One of the biggest challenges marketing has is to get customers and clients to tell your story on video. The customer is naturally reluctant, and sales, though they understand the benefit, is loath to ask a customer anything risky. They’d rather let someone else step forward. So how can you create a library of customer video testimonials?
There are three things that prevent most customers from appearing on video: fear, fear, and fear. It could be fear of the camera, fear of judgment by the company for endorsing an outside vendor, or just fear of the unknown.
However, people don’t fear things where the risk is small or may be in the distant future. Our brains don’t operate that way even when the consequences are large. One reason that prevents customers from agreeing to be videoed is that we don’t ask at the right time, and we don’t ask often enough. By asking early and often we can reduce the fear factor and get the customer to agree.
The first time to ask is during the initial sales cycle when the prospect is requesting proof points like references from your sales team. A request for a reference is an opportunity for a quid pro quo (this for that). When a prospect asks for a reference, your sales team should always ask them if they would become be a reference if you proceed to a successful mutual engagement. Very few will turn you down at this point because it’s too far in the future. This approach also demonstrates confidence.
The second time to ask is during the consummation of the deal. Many vendors now build the request for a case study into their business agreements. During the negotiation of the agreement, in exchange for price, feature, and service concessions, you can ask for a media case study testimonial contingent on successful implementation. Again, getting agreement is incremental.
Too many sales people wait until the engagement is over and they have nothing else with which to negotiate. The next time to ask is when you are reviewing the successful results of your product or service with the customer’s upper management. If you are saving the customer bundles of time, money, sweat and personal effort, why shouldn’t they agree? Why shouldn’t the customer’s upper management agree? Ask them, then remind them of their commitment and you will get their blessing in having your buyer do the video, and you may even get the CFO to agree as well.
I’ll cover additional steps you can take in the next several posts.
Lee Stocking
Prairie Sky Group
Making Sales Cry With Qualified Leads
lee.stocking@gmail.com
651-357-0110 (Cell 24×7)