"I used the methods you told me to use, and for



three days my phone's been ringing! I sold over $

3,500 in goods and services in three days! It's

the first time in five months that anyone had

really purchased anything."

What makes this testimonial so powerful? Let's

break down the elements of an effective

testimonial in more detail:

? Good testimonials should filled with benefits.

A comment like, "This product is great!" is nice

to hear, but it doesn't tell visitors what your

product can actually do for them.

? You want the benefits of what you offer to be

front and center in every testimonial: "This

product doubled our profits in a month!" or "This

product made the pain in my back disappear

completely--and did it fast!" or "We've never

seen any product that could get the rust off our

car without damaging the paint--until now."

? Good testimonials should substantiate your

claims. If you say your product can do something,

your testimonials should back up your promises,

complete with actual facts and figures. How much

money did your customers save by using your

product? How much time did they save by using

your service? How did it solve their problems or

improve their lives?

? Good testimonials should be from someone your

targeted market can relate to. You want your

visitors to see that your product helped someone

just like them. Make sure your testimonials come

from someone with whom your target market can

identify.

? If you sell primarily to seniors, for example,

ask your customers if you can include their age

along with the testimonial. If you're selling to

moms with children, ask if you can mention how

many kids they have or include a photo of their

family.

? Good testimonials should be credible. Accompany

each testimonial with the first name, last name

and hometown of each testimonial-giver to show

that your endorsements come from real people.

Always try to include a photo as well.

? And if you can, take it to the next level by

including audio or video testimonials for maximum

effect. Do anything you can to help your visitors

connect with your testimonial-givers on a

personal level.

? Good testimonials should endorses the key

benefits of your product. It's fun to hear that

your super-duper floor cleaner smells nice or

that the bottle doesn't drip--both things that

matter to people who would consider using your

product. But have you established that it cleans

their floors well?

? Good testimonials should be comparative. Did

your customers try another product that didn't

work before they found yours? You want your

visitors to know what your product can do that

other products can't. Choose testimonials that

set your product apart from your competition.

Start collecting more testimonials and use them

to your advantage.