Testimonials in innovative presentations help close business deals with new customers and get approval for internal projects, programs, or strategic changes. It’s one thing when you say that your training business can get stellar results, it’s another when four sincerely satisfied clients brag about what you delivered and describe your team’s stellar performance in very specific ways.
Video testimonials are a powerful way to highlight your product’s features and address concerns, doubts, skepticism, or fears people might have. Several, brief (one minute) testimonials from a diverse group of articulate people in jobs and positions that have meaning for your audiences can be a terrific tool to help you convince your group.
Well-done testimonials are really short stories that present a problem the testifiers faced, their decision-making process (including some hesitations), what critical factors made them buy into your product or program, and the results that made it worthwhile.
Although a testimonial should give some important specifics on the virtue of what you advocate, a winning one helps people in the audience relate to the decision-making process others went through and the criteria others used, which can help provide context for your group’s upcoming decision.
Include scanned photos of testimonial letters with the key parts highlighted or show comments from satisfied customers on your website in your presentation. Some innovative presenters use a live telephone or Skype call to provide a testimonial from one or more customers or experts who endorse your presentation messages and even let the audience ask questions.
If you have such a willing and able person, prepare her carefully by describing your audience, your presentation objectives, strategy, and content along with likely questions (include possible tough ones) from your audience.
Skype calls can be risky because of unknowns, but they are very powerful if all goes well! And, you really want your customer to be frank and truthful, even if some answers disappoint you, otherwise, it seems like a setup.