How to Use Customer Testimonials to Close More Deals and Build Brand
09/15/20 • 34 min
On this episode of B2B Enablement, Sam Shepler (CEO of Testimonial Hero) joins to talk about the importance of using customer testimonials in your sales and marketing strategy. He shares insights and tips on how your business can use video testimonials to help reduce friction in the customer journey and build brand equity with potential clients.
Introduction: Sam Shepler, Founder and CEO at Testimonial Hero (Time stamp 1:00)
Testimonial Hero is a video testimonial creation service for B2B marketing leaders. They produce videos all over the world (in-person and remotely) and help B2B marketers drive better results by using the voice of their customers.
Why do video testimonials really matter for B2B revenue teams and how does that function bring together sales and marketing? (Time stamp 2:10)
Prospects want to hear from other prospects. Many buyers are skeptical of sales content and are more interested in hearing from their peers. In fact, only 9% buyers rate vendor content as trustworthy.
How are testimonials valuable for marketing and sales? (Time stamp 4:00)
For marketing, video testimonials reduce friction wherever you use them (landing pages, cold emails, etc.)
It's best to make several versions of the video. Use a 90 second version as standard, 30 second version for social, and a 15 second version for digital paid ads. Testimonials help you build trust faster and increase credibility thus accelerating the buyer journey.
What are the friction points and where do testimonials come into play? (Time stamp 6:25)
There's never a time when buyers don't want to hear from other customers. Traditionally, testimonials have been used in the final stages of the sales process. Now they are being used in all stages of the funnel.
If video testimonials are so important, why aren't more people using them and what's preventing them from becoming more popular? (Time stamp 10:30)
One major problem is that no one is putting their hand up to be featured in them. Marketing, sales, and customer success all need to come together to figure out who is the best person to approach. Testimonials aren't only for you. They hold your customer up as an example of best practice in their industry, plus, it's good PR for the individual featured in the video. People want to showcase their achievements.
How do you go about making a video testimonial? (Time stamp 14:25)
Big companies are hiring videographers and can use in-house resources. But there is also the DIY approach. You can simply record a video meeting and do some simple editing. It won't likely be a show stopper, but it's an option. You can also work with a partner, like Testimonial Hero, that can do on-site and remote filming for you.
Have there been any big changes in the way customer testimonials are handled as a result of COVID? (Time stamp 21:25)
There has been an increase in remote-only testimonials. Though in-person filming is still happening. The challenge isn't maintaining physical distancing, it's that many offices are closed. Videos are being filmed in rented conference rooms or co-working spaces that can be dressed up to provide a nice background.
Tips for people looking to get started with video testimonials? (Time stamp 23:10)
The challenges are getting people to agree to do video testimonials and getting comfortable asking for them. There are some options. You can build the ask into the initial sales agreement. It has a greater chance of being redlined, but also sets the expectation early. You can also use the ask as a bargaining tool. If they put the brakes on the project because of the cost, you can offer to discount the price if they agree to do a video testimonial (pending satisfaction, of course). That way, they get a discount and conversation about a testimonial is already started.
Take-aways (Time stamp 27:00)
- Find out where the friction being created and figure out how to leverage the customer voice to push through those barriers.
- If you're in marketing, talk to sales to find out who the best customers are. If you're in sales, talk to marketing and ask for video testimonial assets.
- B2B buyers are skeptical of vendor content. So, do a brand/messaging audit and ask yourself. “Do we have the voice of the customer in our story?”
Resources and links from this episode:
Written summary overview of this podcast : https://www.klyck.io/how-to-use-customer-testimonials-to-close-more-deals-and-build-brand
Sam Stepler:
On this episode of B2B Enablement, Sam Shepler (CEO of Testimonial Hero) joins to talk about the importance of using customer testimonials in your sales and marketing strategy. He shares insights and tips on how your business can use video testimonials to help reduce friction in the customer journey and build brand equity with potential clients.
Introduction: Sam Shepler, Founder and CEO at Testimonial Hero (Time stamp 1:00)
Testimonial Hero is a video testimonial creation service for B2B marketing leaders. They produce videos all over the world (in-person and remotely) and help B2B marketers drive better results by using the voice of their customers.
Why do video testimonials really matter for B2B revenue teams and how does that function bring together sales and marketing? (Time stamp 2:10)
Prospects want to hear from other prospects. Many buyers are skeptical of sales content and are more interested in hearing from their peers. In fact, only 9% buyers rate vendor content as trustworthy.
How are testimonials valuable for marketing and sales? (Time stamp 4:00)
For marketing, video testimonials reduce friction wherever you use them (landing pages, cold emails, etc.)
