trying to find new subscribers for your ezine, new visitors to your website, sales of products and services from your website, or even promoting your newest book. We all lack one essential ingredient when we are starting out.
THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT TO GENERATING SALES
The one essential ingredient for online success in any endeavor is gaining your prospect's trust.
Slick sales copy can only succeed in piquing interest and closing the sale with those who easily trust others. Maybe your name and reputation have preceded you and that is why your prospect is so quick to trust your spiel. Maybe your prospect trusts everyone all the time. Who knows?
The deal is that not everyone is going to trust your pitch on face value. Some of us just live life a bit more cautiously.
When your prospect is not handing out their trust easily, then you will need to provide them the ability to believe in what you are offering.
BELIEF AND TRUST ARE EASIER TO ACQUIRE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK
The easiest way to gain someone's trust is to let them read the words of other people --- real people who have tried what you are offering.
Your happy customers will spontaneously let you know when they are happy with what you have done for them. When your happy clients have made the effort to praise your work, make sure that you share that with your future potential customers.
A great testimonial page will help you to close more sales than any other page you put on your website.
Be sure that you tell your happy customers that you have used their testimonial; they will be delighted to hear about it. Be sure to include their first name (last name also, but only with permission) and city if they are general consumers.
If you are in the business of providing products and services to others in the business community, use their full name with their permission and link to their website.
When you link to their website, they will be thrilled for the extra free advertising. You will have cemented your client's praise for your products and services.
Real people, with real names and real locations are the trust builders in testimonials.
Real people, with real names and real websites can develop unbreakable trust, since the statements in the testimonial can be verified easily.
TESTIMONIALS ARE SPONTANEOUS AND REVIEWS ARE WELL THOUGHT OUT
Typically, we think of reviews in regards to books, music and movies. But, reviews can also work for newsletters, websites, products, services, and membership sites.
Reviews are more formal in their style and design. Reviews look beyond what the person, who is sharing his or her comments, has gained from the product or service being commented upon.
Instead, reviews are intended to show people what can be expected from a product or service. It is like a checklist of features, with commentary provided concerning how useful the features will be to the reader.
TESTIMONIALS WILL COME, BUT REVIEWS MUST BE TRADED FOR
By their nature, testimonials are spontaneous. For the purposes of sharing the value of a product or service, testimonials NEED to be spontaneous.
But, reviews are a different kind of beast.
In some cases, people will review your product or service without your input into the process. But, this is extremely rare.
In most cases, you will need to seek out someone to do a review of your product or service. It is not enough to wait for someone to do a review --- you might be waiting forever. You must proactively seek out people to do reviews on whatever it is that you are selling.
In rare cases, you might be able to find someone to do a review for you out of the kindness of their heart.
In many cases, you can find people who will do a professional review of your product for a small or not-so-small fee.
In today's internet community, there are still others who might be willing to review your book, product or service in exchange for you listing their name and website along with their review, on your website or on your book jacket. Savvy internet marketers understand the value of getting their URL in circulation through multiple channels. You might just be surprised who might step up and volunteer to review your product, service or book in exchange for some free advertising!
SOME FINAL SUGGESTIONS
Generally, you will only want to offer an opportunity to review your product, service or book to a very select few people. If you make your offer open-ended, you might find your best potential customers getting what you are offering for free. Always limit your offer to a limited number of participants.
You should expect a review to be of a certain length ---
generally two to three paragraphs. You will often want to develop a long version and a short version of a review, to be used in different promotional formats.
If you are selling a book, then the review will be the lifeblood of your sales potential.
If you are selling a product or service, the review can add a substantial upside to your sales potential.
Take the time to seek out a limited number of people who would be willing to review your product, service or book. And, don't be afraid to barter for the review. For your best benefit, just be sure to offer something of real value to the reviewer, so that you can gain something that will be of real value to you.
