The power of a testimonial letter can be enormous. It gives you the opportunity to showcase the specific reasons you are different form your competition. Testimonials enable the smart salesman to cement his or her relationship with the author of the letter.

In the same way that you would provide a personal reference to a prospective employer, as a new vendor you should also provide references to a prospective customer. Why should a prospect spend money with you if you can’t prove that others in his or her situation have been pleased with your product or service? I wouldn’t. Would you?

To get testimonial letters start with a satisfied customer base. You need some–not many, but some-customers. Once you care certain they are happy with your product and support, call them up and ask them to send you a letter that talks about what makes your company special and valuable to them. A letter that says you helped them save money or time. a letter than says you helped them increase or improve efficiency, thinking, control or anything else of value.

Why mention you helped them save, increase or improve? Because benefits help people increase, improve, enhance or gain money, efficiency or time. People want to know what’s in it for then. A good testimonial letter will help you know something about a specific market, industry or business.

How many times have you heard a customer say, “This system is great! We’re able to use your system to cut out order processing time.”

Even if you’ve only heard it once, you should ask for a referral letter. If you delivered what you promised to a customer, ask for a letter. The more you do for an account, the stronger your relationship should be. If you have a strong relationship, capitalize on it. Get a letter that says you deliver what you promise (not everyone does), that you’re good and your company is good (not everyone is), that you help people save money or time and that you are someone that people should talk to! These are powerful words that you deserve and that you can use!

If your customers love you but have not had the time to write you a testimonial letter for their review and approval. Ask them if this letter is a fair statement of what you’ve done for them. If they change it at all, they will usually make your letter even stronger. Most of the time they just type it on their letterhead and sign it.

Why don’t people send them on their own? Because people are busy with their problems and don’t have time to do your job for you. Since you benefit from a testimonial letter the most, don’t wait for that extra special person who goes above and beyond to send you a letter unsolicited. Take control of your own destiny and draft your own testimonial that says what you want to say.

Any sales manager reading this article should collect testimonials from each salesperson. Make copies and pass them around to every salesperson. A testimonial from one customer can be used for almost any prospect.

Use these letters for approaching new accounts. If you did a good job for one business in your area, let other businesses know about it. send a copy of a good testimonial letter to the same level (or higher) at another company. It doesn’t even have to be the same industry. The point here is that you and your company are good. You can deliver what you promise. Someone also has checked you out. This can open doors for you as it has for me and hundreds of our sales seminar participants.

Place testimonials at the end of proposals to serve as proof that you are worth the investment. Encourage your prospects to call and check your references. Make sure you call before they do. There is nothing more damaging than providing a bad reference on yourself.

A testimonial letter will improve self-esteem. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your name in a letter from a happy customer. Well, I’ll admit it would be more satisfying to see your name in a letter that came in unsolicited. But who can wait for things just to happen? Make things happen by working smarter.