| People won't buy from you until they're confident | | | | percent may bethe accurate number. But 27.7 |
| you willdeliver exactly what they expect to get. You | | | | percent is more believable. |
| can help themdevelop that confidence by making | | | | BONUS: Specific descriptions also create impact |
| certain every claim youmake about your product or | | | | andexcitement. They motivate more of your |
| service is fully believable. | | | | prospects to buy. |
| Here are 3 ways you can increase your believability | | | | TONE DOWN YOUR CLAIMS |
| withprospects -- and generate more sales. All 3 work | | | | If the actual results you can produce for your |
| for anybusiness. And you can use them with any | | | | customers orclients sound too good to be true, your |
| marketing methodincluding the Internet. | | | | prospectivecustomers will assume it's not true. It |
| USE TESTIMONIALS | | | | happened to me... |
| Testimonials from satisfied customers are powerful | | | | I once developed a direct mail postcard that |
| sellingtools. They establish your believability because | | | | generated over |
| they proveyou already delivered what you promised | | | | 20 percent replies when I sent it to names on a |
| to other customers. | | | | specialmailing list. Most of the businesses I |
| The most effective testimonials describe a specific | | | | approached with alead service using this postcard |
| resultyour customer enjoyed by using your product | | | | didn't believe I couldreally get that high a response |
| or service. Forexample, "In just 2 weeks I lost 9 | | | | rate for them. |
| pounds, felt yearsyounger and still enjoyed all my | | | | The service was difficult to sell unless I |
| favorite foods". | | | | substantiallyunderstated the projected rate of |
| TIP: Get permission to use your customers' names | | | | response. I eventuallydiscovered that projecting a 7 1 |
| andaddresses with their testimonials. Personal | | | | 2 to 9 1/2 percent responserate produced the |
| testimonialsfrom real people are more believable than | | | | largest number of sales. That rate wasstill a |
| anonymoustestimonials. | | | | substantial increase for any company -- and it |
| PROVIDE SPECIFICS | | | | wasmore believable than the actual rate of more |
| You can also increase your believability by | | | | than 20percent. |
| convertinggeneral statements into specific | | | | SPECIAL ADVANTAGE: Understating the results your |
| descriptions. "It's fast,easy and inexpensive" may | | | | customercan expect also enhances your credibility. |
| accurately describe your productor service. But a | | | | Imagine yourcustomer's reaction when your product |
| specific description of how fast, how easyand how | | | | or service producessubstantially better results than |
| inexpensive is more believable. | | | | you promised. |
| Also, try to avoid using round numbers (10, 25, 40, | | | | How believable are the claims and promises you |
| etc.) inyour claims. Instead, reduce them to specific | | | | make toprospective customers or clients? Do you |
| odd numberswith fractions or decimals. Here's why... | | | | use testimonialsand provide specifics? Are there any |
| Which of the following 2 statements sounds more | | | | claims you need to tonedown because they sound |
| authentic toyou? | | | | too good to be true? Prospectivecustomers won't |
| 1. Our clients average 30 percent more sales. | | | | buy from you unless they fully believe everyclaim and |
| 2. Our clients average 27.7 percent more sales. | | | | promise you make. |
| Most people choose the second statement. 30 | | | | |