‘Three Core Elements of Testimonials’ – Sean D’Souza’s Article

And yet there are harder-working testimonials.

Testimonials that stop the reader in their tracks. Testimonials
that command attention. And you have to ask: Why do they have this
inordinate power compared with the average doodah testimonials?

These testimonials have three core elements.

Element 1: Before (The client’s hesitation before the purchase)
Element 2: After (The client’s ‘discovery’ after the purchase)
Element 3: The Experience (The emotional response).

So now that we know the three core elements, let’s jump right into
this testimonial soup with an example that contains a before, after
and experience.

Example 1: An objection to attending a 2-day workshop

Before
I have heard all these workshop promised before. They promise the
moon and give you stale cheese. Starting a business is a complex
activity. I have so much to learn as this is my first business. How
could I possibly learn it all in 2 days?

After
I learned I don’t need to know it all! I just need to focus on the
critical elements, make the needed decisions and move on to the
next phase. I also learned I am not alone. I now have a community
to help me as I move through the building a business process.

Experience
I am no longer in the state of continual overwhelm. This workshop
has taken such a load off my mind. No more scrambling to read and
learn every possible thing about starting a business. Now I can
relax and know building a business will take time, but now I know I
can do it a piece at a time. I don’t need to know it all today–I
just need to know what I need now. When I am ready for the next
step, I have resources who will help me through that phase.

Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?

First you read the before, then the after, but why the experience?
The experience is important because it builds on the story. A
before-after is already a sequence (and hence story-like). But
often the client can get so caught up in the features and benefits
of your product or service that they forget to bring out the
emotion.

So what was the emotion in that third paragraph?

It was the scramble. The frustration. And how that scramble doesn’t
exist any longer and how it’s been replaced with a sense of
relaxation. That emotion is important in a testimonial.

As human beings we are cued to listen for details but are moved by
emotion. And when you slide in that emotion, you are loading the
testimonial with primal cues that locks the reader in. The more
emotions your testimonial contains, the more it’s likely to show
your product or service in a powerful light.

Example 2: Article Writing Course experience

Before the Article Writing Course, I had a system, but I knew that
the words weren’t flowing well. The articles that I wrote, didn’t
really draw me in, but I couldn’t put my finger on why.

Half-way through the course, my articles felt like they were
beginning to be well crafted. There was a flow to the copy, and I
was beginning to control that flow. The articles had structure and
a certain amount of drama

And having completed the course, I know that what I have learnt is
embedded in my sub-conscious. I know that I am pushing boundaries
that I never knew existed before the course started. And I know
that I am looking forward to being able to create great content
quickly on a regular basis. And I don’t see myself stopping doing
this.

This feels great to me. I can wake up in the morning and not feel
the dread of writing. I know all I have to do is follow a system,
and I’ll be able to turn out great content on a consistent basis.

So the emotion does help, but is it critical?

Nothing is utterly critical. But it helps to create far greater
depth in your testimonial.

And the way to get the emotion is to simply ask the most obvious
question of all: How did the experience with this product or
service make you feel? The moment you say the word ‘feel’, the
client will be more than likely to delve into their emotional side
and give you exactly what you’re looking for.

So there you have it: The three-part sequence

1) Before.
2) After.
3) The experience.

Put them together and you get an intoxicating testimonial that gets
instant attention–and keeps that attention!

Try it. It’s super-powerful. And non-sugary too!