And one final note on the subject of reviews. I know it is easy to want everyone to say what you want to hear. But, it is often better to insist upon complete honesty from your reviewer. Complete honesty from your reviewer will allow them to be more believable in the eyes of your prospects. And sometimes, your reviewers honesty might help you improve upon your offerings, which could allow you to make even more money down the road.
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You can become a better writer, with the right training. If you are looking to improve your writing skills or learn how to better market your writing projects, visit Bill Platt's website to see how he can help you: http://PlattPublishing.com/ If you are looking to buy or sell writing services, check out Bill's Freelance Writer Marketplace at: http://FreelanceWritersReview.com/
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Top-Level Category: Articles
10 Most Recent Articles Written by Bill Platt
Four Tips For Creating An Effective Authors' Resource Box
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-08-27 |
Word Count: 1669 |
Page Views: 8024
| Votes: 18 |
Rating: 2.50
In article marketing, there are many factors that will
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Website Traffic Generation: Winning the Love of the Traffic Fairy
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Distributed: 2013-08-24 |
Word Count: 1149 |
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Rating: 1.86
Some people still believe that all they have to do is build
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What Kind Of Backlinks Are Best At Helping Your Website In Google?
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Word Count: 439 |
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Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-08-01 |
Word Count: 1399 |
Page Views: 6549
| Votes: 10 |
Rating: 1.80
Visit several marketing blogs or marketing forums, and you
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Top 10 Reasons Why Online Marketers Fail With Article Marketing
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-31 |
Word Count: 1025 |
Page Views: 7811
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 2.08
If you've been marketing products online for any length of
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Article Marketing Tip: Stop Trying To Sell From Within Your Articles
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-30 |
Word Count: 1229 |
Page Views: 5996
| Votes: 10 |
Rating: 1.40
The basic premise of article marketing is to present people
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The Six Degrees of Internet Marketing
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-30 |
Word Count: 991 |
Page Views: 8420
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 2.43
The theory behind the Six Degrees of Separation is that all
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How To Increase Your Rates and Earnings As a Freelance Writer
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-29 |
Word Count: 1191 |
Page Views: 5937
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 1.55
Freelance writers fill a very important role in today's
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The Death and Resurrection of Quality Content
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-25 |
Word Count: 769 |
Page Views: 7578
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 1.85
No matter where you go online, you are bound to find someone
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Successful Article Marketers Help Readers Solve Problems
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-24 |
Word Count: 816 |
Page Views: 26030
| Votes: 34 |
Rating: 2.79
Every week, I have the opportunity to speak with people about the
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All of Author's Articles on this site: Bill Platt Articles
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Ann Arbor, MI Offers A Lot Of Year-Around Family Fun
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Distributed: 2010-01-20 |
Word Count: 595 |
Page Views: 4757
| Votes: 8 |
Rating: 1.25
Ann Arbor, Michigan is the home of the University of Michigan, a
leading institution of higher education. Ann Arbor is a wonderful
place to visit. The University is co-mingled with the city and
greatly expands the cultural places and events available in the
area.
Flowers Are The Perfect Gift For Father's Day
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2008-02-20 |
Word Count: 486 |
Page Views: 5926
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
Dads everywhere have Sonora Smart Dodd to thank for getting
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Finding the Adventure in Travel Again
Written by: Helen Bergstein |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 718 |
Page Views: 4395
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 2.64
If you want to experience adventure at every level of your next
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If you're like most travelers, personal safety remains a priority,
especially in today's world. A growing number of savvy travelers
have found the perfect balance between adventure and comfort.
7 Tips to Hiring a Good DJ for your Party
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 563 |
Page Views: 5304
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 1.36
If you want to have a party that everyone will be talking about
for days and years later, hire a good DJ to run your music and
light show. Hiring a DJ can actually be fun. Just follow these
simple tips, and you are sure to have a fabulous DJ for your
party.
Building your Credit to get a Mortgage
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 840 |
Page Views: 5360
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
You are thinking about purchasing real estate. However, you are
not sure if your credit is good enough to get a mortgage. There
are things that you can do to build your credit so that it is
worthy of any mortgage that may interest you.
