Have you seen these horrendous Chick-fil-A commercials on TV?
If not, the whole spot is a close-up of one of their disappointing sandwiches with a voice-over that begins with something like …
“Hey, this is Cody. And a little thing I love about the Chick-fil-A grilled spicy deluxe sandwich is …”
Then Cody launches into a description laced with so many superlatives, you’d think he was talking about what he ate at Joël Robuchon the night before.
But wait, it gets worse.
Once Cody’s done telling us about his near-priapic affinity for waffle fries, we hear the announcer try to slip this line past us …
“Real customer paid for their testimonial.”
You know how messed up that is, right?
Because a “paid” testimonial’s real name is an “endorsement.” And just as you wouldn’t refinance your mortgage because Sam Waterston said so, you’re unlikely to eat anything hawked with manufactured praise.
But the marketing fakery of an overrated chicken outfit isn’t the topic of today’s sermon.
Instead, let’s pretend that Chick-fil-A featured an authentic testimonial and talk about where they went wrong.
And this is important because it’s a common misstep that we’re still trying to fix over here at the agency.
You see, the purpose of your testimonials is not to be a cheering section for your company. A testimonial’s only job is to diffuse objections.
A little louder for the people in the back …
A testimonial’s only job is to diffuse objections.
If this is the first time you’re hearing this, remember who your testimonials are for—your prospects.
These are folks who don’t know how wonderful it is to be your customer yet. They’re still walking around with an unsolved problem, crippling doubt, and loads of skepticism.
That’s why your testimonials need to have both sides of the story—the before and the after pictures.
The “before picture” is the relatable part. It’s where your reader can see someone just like herself who had the same uncertainties.
And when someone sees their feelings are both justified and shared, they’re more at ease and eager to hear how you helped this other person.
The “after picture” talks about your reader’s ideal outcome. It’s not your prospect’s current reality. But when they hear that someone just like themsolved a similar problem with you, their fears and anxieties begin to disappear.
By showing the full picture of your customers’ experiences, your testimonials become more believable—and more persuasive.
One last thing …
Please don’t attempt to write your own testimonials, then send them to your customers for their “blessing.” (We naively used to do that to save time.)
That’s because if you do it yourself, you’ll never nail the emotions your prospects are really feeling. Plus, the lack of detail is a dead giveaway of a false or scripted review.
So, what about all your current testimonials that are shimmering with delight? Do you have to ditch those and start over?
Absolutely not.
But when you collect your next batch, ask your customers to include anything that was holding them back.
I promise, it’ll be better than anything a discretely dropped fifty dollar bill will get you.
Here’s a song to play you out >>>
See you next time. — Matt
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