This week's focus:
One of the keys to successful marketing is the ability to convince skeptical people that your product or service is worth buying. Your job is to build enough credibility and value in someone else's mind that they believe it's worthwhile for them to part with their money and make a purchase, or part with their time and participate. A great way to generate this belief is by using success stories. Yet, I rarely see authors and business leaders take advantage of this tool.
The point of a good success story is to show how someone benefited from your expertise, whether through a tangible book or an intangible service. If the testimonial is specific and genuine in nature, then it allows the reader to feel a greater sense of trust about you. Trust is one of the most important factors in the buying decision process. For example, here's an example of an ineffective and effective success story for the bestselling book, The Five Love Languages (I chose these randomly from Amazon.com):
Ineffective - "For anyone in any sort of relationship, this book is a must read! I devoured it in two days, and I look forward to reading it again. Love is such an important topic, yet so many of us equate it only to romantic involvements. The Five Love Languages will give you a vast understanding of how all the people in your life will benefit from knowing their particular love language and that of those around them." (This testimonial is too vague and cliché to build trust and value with the reader.)
Effective - "The Five Love Languages is absolutely incredible. Having serious marital problems with my husband, I was desperate for any kind of help. Not expecting too much, one lazy morning I suggested to my husband that we lay in bed and begin reading this book out loud to each other. We read 120 pages that morning! We couldn't put it down! Both of us shed a lot of tears, because the book really hit home. That morning, everything seemed hopeless for us. But, after reading this book, we had new hope that our problems could be resolved. Our attitude toward each other has greatly improved since read Dr. Chapman's book." (This is a powerfully convincing testimonial, because it's specific and relevant to the reader.)
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, whether you run a large business or a small non-profit, success stories are some of the most powerful marketing tools you can use. So ask yourself this week:
1. Is my book or business so good that it improves a person's life? Can I prove it?
Chew on this:
"Success breeds success."
2. Am I asking customers for success stories?
Chew on this:
"Success breeds success."
- Anonymous
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© Rob Eagar 2010. All rights reserved.
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