1569 Unique Ways To Get A Free Lunch
Written by: Steve Robichaud |
Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 3622
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
Everywhere you turn - T.V., Radio, magazines, or the Internet,
someone is talking about government grants. What's the real
story? Does the government give away real money, to ordinary
people, to use for whatever they want? Let's take a closer look:
Don't Wait to Start Your Marketing Strategy
Written by: Jo Fulkerson |
Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 3906
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
Your novel is finished, you’ve had it edited by a professional Editor, and you’ve done the rewrites. What? You haven’t had an editor edit your work yet? This is a must. There are many editors advertising in Writer’s Digest.
NEVER Reply to an eGroup Post!
Written by: BIG Mike McDaniel |
Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 5157
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
eGroups are collections of people subscribed to a
common (discussion list) address. When one member
sends an eMail message to the eGroup address, it
is automatically sent to everyone else on the
list. As subscribers open and read their eMail,
discussion threads take shape with additional
posts and replies. The attraction of eGroups is
the ability to join in at your convenience as
opposed to the confinement of live chat rooms.
Reasons behind Shoulder Pain
Written by: Jessica Horowitz |
Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 4954
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
Pain between the shoulder blades, or any pain for that matter,
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There are a multitude of possible causes of pain between the
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start with the most serious conditions first:
Effective Managers Need To Coach
Written by: Wendy Hearn |
Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 4434
| Votes: 4 |
Rating: 0.75
Bearing in mind the fast pace of business today and the
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TAKING RESPONSIBILITY - LIFE'S BIGGEST QUESTION
Written by: Richard Sparky Bryan |
Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 13808
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
When did Americans stop taking responsibility for their own
actions? My friend agreed
that the slide began in the late 1960's with the growth of the
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But he was quick to emphasize that although the sixties began
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Along about 1993, the slide began to sharpen. It was not until
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High Thread Count Bed Sheets. How Many Threads Does A Bed Sheet Need?
Written by: Liz Beresford |
Distributed: 2004-09-14 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 6583
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
High thread count bed sheets, often called percale, are much
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Muzzling the Motor Mouths: Silence Workplace Windbags
Written by: Bill Lampton Ph.D. |
Distributed: 2005-12-01 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 6329
| Votes: 4 |
Rating: 0.50
During my twenty-three years in management, I dealt with
blabbermouths frequently, so for the last ten years I have
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Here are my suggestions for muzzling the motor mouths:
Better Than Botox is there a Safer Substitute?
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2005-09-08 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 6224
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
Women since time immemorial have always looked for ways to
enhance and prolong their beauty. This of course becomes more
difficult as they age.
12 Ways to Promote Your Business And Website for Free
Written by: Ivana Katz |
Distributed: 2005-03-29 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 6196
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
You are very excited!! You have finally created your own
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Transform Your Work Area into a Homey Environment
Written by: Ted Roberson |
Distributed: 2006-02-24 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 6030
| Votes: 4 |
Rating: 1.25
Nothing enables one to think and work better than a comfortable
working environment. Especially if you have a sedentary job,
you've got to have little knick knacks around that will enliven
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Flowers Are The Perfect Gift For Father's Day
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2008-02-20 |
Word Count: 486 |
Page Views: 5926
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
Dads everywhere have Sonora Smart Dodd to thank for getting
Father's Day started. In 1909, Sonora sat in a church in Spokane,
Washington listening to a sermon expounding on the virtues of
motherhood. But, as she sat there, she thought about how special
her own father was since it was he who raised her after the death
of her mother.
Sell Yourself, Not Your Products or Services
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2004-05-03 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 5645
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 0.50
Sell yourself, not your products or services. The point we
need to make is that your products and services will change
over time as your business adapts to the realities of the
marketplace.
Building your Credit to get a Mortgage
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 840 |
Page Views: 5360
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
You are thinking about purchasing real estate. However, you are
not sure if your credit is good enough to get a mortgage. There
are things that you can do to build your credit so that it is
worthy of any mortgage that may interest you.
