Use Testimonials to Sell Your Creative Services

By: Kirstin Carey

If you hate cold calling, and even if you don't, you should start capitalizing on the work you’ve already done.

So often we don’t utilize one of the most persuasive selling components in our marketing materials – the words of our own clients. Many creative people have wonderful testimonials from clients, but never use them for fear that they are “bragging” or that it is “too self promotional.”

Well of course it’s self promotional! That’s what good marketing is!

When you are finished a project for a client, why not capture that moment in the client's own words to use for showing potential clients the value of your services? Testimonials are even more crucial for creative businesses because it is more difficult for the average person to set a value on most arts related items and services. Seeing others talk about the value of working with you will help them more readily understand the value of your work.

If your client doesn’t come running to you with a testimonial, then ask her for one. There is nothing wrong with that and most clients are honored you asked them.

The best testimonials are ones that show a measurable goal has been reached and uses language that your potential clients can identify with.

For example, here is a testimonial I received from a client who is an artist:
“I just recently got back from a job I did up in Cape Cod worth over $11,000 and it is because I used the techniques I learned from you to turn a consultation into my biggest job ever.”
-Amy Ketteran, Ketteran Studios

Here's another example of a testimonial I received from a corporate client:
"My improved confidence/speaking skills has helped my career as well as Verizon Connected Solutions since we are now working on developing partnerships/joint ventures with some large manufacturers and I am involved with seminars to promote these potential partnerships. Since I began working with Kirstin I’ve had several speaking opportunities and I can tell you her methods work. In fact, because of my work with Kirstin, I gave testimony in court that caused VCS to win a nearly $1 million lawsuit with customer who refused to pay. I can’t thank Kirstin enough!"
-Ed Ruby, Director of Business Operations
Verizon Connected Solutions

If you have testimonials, but they are not measurable, then they aren’t as persuasive as they need to be in order to sell a future client. To get measurable testimonials, all you have to do is ask for them. If you receive a testimonial from a client that isn’t measurable and doesn’t show a specific example of how that client has improved since working with you, then thank the client for the kind comments and ask him to narrow down the success to one or two specific items that are improved due to your work together.

You can respond with something like:
“Thanks for your feedback. It’s wonderful to hear about your success. What specifically has improved during our work together? Were you able to measure the difference?”

The more measurable the testimonial, and the more the client speaks in his own words, the more persuasive it is to the potential client, and the easier it is to generate new business.

Review your client list and look back over recent projects. Ask your best clients for measurable testimonials. It’s a whole lot easier than making a cold call!

Kirstin Carey is the author of "Starving Artist No More: Hearty Business Strategies for Creative Folks". Kirstin knows that most creative professionals hate sales, contracts and discussing money. She consults creative folks on the business side of creativity so they make more money, attract better clients, and love what they do. Get proven strategies and insider secrets to help creative types like you get the business help you need at
http://www.MyCreativeBiz.com

Read More From Kirstin Carey

A New Year, A New You
– Marketing Resolutions that Will Improve Your Image and Your Bottom Line
by Heidi Richards

"The keys to success with any resolution are: believing in it, commitment to the outcome and confidence that you will succeed."

Depending on the type of business you are engaged in, you either have a lot of free time during the month of December or you are super busy fulfilling orders and taking care of business. Even if you find yourself with no time to plan, it is important you at least think about the coming year and start mentally making your marketing resolutions.

- A resolution is “the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.” – Dictionary.com -

The problem with most resolutions is they are never kept – they may start out with a bang – with every intention to follow through and then somewhere along the way, they get dropped or set aside until such time as we are motivated again to take them up. At least that has been my experience. How about you? Have you ever mad a resolution only to find that 2 weeks or two month into the New Year you forgot about it (until next year). Generally speaking when that happens it is because you either were not committed to it or it was simply too difficult to complete. Both of which are the keys to failure.

So what do you want to accomplish in your business in the New Year? Do you know how much more money you want to make? How many more people you want to serve? How much of your time, talent, and treasure you can contribute to your community?

