When it comes to testimonials, you’ll want to be sure to avoid these common testimonial errors.

Fabricating the Truth: It’s unethical and illegal to make up a testimonial—don’t even think about it!

Not Showing the Endorser’s Status: Make sure you mention if the endorser is a member of your local chamber of commerce or a member of Congress.

Being General: Instead of saying non-specific things like, “the massage was wonderful,” have the endorser say something like, “The massage was so relaxing the stress just melted away. I’m able to sleep better at night.” That’s a powerful testimonial because it tells about the specific benefits of the spa’s service.

Using Un-Natural Sounding Language: Have the testimonial sound like they come from someone’s mouth, not from a textbook. Everyday conversational language makes them believable.

Hiding the Endorser’s name: Give the full name, not just initials. When you give initials, you reduce your credibility as well as the testimonial.

Not Putting Testimonials and Endorsements in Quotes: Not only do quotation marks look visually appealing, they also signal to the reader that someone actually said the words.

Not Showing Clear Advantages: Ordinary testimonials would say, “The XYZ Day Spa saved me money.” Although saving money is an advantage, it’s not clear what the advantage was and why a reader should pick up the phone. A testimonial like, “The XYZ Day Spa saved me $375 this year in services and products, by making just one phone call…and my first service was compliments of the house…” appeals to readers’ self-interests and makes them want to pick up the phone.

Testimonials are a powerful marketing tool—make sure to make the best use of them.

By Andrew Finkelstein, The Beauty Resource www.thebeautyresource.com