The Reciprocal Nature of Testimonials
So, we haven't written much lately. That's mostly because we were gone for about a week at the Glazer-Kennedy SuperConference in Chicago. We believe in dedicating uninterrupted, highly-focused attention to our learning and networking, so we didn't even turn on the laptop the whole time we were there.
That focus created so much energy and momentum that now we've been literally buried in activity since we returned. Anyway, I'm forcing myself to share some thoughts with you today.
While we were at the conference, we approached a gentleman name Joel Bauer to show him some of the successes we accomplished using ideas from his persuasion system...and to offer a testimonial. We know from experience that there is nothing more exciting than hearing wonderful success stories from people you have helped, mentored, or taught. Since we love getting testimonials so much, we thought it was our chance to give one.
Now, we talk about the power of social proof and testimonials a lot around here. We all know how powerful they can be - and how examples of others' experiences can make your selling job easier. But what I never knew was the other side of the testimonial's power.
Here's what happened. By telling Joel our story, he got so excited that he invited us to come on stage with him the next day to briefly show and tell our story. Well, we did - and the results were astonishing. We were instantly swamped by people who wanted to hear more and see what we had done. We must have made 100 new and powerful relationships. The act of giving the testimonial actually helped us meet and influence more people. Who would have thought?
I'm not sure why it is so. Perhaps it's karma. I tend to believe that it's another opportunity to bring additional exposure to yourself. Plus, if your testimonial is excellent, it's likely to make people want to talk to you.
For instance, consider sending your success story to a person with a popular web site. If your story is good, they may feature it on their site - along with a link to your site. If that site has a high rank on Google or gets a lot of traffic, that can be a benefit to you.
So my advice...sift through your experiences and look for impactful stories you can tell those who have helped you. It may just benefit you as much as them...
