One of the old adages in sales is “People buy with emotion and justify their decisions with logic.” Especially when you are selling an as yet undelivered and intangible service, people buy based on their trust in you and your ability to do a great job.

One of the first questions we ask a new client is why they think people buy from them. After asking this question for years and comparing it to the answers their actual clients give, we are convinced that most of the time most of the people have no real idea what emotions they are provoking and why anyone buys from them.

Many professional service providers have told us that their clients buy from them because of their qualifications. I bet none of you can tell me what medical school your doctor graduated from, much less your CPA’s alma mater.

Others tell us it is because of their “quality service.” We have discovered that what signifies quality to you and what signifies quality to your clients are often two different things. Professionals tend to focus on professional designations and internal process as measures of quality. Clients tend to focus on timeliness, impact, communication, and relationships.

The way to find out why your clients buy from you is to ask them. One of the first things we do with any new client is call up some of their customers and have a good chat. We ask why they chose you, what they would say about you to a friend, if they would refer you to others, what you are best at and how you can improve. We ask them if they have worked with others in your field and what those experiences were like. We ask them how long they have worked with you and if they have ever considered switching.

At the end we have a transcript of the conversation and some juicy sound or word bites you can use in advertising or proposals. This gives you the opportunity to clearly understand your UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (sales talk for what makes you unique and why people should buy from you), how your clients feel about you, and a chance to address any issues. It gives you language to tell your own story to new clients and also gives you the opportunity to build your confidence by taking a minute to
bask in all those wonderful compliments.

We have learned there are better and worse ways to do this. Here is our checklist for high quality testimonials:

• Consider using an outside party who is good at drawing people out. Your clients will tell you that
  you are “great” but “great” is hardly compelling sales copy. They will be more expressive with someone they do not know. Make sure your interviewer has done this before; it is an art to draw people out and get the language that persuades.

• Tell your clients who will be calling them and why. A heads-up from you means they will be much more comfortable with the interviewer.
• Always use the telephone or in-person interviews. If you ask folks to write a letter, the letter will almost always be stiff and formal. Again, not compelling copy. When you interview them, you have the chance to craft the words a little into much more compelling copy. (However, compelling copy should never drive you to make anything up they did not say. It just gives you a little more license to edit.)
• Craft a variety of testimonial quotes for use in your promotional campaigns.
• Send each quote you might ever consider using to the client and have them sign off on it. Make sure they know it may be used on your website, media releases, proposals, and for a variety of promotional uses.
• Whenever possible, use the person’s full name, title, and company. “Pat Z. in Wisconsin” sounds like a late night diet-aid commercial. “Patrick Zuber, President, HealthCore Company, Madison, Wisconsin” sounds real.
• Keep a file of that signed-off release form as long as you use the testimonial.
• Send a copy of brochures or newsletters where the quote is used to the client. Most people like seeing their name in print.

One huge advantage of the persuasive testimonial is the second person referral effect. Most people choose professional service providers from personal referral — in other words, a referral from someone they know and trust. A testimonial is from a person the potential client may not know, but who does know you and is willing to brag about the intangible — how it feels to buy from you — in print. While not as powerful as a personal referral, it carries more weight than you saying the same thing.

If your brochure claims that your service is wonderful, it sounds like so much ad copy. If a real person testifies in detail about how it feels to work with you, it is much more persuasive. Having a file full of testimonials will make all your promotional material better and easier to write. It will help you understand just why people buy from you. And it will build your confidence to go out there and tell your story.

Almost all professionals try a professional networking group at sometime in their careers. Most of these groups meet regularly and allow only one professional per category (i.e., one CPA, one banker) into the group. Almost all charge a fee to become a member but if you have ever started your own group, you will know that good groups are worth their fees because it takes a lot of work to create one.

Networking groups vary quite a bit in how well they deliver leads to individual members. Some networking groups help members not only grow as professionals, but help them develop a thriving group of contacts who deliver great leads. Other groups wither into coffee klatches of a few friends who rarely even discuss leads or new business.

The keys to creating a powerful networking group are in developing the skills of each member. Here are a few key principles for any successful networking group member:

• Make sure there are enough members or that the group is growing rapidly. It takes a while to get a stable, core group of seven or eight people. Ask how many leads are given in any month. Ask who attends regularly and attend at least two meetings as a guest before you commit. Make sure the focus of the group is on giving leads and bringing in new members.
• Check to see whether most members are business-to-consumer focused or business-to-business focused. While anyone may know someone who can use your services, look for groups where several members may know many people who can use you.
• Expect to give. Take an active role in giving leads and ideas to other members before you expect to receive leads in return. Get to know everything you can about other member businesses. Take time outside of group meetings to spend time with other members, look at their websites or other promotional materials, and use their services and products, if possible.
• Bring energy and enthusiasm to meetings. People like to work with fun and lively people. A fun and lively group attracts more new people than a quiet group.
• Run your group professionally. Start on time and end on time. Consider a small fine; say a quarter or a dollar, for coming in late. Money collected can be donated to a good cause or be used to pay for the breakfasts or lunches of guests.
• Elect a strong president and vice president who are energetic in meetings and willing to work to keep the group growing. Your executives are more than the people who keep the calendar. They may have to call a member who is not giving leads or not attending. They may have to mentor new members. The president makes a lasting impression on guests who are considering membership.
• Choose a comfortable and upscale meeting place. Upscale will attract upscale. A cramped room with a bad “vibe” will drive people away.
• Serve a meal at the meeting. Eating together is a strong human bonding custom. It is much better to charge more and serve a meal than to charge less and skip this important ritual.
• Make sure each of you makes a presentation to the group that is lively and specific. Talk about case studies of customers you have served well. Success stories help people understand what you do. Don’t be generic or ask for “anyone who needs my services” leads. Ask for specific types of leads. Talk about your pricing and who has benefited from your product or service. Practice your presentation. Avoid jargon and make your explanations simple. Rehearse. How many times do you have a group of professionals in front of you who are here to help you increase your business? Use the time well.
• Make sure each of your shorter commercials – what you say about yourself and your business – is specific. It is much more effective to ask for one small thing than many large things. If you are selling cellular service, you will get more leads by asking for families who have teenagers into many activities than if you just ask for anyone who uses telephones. If you are selling life insurance, it is better to ask for names of anyone who is pregnant or who has had a baby in the last year than everyone who has children.
• Give commercials for other members. If you or someone you know uses the services or products of another member and it works out well, be sure to tell everyone.
• Warm up any leads you give to others. Whenever possible, call the person in advance and tell them who will be calling them and why you think they should use this particular vendor. Warm leads work much better than cold leads. Other members will appreciate it.
• If a lead is just an idea and you don’t have a specific lead name or inside connection, be sure to tell the person it is an “idea lead.”
• If you are looking to join a networking group, you can call your local chamber of commerce or look in the local paper business calendar, which usually lists several different groups.

Networking is not rocket science, but your expectations, level of skill, and success in finding the right fit for you all determine whether you are successful. Ingenuity Marketing Group has developed a networking and other practice development skills training program specifically for professional services providers. If you would like to hear more about this program or need help expanding your practice, please call Wendy Nemitz at 651.690.3358.