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The power of the testimonial - Why brag -
when others can sing your praises!
Hiya CopyStar,
Stay tuned - in this issue, I'm going to announce our
first-ever winner of the Copywriting Boot
Camp on Steroids $1,000 challenge! Woo hoo!
Gotta tell ya - picking just ONE winner was pretty tough.
The attendees from our September 08 Boot
Camp on Steroids really came up with some
solid copy - and even "interesting" ways to
sell the DVD.
So, I want to say a great big THANKS to all of you for
giving it a shot. Just going through the
writing process is making you a better and
stronger writer!
But before I announce the winner...
... I want to get into the meat of this issue. I'll show
you the best way to boost credibility in
your promos without sounding too cocky and
turning off your reader. But first...
... Take this quick quiz:
Which
is more powerful?
A:
"I'm wonderful" or
B: "You're wonderful"
(If you answered "A", your arrogance is showing)
Having other
people rave about you or your product is
much more powerful than tooting your own
horn or patting yourself on your back. And
that's why testimonials are so powerful!
Why brag about yourself when you can get others to sing
your praises?
Use testimonials - and plenty of 'em - to
convince your prospect that thousands of
other folks - just like him - LOVE your
product! For example...
"Nothing else worked for my night sweats!"
"My menopause day and night sweats and flushes are gone
since I started taking DIM twice a day. I
cannot be without DIM.
Nothing else worked so well for my
menopause symptoms."
- Joan G.,
Washington, D.C.
I've got healthy blood pressure at 67 years old!
"I've been satisfied with THE CIRCULATION SOLUTION™. My
blood pressure is lower now than 6 months
ago. Not bad for a 67- year old."
- Judy T., Hyattsville, MD
"I've tried them all - and you're the best!"
"Over the years, I have subscribed to many of the reputable
health newsletters - especially the ones
geared to seniors and heart health. I have
found that the more important items and
information I can use appears in Bottom
Line/HEALTH. Now you're the one and only
health letter I read!"
- Melvin T., Reston, VA
"No longer need the neck brace"
"Out of desperation I started taking
TrueAloe™ capsules. After trying many
products, my arthritis showed little
improvement. I was wearing a neck brace most
of the time and my hands and legs were
always aching. After a few weeks of TrueAloe™,
I no longer needed the neck brace and feel
about 75% better overall. TrueAloe™ is
certainly worth trying. Hope you have as
much relief as I have."
- Jason B., Loganville, GA
What
if you're writing a launch package and you
don't have any testimonials?
First of all, DON'T make them up - that's
just wrong.
But DO find ways to be creative. For
example, have your client's staff provide
testimonials. Or get your friends to try out
the product - and create a bunch of
testimonials from their experiences!
A while back, I launched a brand new Liver &
Kidney Cleanse product. I had my family and
friends perform the 16-hour cleanse
recommended by the doctor. Then I made them
take pictures of the gross stuff that came
out of their bodies!
Ok, so I lost a few friends in the process,
but hey, I got a kick-butt control!
In fact, one of the testimonials
ended up on the cover of that successful
promo:
"I
didn't believe until I saw it with my own
eyes!"
"Oh my goodness! I couldn't believe all these stones were
clogging up my liver and gallbladder. No
wonder I was always feeling tired! Here are
just a few of the HUNDREDS of stones that
painlessly flushed out of my body when I did
the fast acting flush with your amazing
product. I feel so much better now. Thank
you!"
- Sandy F., Laurel, MD
Get a
celebrity to "endorse" your product - here's
how...
If a famous person makes a comment about an ingredient in
your product - put it in quotes and use it.
For example...
... if your product contains Vitamin C and Nobel Prize
winning doctor, Linus Pauling said Vitamin C
is critical for fighting joint pain - then
put his quote in your promo and place it
near the product.
Add in a line of copy that shows your product contains
Vitamin C - yes, the same Vitamin C that Dr.
Pauling raved about! That way, you create an
implied testimonial - without lying.
Or if an Oprah show mentions the superstar antioxidant
called Acai - and your product contains this
amazing berry - then go ahead and let your
prospect know this is the same Acai "as seen
on Oprah!"
When I write testimonials, here's what I try my darndest to
include:
1.
Headline.
Make it a benefit oriented headline so scanners can get the
"big idea" of the copy without having to
read it entirely.
2.
Photo -
ideally a real picture of the person. If not, a "real
looking" stock photo can work.
3.
Name and address.
Depending on the client's preference, I'll
use the first name and last initial along
with city and state. That tells your
prospect this is a REAL person.
4.
The actual copy.
I'll edit only for clarity. I'll also
correct misspellings. But, I avoid making
changes to the testimonial. I like to keep
it as real as possible.
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Congratulations "Doberman Dan" Gallapoo! 