Dirty Trick #6: THE “TESTIMONIAL” TACTIC

Word of mouth is a very powerful thing. Thus we come to this dirty little trick. Using a positive reinforcer like a testimonial can make the difference between getting a sale or just getting a “tire-kicker”. After reading what a few other happy customers have to say, others will be more inclined to think more positively about your product.

But, how do you get such testimonials? You ASK for them! A good way to get testimonials is to do a “pre release” of your product and offer a free copy of it for those that will give you a good testimonial in return. That’s how many salesman do it. However, this can also have a negative draw back, especially in certain internet marketing circles.

On the same token though, how many of your customers do you think are actual internet marketers who know about this sly tactic? Well, it depends on what you’re selling, but if you’re selling a recipe ebook, then the fact that you got your testimonials by offering a free copy of your ebook won’t matter to your potential customers.

All they care about is getting a product that has good recipes in it. They don’t care if Mr. Johnny Big-Shot Marketer knows how you got those words of praise. Besides that, you can always ask your customers how they liked the product to get “genuine” testimonials. I say “genuine” because some people believe that testimonials received from a “freebie” are skewed somehow to shed positive light on your product. If you have a good product, then whether you are getting the testimonials from a free copy receiver, or a paying customer won’t make any difference. They’ll be the same. . .POSITIVE!

Utilizing the secrets of Opt-In lists

Emails are replacing regular mails from the post office. Not only because it is cheaper, since you do not need to buy a stamp, it’s also definitely faster. Emails can be sent in as fast as five seconds, depending on the server, anywhere in the world.

No doubt emails are being used to distribute news letters, promotional mails, and other stuff. How then would you be able to round up email addresses to send those marketing mails you have? Here is where an opt-in list comes in.

An opt-in list is a directory of email address you can send to those mails to. Though it seems to be easy to find email addresses, if you are talking thousands in numbers, it is going to be hard. Besides, you have to determine the recipient of the email. You wouldn’t want your readers mostly male if you are selling lipsticks, right?

A good opt-in list should include the profile of the email address owner. Here are tips on how to create a comprehensive opt-in list for target market.

Create your website.
Creating a website is made simple nowadays. A lot of programs are milling about assisting regular computer users in making and maintaining websites in a real simple way. Some website creator just needs you to cut and paste, like that of a regular paint program. Several web hosting sites are available too. Some are even free. If you have a site of your own, you can ask visitors to register with you or sign your guest book as they leave.

Set up a promotion or a freebie.
Not all the best things in life are free, as they say. But you can definitely try to give something out for sure. You can see this done all over the web. Free screensavers, free games, free download of programs. And what do they need from you? They just ask for an email address, your name and a little something more about you. Then you can place a check box on the registration form for sending of email. For sure, you can think of something to give out as well.

Write and write some more.
There are some web magazines where in readers can submit their writings for a particular topic. If you had a chance to do so, add a link to your article providing information about what you are trying to promote. Some readers of your article may enjoy your work so much they’d like to contact you, so don’t forget to leave your email address too.

Pose an easy opt-out option.
People who like to join your opt-in list would, along the way may want to opt out of it somehow. People who are wary of joining may not join at all if they see that it would be near impossible to remove their email address from the listing. Show them that it is as easy to opt-out as it is opting in.

Check other’s strategy too.
It would be better if you can find a partner in generating an opt-in list. This way, you can split the expenses and both of you can share the list generated. It will be best to partner with a company that has a business similar to your own line. Both of you can profit more should that be the case.

Use offline ways too.
You can put up a small raffle preferably in a supermarket for a certain item they buy. You can place an email address opt-in part in the raffle entry to add to your list. This way, you’d also know the buying preferences of the participants if you mark the entries systemically.

Creating an opt-in list entails a lot of work and funds. You should outline how much you will spend in creating an opt-in list. People appearing at opt-in lists are sales prospects. They are those interested in a certain product that you may be selling. Obtaining an optimal opt-in list would boost your sales up so these tools are undoubtedly essential.

Acquire an opt-in list now or generate one. Either way, you are reaching to people that can be your one of your treasured customers for a long period time.