Mastering the World of Selling: The Ultimate Training Resource from the Biggest Names in Sales

Chapter 23. The Amazing Power of Testimonials

Colleen Francis

Engage Selling Solutions

If you are interested in selling more to more people in less time, testimonials are a vital part of the formula for success. If you're not using them in your business right now, you are missing out on one of the most profitable sales tools . . . ever!

Why are testimonials so effective? Consider the story of legendary businessman W. Clement Stone. He built what would one day become a multibillion-dollar empire by selling fire-insurance policies door-to-door during the Great Depression.

There's no denying that Clem's knack for people skills was a big part of his success. And he also had a little something extra—a binder overflowing with testimonials from his customers. Legend has it that that binder never left his side when he was knocking on all those doors. There was a good reason for that. It was chock full of stories— and not just happy accounts from people who were satisfied. It also told painful stories about how people had lost houses, husbands, and wives to misfortune . . . and how relieved they were that, thanks to Clem, they had signed on the dotted line long ago, and now were covered. Frankly, after reading stories out of that binder, it's hard to imagine how anyone could ever say no to him!

That's the amazing power of testimonials. They work because they reaffirm for others what you already know is true. Testimonials back up what you say with social proof. They validate the feelings a prospect ...