Think about how often you use social media to see what other people have said about home exercise equipment you are checking out, curbside take-out at a local restaurant or organizations that are accepting donations. Why are we seeking input from others? We want to save time in our search, reduce our risk of making a regrettable decision and improve the odds the experience will be positive. Now put yourself in your customers’ shoes…
Level of trust built with your customer?
If you are new to your customer, you may not have built significant trust yet. Keep in mind what your customer may be thinking (see below).
Considering the pressure customers are feeling recently, assume they will buy from those they trust already. Want to close that gap? Think about the testimonials that align best to prospective customers you are pursuing (and start to leverage them)…you may have an edge on competition!
Top priorities include:
- Same industry
- Similar company size
- Geographic proximity
Value of testimonials
People working for organizations that are struggling are focused on trying to stay employed. Risky or rogue decisions are not going to happen. Decision makers are looking for solutions that have the shortest, clearest path to successful implementation and resolution of business issues.
Testimonials take the pressure off you and can help build credibility rapidly. If you are pursuing a deal against an entrenched competitor, testimonials may reduce the time your customer needs to gain sufficient comfort and keep you “in the game”.