Email not displaying correctly? Click here to view it as a web page. Grow Your Company With Testimonials You know your company rocks but how do you get potential customers to believe it?  A compelling customer testimonial will validate any claims you make about your service. Benefits of Testimonials Close More Sales: Short of a recommendation from a family member or friend a testimonial is the best way to dispel doubt and gain peoples' trust. Collect Feedback: Let your customers tell you where your business excels and fails.  They may love you for keeping a clean job site, but are frustrated by your failing to keep them updated about job progress. You don't know until you ask. Identify Loyal Customers: Those people willing to sing your praise are more likely to choose you in the future. How To Collect Testimonials My preference is toward a more formal paper survey, which you should ask them to fill out while completing the warranty paperwork. Ask them questions which you want to promote. See an example survey (MS Word). For those of you with Papyrophobia (Yes, its a real phobia of paper), here's a couple informal questions to ask: 1) What did you like the most about this entire project? 2) What did you like the least about this entire project? 3) If you were to do this all over again, what would you do different? 4) May we add your name to our reference sheet? When they say yes to number 4, do a double check by reminding them you encourage all prospects to call at least 3 references on your list. If you have a website ask if you can use their name and testimony on the site, assuring them their contact info will not be used unless someone wants to contact them for the reference. Finally, it's OK to edit customer responses, just be sure to get their permission to use the final revision. Do you already use testimonials to market your business? Have an opinion about this article? We'd love to hear back from you.   Advance Notice Pricing E.L. Mustee will be having a price increase effective May 20th. Stockham will be adjusting pricing on bronze valves, ball valves, cast iron valves, and resilient-seated butterfly valves by + 7% on May 27. Broan-NuTone will be increasing prices by 5% on June 1. Rockford Sanitary Systems will be increasing prices on all product lines by 14.28% on June 1. Zurn will be increasing prices by an average of 15% this June 1. This July 1, State Water Heaters will be increasing prices on the following heaters: Residential Tanks 12 - 15% Standard Commercial 3 - 5% Specialty Commercial 3 - 5% On-Demand  NO INCREASE Your Opinion Counts Love an article? Hate an article? Care to add your two cents? Then call Jesse Kanclerz at 585-272-1813 ext. 3071 or click the wrench. Our Main Office Address: VP Supply Corp. 3445 Winton Place Rochester, NY 14623 Our telephone: Jesse Kanclerz 585-272-1813 ext. 3071 Copyright (C) 2008 VP Supply Corp. All rights reserved.