Greetings BBC Members,

Last week I challenged you all to write a referral for a BBC member and bring it to the next BBC Meeting (which is this Friday, May 28, 2010). There will be prizes for the best 3 written testimonials — read to, and voted on, by the membership at large.

For those of you that were not able to be at our last meeting, what we are trying to develop are the skills necessary for providing testimonials that actually mean something to a reader or prospective client that the recipient (a BBC Regular) can proudly display on their marketing materials or web page. Testimonials are some of the most powerful marketing tools for both the recipient using them and the testimonial provider as well.

“WHY” you ask? There are a bunch of reasons:

1. You are helping your fellow entrepreneurs market themselves to a wider audience. Let’s face it, when you put good stuff out to the world, good stuff comes back. Call it what you will, but it is just plain reality in action. (Throw a ball against the wall — it comes back. Throw a mud pie at the wall, well; it sticks to the wall to remind you how stupid that move was….)
   
2. The recipient of your kind words may reciprocate with similar kind words for you to use on your marketing materials. But let’s remember — don’t give a gift expecting one back.
3. If your name shows up on other local businesses enough, customers and other business people tend to think you are a “Go to” person. Trust me — I found this out a couple of years ago.  It’s a good thing though.
4. You feel energized when you do something good for someone else in need. It is powerful medicine that will energize your business as a benefit.
5. You learn by writing. Dave Kragen will tell you this. You keep writing, you will get better and better at it. Writing and rewriting, this is what will get those stalled creative juices flowing — so typically vacant once we become set in our ways. And, writing about other people, can help you write about your own business.

SO…what is a “Good Testimonial?”  Let’s start with a basic principle that I have NO idea who wrote it originally — but it just makes complete sense:

Remember the “4 S’s”: Great testimonials are specific … short … sizzling … and signed.

Avoid the “4 L’s”: Long, lame, lazily-written, and lacking a point.

Here’s A Good Testimonial: (OK… its mine but I like it)

“I sleep well knowing that Dave Kragen has proofed, edited, and ensured that my message gets out in a highly professional manner. Dave has the gift of emulating his client’s written voice without detracting from their message. I believe that KaveDragen Ink is a necessary component to successful business writing.”    —Tim Longley

Here’s An Example Of A Bad Testimonial:

“Dave Kragen has been a neighbor of mine for 13 years and he likes to write and do well system projects and he is a good pool player. HE also likes cats and his wife is a teacher so he must be purdy smart. So if you want someone to write stuff for you – call him. “—Anonymous

Yeah that’s gonna work.  So bring those testimonials about a BBC member and see if you can win a prize. But remember, you will take away a lot more than that.

See you Friday for your next cup of BBC!

Tim Longley
BBC Chair / Talking Head

Edited by KaveDragen Ink, LLC

At: Cafe @ The Pavilion
403 N. Madison Ave.
Bainbridge Island, WA  98110

7:30-8:00 – coffee, tea, delightful food, visiting, informal networking, sharing

8:00-8:30 – formal meeting

8:30-9:00 – more informal networking and sharing