Work Better, Not Harder

Originally published in  Work Better, Not Harder newsletter March 27, 2018 How about that feeling when a colleague sends you a new referral? Great, eh? Referrals are so much more than new business; they're also a sign of trust . That's why we need to treat our referrals with such care. But what happens when you discover a referral isn't so good... or is downright wrong for you? During the past few months, I've been on both ends of this interaction. It can be awkward for all three parties. It comes down to expectations . The referrer sets certain expectations when they make the referral - and they can be about any number of things, including prices and turnaround time. Unfortunately, the referrer may not know the business they are referring has changed their offering - so it no longer meets those expectations. Disappointment abounds. How to receive good referrals: A good friend once told me how important it is to keep my potential referrers informed abo...

You'll see in this newsletter that success stories make great marketing content. There's positive emotion around a good story - we like to read them and share them. It's a bonus that they come in many different forms: testimonials, case studies, photos of happy customers or completed work, statistics, even video. Success stories can also be assembled in a lot of different ways. For example: written by you, or by your client spontaneous (such as on Twitter), or solicited about your products and services, or about your business itself (for example, a 10 year anniversary) short or long (useful for different purposes) numerical or graphic (such as statistics) Don't stop at collecting testimonials. There are many more ways to tell your story. originally published in Work Better, Not Harder March 30, 2016 Click to Tweet this Article

You've just had a great experience working with another small business owner. You know how important testimonials are , but writing them is not a comfortable experience for you. So, you procrastinate. Here are some tips to get that off your TO DO list. #1. Jot down 3-4 descriptive words or phrases that immediately come to mind about the business, the product or service, the consultant, the buying process, and such. When you start writing and are stuck for a word, refer to this list. (Examples: reliable, honest, practical, creative, solid) #2. Get clear on the benefit. Before you start to write, consider your responses to these questions: What was your problem? What was the solution and how was it unique? What particularly stood out about the buying experience? #3. Start with feelings. You are really writing the testimonial for potential customers of the business. Think about how you felt and tell them how they will feel. Use comparisons, such as "It made me fee...

Do you want more customers like the ones you already have? You can use experiences with your current customers to develop content that will attract more of the same. Customer-generated content is akin to 'social proof' - it elevates your reputation . By 'content' I mean all the 'stuff' on your website, social media accounts, blog, newsletter, brochures and so on. How do you get your customers to do this work for you? Success stories: Interview a client and write a blog post about it. Or ask them to write it themselves . Or do it live via Blab or Periscope and save the recording to post online. Prepare a few questions in advance so the advantages of using your product or service will be highlighted. Lessons learned and improvement opportunities: Write about a customer service experience and what you learned from it. This doesn't have to be negative. Case studies and examples: This works great if you do project-type work or customization. As abo...

Some people put a lot of credence in testimonials. Granted, that may not be you, but don’t discount their importance. Testimonials boost your reputation by: positioning you as an expert answering unasked questions your prospects might have about the experience of working with you or your company providing social proof Make it easy for your customers to provide a testimonial – be specific in your request. Here is what I ask for when I request a testimonial from a newsletter client: “You might choose to write about how a newsletter helps your business, what it was like to work with us, or how you feel about the final results.” Testimonials of varying lengths are great because you can put them to different uses. Brief testimonials are great for headers and headlines. More lengthy testimonials will often describe something that you then don’t have to describe yourself. Maintaining a page of testimonials on your website keeps them all in one place. Aside from being e...

Different types of content will achieve different things. You can educate and inform, build trust, establish your expertise, expand your community, and generate sales. Building trust is one strategy that is appropriate for just about any type of organization or independent professional. It can be used in your newsletter and also extends to your website, blog and social media. This type of content is used to bridge the gap between awareness and trust . Here are some types of content that specifically work to build trust: How-to content - specific advice, tips and processes Articles written by you - displaying your knowledge of the subject Articles published by others that specifically mention you or your organization Reviews - customer reviews on sites such as Yelp and Google Places Testimonials - endorsements from happy customers An added bonus is that these types of content often support your SEO efforts. Being brief and to the point also builds trust so I'll st...

You might be surprised at how many small business owners don’t collect testimonials on a regular basis. When I ask clients for testimonials to put on their newsletter, brochure or website, there is often a big scramble to start gathering them. I was like that too, till my marketing guru Debi Hartlen MacDonald set me straight about it a few years ago. What do testimonials do for you? Provide social proof Position you as the expert Answer questions that your prospect has about working with you, even though s/he may not ask outright There are two activities you can undertake: 1. Put a process in place to collect testimonials as part of your sales process. For example, when I send an invoice, I request a testimonial at the same time. Using an online app like LinkedIn  makes it easy. When you receive testimonials, keep them all in one place. Copy them into a text document and keep them in a folder. Or immediately post them to your website and make that your collect...