Ever see online customer testimonial videos? You know, videos of real people talking about a product or service they’ve used. Kind of a reality TV style commercial.

If you’ve gone online recently, I’m sure you’ve seen some. Here’s a great one. http://timberking.com/video.cfm?video=11 Credibility just pours off Bruce Baker. He’s a real customer, a real guy, telling of his real experience, in his own words. That’s good advertising.

The beauty of these online customer testimonials is that they aren’t beautiful. They aren’t Holllywood. They aren’t a fantasy like commercials that promise a better love life if only you had fresh breath…

Pay attention and you’ll see customer testimonials at work all over the place. Magazine ads, newspapers, brochures for all kinds of products and services.

But how do you get customer testimonials?

“Sure,” you say. “I get it: customer testimonials have selling power. But how do I get customer testimonials in the first place?”

You’ve got a business, right? You’ve got customers, right? Well, chances are you’re already receiving great customer testimonials but you’re just not collecting them.

Put your sales people on special alert: “Collect all customer feedback!” And don’t forget the clincher: “And get it to me immediately!”

If you use product registration forms or warranty cards, they’re rich sources of customer feedback. Your “contact us” form on your website is another one. And tell Sales and Customer Service to cc you on any and all e-mail that contains a customer’s opinion or comment – good or bad.

(And by the way, the only thing “bad” about a bad comment from a customer is you, if you don’t respond to it.)

Send an e-mail to your customers asking for feedback. Invite feedback on your website. Mail customers a letter. Talk to them in the showroom. Stop and chat with them in the parking lot.

After you’ve collected customer stories…

Build a library of customer comments then turn them into customer testimonials. Start with the short comments. You can run them as-is in an ad or brochure. “I love my new Mazda. You guys at Acme Motors are the best!”

Stack them up. Build a column of short testimonials in your sales brochures. Put them on your website under “Customer Testimonials.”

But you can do much more. A good short comment can turn into a great long story if you pursue it. Give the customer a call and ask them to elaborate. Tape record the conversation and transcribe it for later use – but ask them if it’s OK first, and get a signed release afterwards.

Harness the power of testimonial videos

A great customer endorsement becomes an extraordinary testimonial when you capture it on video. I video-document my clients’ testimonials with help from www.IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com, a Chicago-based video company that’ll go anywhere, any time to shoot video customer testimonials.

Once in video format, you can mount your testimonials on your website, put them on DVD, use them at trade shows, or loop them on a TV in your showroom.

It all starts with awareness: you’re already getting customer feedback. Launch programs to capture it and build the feedback into powerful, versatile customer testimonials.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

www.EdwardsDirect.net