Third-party endorsements are extremely powerful because prospects want to see you've resolved situations similar to theirs.

Unfortunately, many testimonials in marketing materials have little pulling power because they lack details.

For example, I recently shopped online for a new podcast microphone. After a brief search, I saw one that matched my style and price range.

So I clicked the product link and began looking for information that addressed my two concerns. First, I wanted a microphone that didn't require additional equipment. I also wanted to make sure my new microphone would remove the "airy" sound you sometimes hear in poor-quality audio.

I found the answer to my first problem. For the second one, however, I was left to make a decision based on the following testimonial:

"X Company has always treated me excellent. Super fast and free shipping on nearly everything I have purchased! Bravo." -- customer on February 7, 2009

There are several problems with this "customer" comment. First, it's anonymous, which makes me wonder if the statement is real.

Also, the testimonial doesn't describe how X Company resolved a problem. Instead, the focus is on good customer service (which is assumed) and shipping (which is a minor detail that was mentioned in the order section).

The most effective testimonials use the before/after format to explain a situation.

Before: What problem did your client have before using your product/service?

After: How did the situation change after using your product/service?

Electronic marketing expert Alex Mandossian takes his testimonials a step further by adding another "after" to explain what the client's life is like today. This additional detail gives his testimonials even greater impact.

For years, diet companies have used the before/after testimonial format with great success. Many times photos are added to provide proof and increase credibility.

Sure, these days you may question the validity of the images in diet promotions, but that's because the industry is plagued by scams. This likely isn't a problem in your business, so use client photos when you can with your testimonials.

Additional testimonial tips:

·         When displaying your testimonials, use an especially powerful comment as a header. You'll draw attention to the testimonial and make it easy for readers who scan marketing materials.

·         Rarely are testimonials too long. Encourage clients to provide details.

·         In addition to photos, you can increase the credibility of your testimonials by recording clients' comments or creating videos of them speaking about your services. Audio and video are great additions to any website.

·         When possible, include a client's full name, city and -- if applicable -- occupation in the testimonial.

·         Request testimonials as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the less likely clients will treat your request as a priority.

Sincerely,

Tom

P.S. On Friday, I interviewed Jon Ward, a marketing and branding consultant who has worked with business leaders such as Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki, John Assaraf and T. Harv Eker. He revealed some great marketing tips for small businesses struggling to survive tough times. I'll let you know as soon as the recording and transcript are available for f r e e download. In the mean time, you'll find several other business-building interviews at http://www.writewaysolutions.com/blog/category/expert-interviews/.