Testimonials - What many Etiquette Professionals' Websites miss out on
Testimonials are those people who a company uses in order to endorse and promote their products or services. Research shows that customers rely on and trust what other people, usually family, friends, relatives, etc. recommend. But often you have to rely on other internet users opinion when taking a decision whether you consider it worthwhile buying a product/service or not. More than ever before recommendations do matter and Etiquette Consultants should not miss out this opportunity. It might take some effort to collect them but doesn’t actually cost anything!
The importance of Testimonials: 5 Reasons
1.) It adds credibility to the website and the brand name.
2.) It can be used as a marketing tool so that you can make clear how your training business distinguishes itself from your competitors.
3.) It will show you as a professional who has excellent relationship with his clients.
4.) It will increase consumer confidence and conversion rates.
5.) Not finding any testimonials on your website or just mentioning 2 or 3 looks like barely anyone would endorse your training.
Dear Reader, if you would be deciding on where to get your etiquette training from, who would you personally choose? Please read the two following testimonials:
Example 1:
“I made a really great experience”.
Example 2:
“Each of us benefited tremendously from our sessions with you. These benefits were manifested by many instances of respect and style demonstrated by those of us who attended your class, as well as those with which we have shared our knowledge. Secondly, you have ameliorated our sense of consideration for others. I have experienced less interruptions, more impressive introductions and, most importantly, more sensitive language in conversations with my co-workers.
—Amy Suess-Garcia, Communications, Taylor Company”
(Source: http://globalprotocol.com/06d%20Testimonials.htm)
I’m sure we agree that the second example would be the better choice. This due to the fact that it states very clearly how beneficial the training really was to those employees. The first example is surely positive, but too vague and general. It is by far not as impressive as the second one which includes specific praise and benefits.
Top 10 Tips when using Testimonials:
1) Don't lie and make up testimonials. Apart from being illegal, it could backfire.
2) Try to get as many as possible (start collecting positive feedbacks made personally, via email, on the phone, on the internet, via snail mail, or give some free courses in order to get them easily).
3) Use only the really good, impressive ones!
4) When soliciting testimonials remember that it is more meaningful and impressive if you ask for results and individual benefits.
5) Get video testimonials. A video would be the most effective testimonial you could get! The credibility and acceptability the video testimonials would give you and your training business is unquantifiable. It might knock down any doubt a prospective client may be having regarding your service.
6) Make sure you always mention full details, such as name, company’s name, job title and location (eventually). To make even a bigger impact, add a picture to it! Using just initials looks always fake.
7) Three Things a great testimonial should include are:
a) why the person has chosen your etiquette training company
b) how your training specifically helped the person - it should focus on the result rather than just the fun factor
c) why the person would recommend you to others as well.
8) You could also describe it as a case study with the following approach: Problem (the problem the client hired you for), Solution (how you resolved the problem) and Result (the impact it had on your client. It would be surely more impressive if you could also mention some real measurement, for instance, increase of sales a certain % or profits, saved an amount of money, saved productivity time etc.)
9) Remember that people might not just rely on testimonials but it’s a great start. They still might want to contact you and get their own first impressions about your company.
10) Get a varied selection of testimonials if you offer different etiquette course programs.
Some interesting facts revealed from the Etiquette Industry ...
After reading 276 testimonials from 14 Etiquette Professionals’ websites I found out that:
* Various terms have been used to refer to them. Most of them referred to them as “Testimonials” but there are also other names, such as: Clients, Rave Reviews, Speaking engagements, Clients and Testimonials, Reviews - what people say, Endorsements.
* Many other websites (some quite big household names in the Etiquette Industry) did not have any testimonials at all on their website.
* Some testimonials could be found very easily while others were mentioned in subsections or were quite difficult to find.
Categories: Marketing Tips, Etiquette Professionals
Tags: reviews tips etiquette business etiquette marketing marketing tips Karin Schroeck-Singh what many etiquette professionals websites miss out on testimonials rave reviews etiquette professional
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