Few marketing mediums are as powerful as a well-crafted reference letter, which can shorten sales cycles by “proving” your value proposition to your prospects while simultaneously reinforcing the loyalty of your current clients who write them. Moreover, they’re free for the asking. Yet according to marketing guru Dan Kennedy, references and testimonials are among the least leveraged marketing mediums out there. That’s insane! This resource by reference expert Paul Johnson explains the six elements of a perfect reference letter – which I guarantee will help you win new business.
Action item: Mail order pioneer Joe Cossman (remember Ant Farms?) used to say “If you can’t change it – promote it.” As you read Paul’s excellent article, ask yourself “How can I use reference letters to address my prospects’ objections right up front?"
For example, if your architectural design firm has famously long project turnaround times, have your testimonial letters mention that because of the long turnaround times, your work has fewer mistakes, greater attention to detail, and so on. Again, if you can’t change it – promote it.
Candidates: How can you apply these concepts to your job search?
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