You know the drill for testimonials, don't you?
You do a great job, you ask for a testimonial. And the client writes up a glowing review of your product or service.
But have you ever considered asking for a testimonial in advance?
Not just in advance, but way, way, way in advance.
So much in advance, in fact, that the product or service hasn't even been put together. You don't even have a name for the service/product in mind, let alone anything tangible to deliver. And yet, you're asking for a testimonial.
Sounds weird, doesn't it?
It is weird, and yet it's the key to designing your product, service or even workshop. And that's because the the client is now imagining what the product/service could be like, if they were given a free hand to design it.
And yet, a client with a free hand is a pretty hairy concept
Give a client carte blanche and they will come up with stuff that you may not be able to deliver. But slip in the six questions that you find in The Brain Audit, and you'll be amazed at how focused the client gets. Better still, the client is more than likely to give you everything you need to create a product or service that's an instant bestseller.
So first, let's check out the six questions, shall we?
1- What was the obstacle that would have prevented you from buying this product/service?
2- What did you find as a result of buying this product/service?
3- What specific feature did you like most about this product/service?
4- What would be three other benefits about this product/service?
5- Would you recommend this product/ service? If so, why?
6- Is there anything you’d like to add?
Now take off your business owner's cap and put your client cap on…
Let's say you wanted to do a course in copywriting. Could you imagine the answers to those six questions?
Let's say you wanted to hire a person to do your email marketing. Could you imagine the answers as if the person had already completed the project?
Let's say you had to go to a workshop and travel to some far off city. Sure you'd be able to figure out what your optimal experience would be, right?
We're amazingly good at imagining things when we put on our client cap
And to give you an example, here's a “Infoproducts” workshop we're hosting in Vancouver in September. Well, I could write the copy all by myself. Or I could ask the client to envision what the perfect workshop would look like. And while the entire “faux” testimonial would be worth going through, question 3 and 4 are the ones that tell you exactly what the client is looking for.
So what were would make the client really happy?
1. Scalability: I can use this from ANY thing I want people to consume (from content marketing to $10,000 courses) in ANY client industry.
2. Design: The design bonus cheat sheet was flipping awesome! I was able to see the role packaging played in making the content more consumable without spending hours slogging through a design class.
3. Examples and Litmus Test: The examples and litmus test to know if the product is “just right” for your audience. Not too big, not too small. Not too technical, not too flippant.
See those three points?
They give me direction. I can now focus a good chunk, if not the entire workshop/notes around those topics. If it's a three day workshop (and it is), I can tackle one topic, one day at a time and know that it completely fits in with the client needs. And yes, the information above forms the basis for superb bullets, features and benefits—and possibly even the uniqueness of the workshop.
But surely two hundred clients will have two hundred requests…
You can't cope with all the requests of clients, can you? No, you can't. Your goal is to find a client (or a person) who you'd consider to be a great, but at least above average client. Go about picking a useless bum and you'll get silly responses. But pick someone who's practical and keen on learning/hiring you, and you have completely different results.
And while you may wonder if that client's wish list corresponds with yours, all you have to do is go back to the three points above. If you were going to an info-products workshop, is that what you'd want? If you're finding yourself nodding, then you'll realise that it's easy to ask just one client the testimonial questions and get answers that many, if not most of your clients will want to have as well.
And what if the client comes up with things you can't deliver
In most cases, we create services, products and courses based on what we have in our heads. And sometimes the client may come up with something you can't deliver. Let's face it, some folks have a pretty wild imagination. But remember that the dummy testimonial contains ideas that are suggestions. They're not set in stone. You can choose to tweak, even ignore the suggestions if they're too bizarre.
Yet you'll find to your surprise (and I found to mine), that most of the points actually co-relate to whatever you're thinking anyway
In a way, the client's answers give you a solid boost. You realise that you're headed down the right track. And should they come up with something you haven't thought of before, you have the chance to make changes and create products/services that are tremendously valuable.
Companies spend millions trying to do research on what clients want
And yet if you ask a client what they want, you'll often come up with a blank. You'll get little or no response. But put the client in an imaginary situation where they can see a finished product or service–and watch their imagination soar. They are specific and helpful. And it gives you direction with your product/service.
And it's all from those itty-bitty six questions in The Brain Audit.
Cool, huh?
Try the “dummy testimonial”.
It's magical.
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