How To Use Testimonials To Produce Effective Sales Letters

Sales letters should include an introduction to your product or service, a description of how it’s different from the competition, an outline of its features and language that is sure to convince others to make a purchase.  The challenging part is to be able to fit all of these elements into a short sales piece that is convincing enough.  A strong advantage of using testimonials is that the words used may contain a good portion of what is needed for a strong sales letter.  It is a great tool, especially when coming from a satisfied customer.       

Create opportunities for your customers to express their satisfaction from the product or service.  When you hear the positive words, ask your customer if he or she would be willing to write a short testimonial.  Listen for stories that tell about how the product saved them money because of the effectiveness of using fewer materials than normal.  Or maybe the customer has seen a great increase in the amount of leads, which are a result of your marketing campaign. 

The best suggestion is to use testimonials that are written in the customer’s own words.  It’s a bad idea to use testimonials that a copywriter has written for you.  They will end up sounding the same, and will appear that the same person wrote them.  They will never have the genuine appeal to them that can only come from customers.       

When you talk to customers about writing a testimonial, ask them to write a long one in their own words.  Oftentimes you’ll see a very short testimonial that contains a couple of positive words about a product or service.  This may turn off potential customers because it can easily be perceived as the work of an editor cutting down an uninspiring testimonial into a rave review.  Take the liberty to edit the reviews for grammar and spelling, but leave the wording up to them.  

Make an effort to use testimonials that are specific to how your product or service has improved the lives of your customers.  For example, you’re looking for someone to say something beyond that it’s a great product.  Look for one that describes a specific and measurable result that will persuade others to make a purchase.  If you offer a service, aim for testimonials that tell about how the quality of their lives has improved, how they have saved time or how much waste they have reduced. 

If you’ve never used testimonials from pleased customers before, you’ll soon find that the interest in your product or service will increase.  Just remember to focus on the aspect of remaining as genuine as possible.