Here are some suggestions that could make a big difference in your image and your bottom line:

Number one – look back – review all the marketing programs you did in the previous year. Were they successful? If not, why not? If so, how can you capitalize on those successes in the coming year? Are these programs you can do again with similar (or better) results? If so, add them to your Marketing resolutions first.

Next, take a look at your brand - Does it truly reflect your image, what you want people to think of when they think of your company? Or does it need a facelift? Are your marketing materials consistent? How about the services you provide? Are they consistent with your brand? Is your website in line with your brand? Does it reflect your uniqueness or is it a “cookie cutter” site that looks like everyone else’s in your industry? When your brand works in tandem with who you are and what you provide to your niche market your brand is doing its job – it is positioning you to stand out in the crowd, to differentiate you from the competition.

Take a look at your Public Relations programs – Are they achieving their goals? Does your target market know what you are doing? Does the media know you exist? Do you stand out in your community, your industry? Are you sending out media releases with a set frequency (bi monthly, monthly, or weekly)? Are you involved in community programs that help you get the word out about your products and or services?

Do you host (or sponsor) high-profile events that get the media and your community to take notice? Getting involved in a community event is a great way to get the media to take notice and your clients to see you doing good things.

Do you have a media kit or an online media room? Does it reflect the real you? Is your photograph current? Your bio? Do you have news about your company posted on your website? A good media room will have a biographical sketch of the company principles, accompanied by current photos, and candid shots, maybe some pictures of personnel, and community projects, client testimonials, professional affiliations, and links to other sites you own or are involved in.

Think about how you can raise your profile and increase your bottom line with a good public relations program, media strategy and community events.
Write Now – are you writing for your business? If you are, take a look at the image they portray. Does your newsletter need a new look? Are you posting to your blog on a regular basis (at least once a week)? Do you send your ezine out at regular intervals? Do you contribute articles to industry associations that your customers read?

Don’t like to write? Don’t have time to write? Don’t think you have the skills to write? If you don’t have time, don’t have the skills or don’t like to write you can hire someone to do it for you. If you don’t have a newsletter, ezine or blog, now is the perfect time to start one or consider the possibility.
Write down how having any or all of these tools will help your business grow. If there is no way they will improve your image and/or your bottom line, don’t add them to your New Year’s resolutions. If they will, then consider how you can manage the added responsibility whether it is to outsource the job or do it yourself. You can hire a virtual assistant to help you with the writing, posting, and distribution of all of these writing tools.

Get out of the Office – Do you have a Networking Plan of Action for your business? Do you “hang out” where your clients are? Is your networking paying off? Take a look at all the things you spend your time on outside of doing your job (of fulfilling your clients’ needs). Write down the pros and cons of those things and look at what you can do more of, less of, or none of.

You might be spinning your wheels attending association events with little or no return. Take a look at the “why.” If you are only attending events once in a while it might be because people have not had a chance to develop a relationship with you. Or it might be that this is not really your target market.

Regardless of what it is, commit to changing that. Look at all the events and meetings you go to and really see if they are adding to your bottom line. Where are you spending time and energy that is paying off? Spend more time doing those things and less or no time doing the things that have little or no return on your investment.

Find at least one new group to network with. Immerse yourself. Let people really get to know you. Volunteer a little, or a lot. Take a leadership role. Donate your products and/or services. Ask for something in return such as publicity, advertising, or a list of prospects.

Choose just a few things to do. The more things you try to do at once, the greater the chance that you won't stick to your resolutions. Choose one, two or three things you will do this year. As you accomplish one of your New Year’s Marketing Resolutions, you can add another to your list. Success breeds success and the more successful you are at accomplishing your resolutions, the more likely you are to accomplish even more and ultimately add to your image (that includes your self-image) and your bottom line.


Happy New Year!

©Heidi Richards - is a professional speaker, Entrepreneur and the author of "The PMS Principles, Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business" and 7 other books. She is also the Founder & CEO of The WECAI Network™ www.WECAI.org – an Internet network of organizations that “Helps Women Do Business on and off the WEB.” Ms. Richards can be reached at heidi@wecai.org. Her newest book “From Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur,” will be available in the Spring of 2007.

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