Collect customer stories

Alonzo Harris: Tell me a story, Hoyt.

Jake Hoyt: My story?

Alonzo Harris: No, not your story. A story. Because you can’t keep your mouth shut long enough for me to read my paper. Tell me a story.

Jake Hoyt: I don’t think I know any stories.

Alonzo Harris: You don’t know any stories? Okay, I’ll tell you a story. This is a newspaper. It’s 90 per cent bullshit, but it’s entertaining. That’s why I read it, because it entertains me. You won’t let me read it, so you entertain me with your bullsh*t. Tell me a story, right now.

• Training Day

A common question from selling into a business is “have you got any case studies?”

I used to be a media buyer. The worst sales reps would sit you down and beat you to death with a 30 slide Powerpoint that featured case study after case study.

The best salespeople connect and contextualise examples of what’s worked in the past, how it is applied to you, and how their product matches exactly what you need.

These examples of how your product has solved a customer’s problem are valuable because they provide social proof.

Learn to embrace them. They can come in many forms. Testimonials are quick, easy, and work. A few faces similar to the buyer stating how you helped them is dead simple and helps the buyer see you help people like them.

They are also easy to capture.

Have you made a sale yet and got a happy customer?

Ask for a testimonial.

When they say “yes I’d be happy to” make their lives easier by drafting something for them:

Hi Mr X,

Thanks for agreeing to say some kind words.

To make your life easy I’ve grabbed a picture and who you are from socials with drafted some wording. Feel free to change / rewrite / correct as you see fit!

This testimonial will feature on my website, and may be mentioned in future marketing.

Ping me back with any amends to make it all okay!

“Luke delivered this marketing guide with panache, energy, and a no BS approach that helped me learn it quickly, and apply it effectively.” - Mr X, Business Owner

With gratitude,

Luke

Get into the habit of asking for proof of happy.

When starting you can still get testimonials by gifting an early version of your product for free.

When established you can still get benefits by automating the request processes and continually adding new examples.

Case studies establish credibility.

As an unknown you’re saying: “see I help people like you, but someone else is saying this for me”.

People look for credibility markers subconsciously, and depending on the cost of the deal or product, there can a few needed or literally thousands.

A polished B2B (business-to-business) marketer or sales leader obsesses over details that are completely irrelevant to someone selling jewellery on Etsy.

For example, sales of Butterfly979@hotmail.com unicorn brooches aren’t going to be decided on whether her email responses came from a Hotmail or customised email domain.

Testimonials are only one form of case study.

Over time you’re going to identify other ways you weave them in.

Asking customers to leave a review is an obvious one.

It might also be in a sales presentation, mentions in the front of your book, or even recorded videos from engaged customers you’ve helped in the past.

They are the ultimate way to demonstrate a deep understanding of your buyer. This is because it takes a certain level of service for someone to want to put their neck out and advocate for you.

Don’t fake them consumers will spot this from miles away so don’t do it. Earn the advocates and reap the rewards.

By now know how to understand potential customers and buyers by:

• taking a guess
• hanging out in the same spots
• ask questions like a journalist with what, where, when, why, how
• dig into their real meaning with the 5 Why technique
• discern between numbers in a tool or survey and authentic answers
• digging into and understanding testimonials and case studies

Understanding your buyers is a continual process that will get better over time. The tools above are more than enough to get going, so let’s go deep on finding customers next.