7 Tips to Hiring a Good DJ for your Party
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 563 |
Page Views: 5304
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 1.36
If you want to have a party that everyone will be talking about
for days and years later, hire a good DJ to run your music and
light show. Hiring a DJ can actually be fun. Just follow these
simple tips, and you are sure to have a fabulous DJ for your
party.
Highest Ranked "" Articles
Finding the Adventure in Travel Again
Written by: Helen Bergstein |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 718 |
Page Views: 4395
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 2.64
If you want to experience adventure at every level of your next
trip, you need to go beyond the usual resorts and places to stay.
If you're like most travelers, personal safety remains a priority,
especially in today's world. A growing number of savvy travelers
have found the perfect balance between adventure and comfort.
Freedom- or Burden of Choice?
Written by: Patsi Krakoff |
Distributed: 2004-09-30 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 1099
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 2.57
Everyday decisions have become increasingly complex due to the
overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented.
A trip to a typical supermarket reveals enormous choices such
as 85 different crackers, 285 types of cookies, 230 varieties
of canned soup, 80 different pain relievers, and 360 kinds of
shampoo. Does this improve the quality of our lives?
Building your Credit to get a Mortgage
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 840 |
Page Views: 5360
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
You are thinking about purchasing real estate. However, you are
not sure if your credit is good enough to get a mortgage. There
are things that you can do to build your credit so that it is
worthy of any mortgage that may interest you.
Flowers Are The Perfect Gift For Father's Day
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2008-02-20 |
Word Count: 486 |
Page Views: 5926
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
Dads everywhere have Sonora Smart Dodd to thank for getting
Father's Day started. In 1909, Sonora sat in a church in Spokane,
Washington listening to a sermon expounding on the virtues of
motherhood. But, as she sat there, she thought about how special
her own father was since it was he who raised her after the death
of her mother.
7 Tips to Hiring a Good DJ for your Party
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 563 |
Page Views: 5304
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 1.36
If you want to have a party that everyone will be talking about
for days and years later, hire a good DJ to run your music and
light show. Hiring a DJ can actually be fun. Just follow these
simple tips, and you are sure to have a fabulous DJ for your
party.
Ann Arbor, MI Offers A Lot Of Year-Around Family Fun
Written by: Jeb Maxwell |
Distributed: 2010-01-20 |
Word Count: 595 |
Page Views: 4757
| Votes: 8 |
Rating: 1.25
Ann Arbor, Michigan is the home of the University of Michigan, a
leading institution of higher education. Ann Arbor is a wonderful
place to visit. The University is co-mingled with the city and
greatly expands the cultural places and events available in the
area.
How to Decorate Your Home on EBay
Written by: Pamela Cole Harris |
Distributed: 2005-09-14 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 2159
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 1.20
If you are on a budget (and who isn’t?), a wonderful place for
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The "Proprietary Blend" Nutritional Supplement
Written by: Will Brink |
Distributed: 2006-02-10 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 3511
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 0.60
In a nut shell, I went onto cover each of these common marketing
terms that are used to sell supplements to unwitting consumers
and explained each in detail as to what I view as their common
misuse within the market place.
Brink's Unified Theory of Nutrition
Written by: Will Brink |
Distributed: 2006-02-24 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 2323
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 0.60
Regardless of the topic, a unified theory, seeks to explain
seemingly incompatible aspects of various theories. In this
article I attempt to unify seemingly incompatible or opposing
views regarding nutrition, namely, what is probably the longest
running debate in the nutritional sciences: calories vs. macro
nutrients.
7 Steps to Successful Telemarketing
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-03 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 2982
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 0.40
Telemarketing is not as easy as it looks. Telemarketing involves
talking on the phone to someone you do not know and trying to
convince them to buy a product, use a service, or sign up for a
special offer. Many times, telemarketers fail because they are
not doing the job properly.
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