It's best to make several versions of the video. Use a 90 second version as standard, 30 second version for social, and a 15 second version for digital paid ads. Testimonials help you build trust faster and increase credibility thus accelerating the buyer journey.
What are the friction points and where do testimonials come into play? (Time stamp 6:25)
There's never a time when buyers don't want to hear from other customers. Traditionally, testimonials have been used in the final stages of the sales process. Now they are being used in all stages of the funnel.
If video testimonials are so important, why aren't more people using them and what's preventing them from becoming more popular? (Time stamp 10:30)
One major problem is that no one is putting their hand up to be featured in them. Marketing, sales, and customer success all need to come together to figure out who is the best person to approach. Testimonials aren't only for you. They hold your customer up as an example of best practice in their industry, plus, it's good PR for the individual featured in the video. People want to showcase their achievements.
How do you go about making a video testimonial? (Time stamp 14:25)
Big companies are hiring videographers and can use in-house resources. But there is also the DIY approach. You can simply record a video meeting and do some simple editing. It won't likely be a show stopper, but it's an option. You can also work with a partner, like Testimonial Hero, that can do on-site and remote filming for you.
Have there been any big changes in the way customer testimonials are handled as a result of COVID? (Time stamp 21:25)
There has been an increase in remote-only testimonials. Though in-person filming is still happening. The challenge isn't maintaining physical distancing, it's that many offices are closed. Videos are being filmed in rented conference rooms or co-working spaces that can be dressed up to provide a nice background.
Tips for people looking to get started with video testimonials? (Time stamp 23:10)
The challenges are getting people to agree to do video testimonials and getting comfortable asking for them. There are some options. You can build the ask into the initial sales agreement. It has a greater chance of being redlined, but also sets the expectation early. You can also use the ask as a bargaining tool. If they put the brakes on the project because of the cost, you can offer to discount the price if they agree to do a video testimonial (pending satisfaction, of course). That way, they get a discount and conversation about a testimonial is already started.
Take-aways (Time stamp 27:00)
- Find out where the friction being created and figure out how to leverage the customer voice to push through those barriers.
- If you're in marketing, talk to sales to find out who the best customers are. If you're in sales, talk to marketing and ask for video testimonial assets.
- B2B buyers are skeptical of vendor content. So, do a brand/messaging audit and ask yourself. “Do we have the voice of the customer in our story?”
Resources and links from this episode:
Written summary overview of this podcast : https://www.klyck.io/how-to-use-customer-testimonials-to-close-more-deals-and-build-brand
Sam Stepler:
Previous Episode
Marketing Automation Strategies to Empower Operations
In this episode, Dave Karr (VP of Marketing at Klyck.io) and Michael Hartman (Director, Marketing Technology, Demand Generation and Analytics at Freeman Company) discuss how marketing automation and MarTech systems can support B2B marketing operations. We'll discuss how marketing automation can be optimized to support the sales funnel, best practices and concepts for launching a MarTech integration project, how to handle change management when implementing new MarTech, and how to align MarTech systems to support overall revenue generation in the organization.
Summary and Time Stamps:
Introduction: Michael Hartman, Director, Marketing Technology, Demand Generation and Analytics at Freeman Company (Time stamped at 0:40)
Michael's background is in implementing and deploying marketing automation and MarTech. He is currently leading demand generation at Freeman, but started out in management consulting then took a turn into marketing.
Marketing automation and its importance (Time stamped at 2:10)
Marketing automation and CRM are the core of what every B2B enterprise has and that's not going to change. The major problem is the enormous growth in point solutions in marketing technology and finding a leader in that space. Marketing automation is the core in scaling what you do and CRM is at the center of all of that.
Properly making MarTech work and where you get started (Time stamped at 4:00)
You need to understand what is currently in place. You need to know how you go to market and decide if your organization is ready for a MarTech solution. ABM is an example of where things become challenging. First you need to get sales and marketing in alignment. Then you can experiment. People and process need to go in front.
How to Setup Marketing Automation for Success (Time stamped at 6:25)
People and process should precede technology. The system needs to support the day-to-day needs. One of the challenges is the hand off of leads to sales and getting information back to the marketing system. There needs to be a clear picture of the full lifecycle. With that, you can start to see which channels are working better to generate pipeline and revenue.
How to leverage the capabilities of marketing automation and the data (Time stamped at 10:45)
Enable the sales team to have visibility and see what's happening with prospects and customers. Marketing automation can make the information they're tracking visible within the CRM application. Get the intent information and then you can customize to a prospect or organization. Make sure you update lead statuses and then keep them up-to-date. Having the discipline to update makes the work the best it can be.
