We are bombarded with information each day. Much of this information comes from companies trying to influence our purchasing decisions. In fact, it is estimated that we are subjected to between 500 and 3,000 commercial messages each day!
(source: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=56750)

So how can the message your business wants to convey get through this barrage of information overload? Use a trusted source of information. Most businesses know that advertisements are viewed with skepticism. Then what is a trusted source of information?

Trusted sources have changed over the years. I recently read a study done in 2007 by Bridge Rating that compared trusted sources of information with a similar study done in 1997 by the University of Massachusetts. It was fascinating to see how our perceptions of trust have changed. In the 90’s the top three trusted sources included teachers, religious leaders, and friends, family, & acquaintances. In 2007 those sources had changed to friends, family, & acquaintances, strangers with experience, and teachers. In fact the study showed that we trust strangers with experience more than newspapers and magazines, or our favorite reporters, or advertisements.

source: (http://www.bridgeratings.com/press_08.01.067.Influentials.htm)

You may not know who your ideal customers are related to, or who their best friends happen to be. However, the second most trusted source of information comes from strangers with experience. This is something you can capitalize on with Customer Success Stories. A Customer Success Story is when a satisfied customer shares with you her personal and unique experience while using your products or services. These stories develop credibility in the minds of others. They help others see themselves successfully using what you sell.

Don’t know how to go about getting some customer success stories for your business, or how to best use the ones you have? I can help. Just send me an e-mail at Julie@writethoughts.net and soon you’ll have customer success stories in your marketing strategy.

“One good letter from a satisfied customer may be all you need to convince the customer that he or she is

safe in buying from you,” claims Brian Tracy in his book Be a Sales Superstar.  He adds, “They [testimonials] are incredibly powerful in building mega-credibility.”

There are so many choices today for consumers that it takes mega-credibility to get sales today. Credibility is an appeal to quality and service. Mega-credibility is more than that. It is increased trust in your company – trust that puts you above what your competitors are offering.

The reason over 80% of qualified consumers don’t buy something is because they don’t want to make a mistake. Developing mega-credibility in your product or service helps customers overcome this fear. One way to do this is with Case Studies.

Case studies show satisfied clients using your product or service to solve a problem. This develops trust in your company as prospects see others like themselves happy with their purchase. Case studies build mega-credibility because they go beyond claims of great quality or wonderful customer service. They show real life examples of success.

Every company should have at least one case study for each product or service it offers. Many companies take this further and develop a case study for different features of products. This is especially helpful in up-selling. Highlighting a satisfied customer who purchased an add-on feature and found it became indispensable is priceless in getting more customers to purchase that feature.

If you don’t have a case study for a particular situation, contact me today. I’ll get it done expertly, efficiently, and effectively. It will probably cost a lot less than you imagine and will increase your sales for years to come. So call (435-229-2218) or e-mail julie@writethoughts.net me to start building your mega-credibility now.

1. Don’t rush. Many companies want their marketing materials yesterday. They are feeling the pinch of not having the right item when it is needed. However, it is better to do an excellent job correctly, than just a make-do-for-now effort.
2. Research. Research your subject and the person you are going to interview before you conduct the interview. This shows your subject that you have a genuine interest in them and makes them more comfortable. It also shows respect because you aren’t asking a lot of unnecessary questions. The story is told of a reporter who once asked Vivian Leigh what part she played in the movie Gone with the Wind. She ended the interview at that point. Don’t let that happen to you. Be prepared.
3. Pick a theme for your interview. When writing white papers and case studies, not everyone fits the profile of the ideal reader. You don’t want to interview the young, female receptionist of a small company when your ideal reader is a middle-aged, male executive. Interview the executive instead, even if you have to wait a few weeks because of his busy schedule.
4. Develop questions. Questions should be open-ended and encourage your speaker to open up to you. Don’t ask yes or no questions. Also plan to let people ramble and sometimes go onto another subject than the one you are interviewing them about altogether. They may surprise you with additional material. Especially with case studies, it really adds a human element to the story.
5. Interview your subject in person, if possible. Visiting in person gives you more information than over the telephone. You get access to non-verbal clues such as body language, style of clothing, hair color, etc. Also try to conduct the interview at your interviewee’s place of business. Furnishings such as style of décor and paintings may give you some opening questions to ease into the interview.
6. Establish rapport. Begin with general, get-to-know you type questions that ease into an interview. If something interesting about the person has been revealed through your research, ask them about it. Above all, listen more than you talk. Studs Terkel said, “I realized quite early in this adventure that interviews conventionally conducted were meaningless. The question-and-answer technique may be of value in determining favored detergent, but not in the discovery of men and women. It was simply a case of making conversation and listening.”
7. Focus on the speaker. Instead of waiting to ask your next question, concentrate on what the speaker is saying. When you really listen to the speaker, you get more information. You respond as if you are interested and new questions will occur to you during the discussion.
8. Record the interview. However, always take backup notes. As I once discovered to my chagrin, a tape recorder is not always reliable – especially if the interviewer (me) is technically challenged. Ask permission to record the interview and explain that is to help you get quotes correct.
9. Be respectful. Everyone is busy so stick to the time frame you scheduled. Also, when people talk they often add lots of ums and other “stuff” that they wouldn’t want to see in print. When typing the interview, use quotes verbatim, but without the ums and ahs.
10. Have fun. Interviewing is a good way to connect with others. So enjoy the experience.

1. Put it in a press release. A customer success story (often called a case study) can quickly be abridged and used as part of a press release. Be sure to note in the release that an expanded version is available.
2. Pitch it to a trade magazine. Many trade publications are searching for public interest stories. You can easily present the information in a fairly non-biased way so your company is only highlighted as the specific end-solution.
3. Mail it to current customers. Mailing or e-mailing a true story is a great way to keep in touch. It can also raise awareness about a new product or service, or encourage customers to contact you with their own success stories.
4. Offer it as a bait piece. A case study makes a terrific free giveaway in response to a direct marketing ad. Sending real life examples of how others solved specific problems helps prospects develop trust in you.
5. Give it to your sales department. They can use them in presentations, to illustrate key points, and as a leave behind document. A case study is often more convincing than a brochure.
6. Place it on your web site. Put a “bite” of the story in a sidebar on your front page, with a link to the full story.
7. Highlight it in your newsletter. Success stories based on real-world applications get the highest readership in newsletters because they are compelling and fun to read.
8. Use it as a speaking topic. When an executive needs to give a talk at a meeting, a case study makes an excellent presentation. The content easily converts into PowerPoint slides, and the printed version can be handed out.
9. Utilize quotes as testimonials. Testimonials help make benefits believable. The quotes gleaned from happy customers for a case study can be used in ads, brochures, white papers, and more.
10. Hand out copies at trade shows. Case studies are a great way to break through the clutter of fliers and brochures that permeate trade shows. Before and after pictures are extremely effective in getting people to stop at your booth.
11. Feature “live” examples in a webinar. Most people love being a guest, so include a customer with a really compelling success story as a featured speaker.
12. Put three shortened stories together for an ad. These always get read because they are true stories about real people.