How to persuade your customers to be filmed – 6 tips
6 tips – How to persuade your customers to be filmed for a video testimonial (or anything else).
Everyone knows that getting someone to agree to give a testimonial can be slightly awkward but trying to get them to agree to give you a video testimonial can seem pretty much impossible. However third party recommendations are hugely powerful for converting prospects and video testimonials come second only to face to face recommendations.
So it’s imperative we get our satisfied customers on camera to share their experience with our product or service for future prospects to see for themselves how great your service is.
Here are some tips on how to make the seemingly impossible …possible.
1. Play up the Banter…
We find a light hearted approach is often a good tactic when asking your customers to be in front of the camera. It’s good to have a little joke with them, make your customers feel comfortable! Tell them you’ll bring out the red carpet, give them their own makeup caravan complete with a stylist team to get themselves ready or even a bowl of purple M&M’s on their rider.
Having a laugh and banter breaks down those barriers and actually makes them realise it’s not that much of a big deal. It will make your customer feel at ease but also makes yourself and your company seem more friendly and approachable.
2. Play Down the Filming Setup.
You’ll want to make the filming very relaxed and informal. If your customer feels like there is a huge film crew with a massive entourage coming to film them with lots of bright lights, camera crew, producers, directors, stage assistants and more, then they’ll become very intimidated. Keep it small and friendly, either film it just on your phone or if you are getting a professional team, make sure to only have around two-three people with you, maximum.
Also, make sure they realise that if they make a mistake it will be edited out of the final edit. This often makes people feel a little more relaxed knowing that everything they say doesn’t have to be completely stutter and hesitation free. Tell them you’ll only use the very Best Bits!
3. They Won’t Have to Stare Down the Lens
It can turn grown men into weeping cry babies and public speakers into a shivering ball of anxiety. That’s right the camera lens has many victims to speak of so it’s best to avoid having your customers speaking directly into the camera. We prefer the much more natural and easy method of having an approachable person on hand with you to stand beside the camera to ask questions and for the customer to speak to instead. Your customer won’t need to look at the camera but just talk to someone off camera instead. In fact, we always tell them they can completely ignore the camera is even there which often puts them at ease and we actually find this approach gives you far more relaxed, natural and genuine answers.
4. Reward their Bravery
Everyone loves a little treat for helping. If you can offer a little reward for your customer for giving you a video testimonial (its not a bribe … just a little push! to help them along). If you own a hairdressers you may offer them a hair cut for free the next time they visit, if your a hotel you might offer them a free nights stay or you could give them just a bottle of wine. Whatever makes your customers smile and feel appreciated. Not only may it convince the customer to give you a testimonial but it will make them feel good knowing how much their testimonials means to you. Often little treats like these can help cement the relationship even further and act like a fun talking point in the future.
5. People Follow the Crowd
If you’ve ever been to an exhibition with lots of stands and stalls you’ll have seen one stand that seems to attract a lot of people. Not wanting to miss out you go and have a look to. People buy what other people want to buy. It can often work the same with giving testimonials. Let your customer know you have got five testimonials already filmed and explain to them how easy those people found the filming. Let them now you need just two more to make the final video nice and varied. Its not putting them under pressure but it can show them that if others have gone before them it probably won’t be so bad.
6. Ask them Face to face
It’s harder for your customer to say no face to face! Sending an email to a customer asking for a video testimonial can easily be ignored and deleted. Their response when they see you next is likely to be “oh I didn’t see that email come through into my inbox. Are you sure you spelled my name right?”
If you ask a customer face to face or even on the phone, they can see… and hear your enthusiasm for wanting this testimonial making it harder for them to say no to you. They may cringe and squirm a little so stay silent and use encouraging words. The cringe and squirm will often be followed by “oh go on then..” Don’t let them off too easily until they give you a definitive “No. Not Today”
If you are going to ask for a testimonial the time you ask matters too, try asking straight after the biggest wow moment after the customer uses your product, they will feel more ablated and enthusiastic to give the testimonial and the sooner you get the review the fresher it will be in their memory making your testimonial even better.
Now its time to make a list of those customers you want to get on camera. Seize the day and ask them to get them on camera telling their story with working with your service or product. I hope these simple tips help give you more confidence to ask for the testimonials but if you would like to find out more check out our YouTube channel for a variety of other short videos to help with your video marketing efforts.