How marketing automation empowers personalization in customer touchpoints (Time stamped at 14:20)
Educate sales teams how marketing automation and the data it can collect can help the them with personalization. It doesn't have to overly complex, you can start by making simple lists. Much of the time, keeping things simple can generate the most wins. The simplest way is often the best way. It's important to not get caught up in complexity and to remember that it won't be perfect.
The role management plays in MarTech (Time stamped at 16:40)
Bring in middle management because they can upsell through the chain and help sell it to their managers. It's important to enable people to make decisions, but also to give them space to get it wrong. That said, you should continue to try to get better and better. “Done is better than perfect.” It's the journey. It's not the event.
Best practices in marketing automation (Time stamped at 21:40)
No company is the same, so there is no one size fits all. Having marketing automation and CRM in place is at the core. There are some principles that apply across the board, though. One thing is keeping things simple and solving for the 80% and not the 100%. Also, try things and try to move forward. When it comes to technology, figure out if there is a way to achieve the same goal without buying new technology.
Picking the best marketing technology and aligning to your needs (Time stamped 25:05)
Most marketing technology can do the same things. You have to decide what you're comfortable with and figure out what the technology can integrate with it. You can win with any of them. It also depends on the size of your organization.
Take-Aways (Time stamped 32:55)
- Best practices are a myth. Every organization is different and how they implement is different.
- People and ...
Next Episode
How to Improve Search Engine Visibility
On this episode of B2B Enablement, Chris Dickey (CEO and Founder of Visably) joins to discuss how B2B marketers can apply new techniques to increase search engine visibility. Chris shares insights on ways that search engine visibility differs from traditional search engine optimization (SEO) and how marketers can use this concept to help them more effectively rank their brand, not just their website.
Introduction: Chris Dickey, Founder and CEO at Visably (Time stamped: 0:45)
Chris has been a marketer for 17 years and has been involved in publishing and agencies for 11 to 12 years. His new company, Visably, helps companies measure their brand footprint and search. Chris also owns his own PR agency.
What's the difference between SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEV (Search Engine Visibility)? (Time stamped: 2:05)
SEO is about trying to get your company's content at the top of the search results. If you're successful, that's fantastic, but it's tough to do because there is an incredibly competitive landscape. SEV is about trying to get your company's brand to rank. It's about your customers discovering you in any kind of search.
How does SEV relate to ranking your brand versus ranking your website? (Time stamped: 3:45)
The main point is to get people talking about you. eCommerce partners and wholesale partners have a huge presence online, have a more powerful domain, and do well in non-branded search terms. The idea is that you're trying to get other people's websites working for you.
What is the difference in how you rank a page with SEV versus traditional SEO or SEM and how is the buyer intent different? (Time stamped: 6:50)
Most modern marketing organizations have several different functional groups (SEO, content, PR, eCommerce, etc) and they can all be brought together through SEV to improve overall SERP performance. Google tries to determine intent based on three things: do you want to click to buy, click to learn, or click to go. Marketers need to match the content and strategy with the intent of the keyword. Visably will go through and aggregate the content on the first page of the search to figure out intent for you.
How does one handle the difficulty of keywords in niche market and is it worth it? How can SEV help B2B marketers? (Time stamped: 11:10)
When you do a search, look at the page. If it's full of click to learn sites, that is your contact list. You can ask one or more of the writers to consider updating a blog post to include some new information you provide them. Try to make better relationships with the people getting the top Google spots. If you can get in front of them, the next time they write a review, your company might be in it. It's important to build visibility that's not just your own content. This is an integral part of improving overall SEV.
How does media and other site listings affect SEV? (Time stamped: 18:40)
Reverse engineer how someone finds you by getting a handle on your keywords. Ask yourself: What are the search phrases people are using to look for what I offer? Then you can figure out the relative search volume for each of your keywords. Use the search results to build lists and targets, then allocate those targets to your respective teams to work on optimization.
Examples of when SEV has shown good results for B2B. (Time stamped: 22:15)
Using Visably as an example: Seeding and answering questions on question-and-answer websites like Quora helps improve online visibility. Similar approaches can work well for B2B in general.
Take-aways (Time stamped: 24:05)
Shift your search engine results strategy from just ranking your website to ranking your brand
Don't think about the current SERP results as opportunities you've missed, but future opportunities you can gain. Use the results as a list building tool.
Don't write off competitive keywords - Create strategies to get into search results with a more holistic approach, including SEV.
Resources and links from this episode:
Chris Dickey's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-dickey-6619b712/
Dave Karr's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davekarr/
Visably Website: http://www.visably.com/
Klyck.io Website: https://www.klyck.io/
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