The Good, Bad And Ugly Template
"I'm working on a new, big account prospect," Charles explained. "They want to read some testimonials from my clients first. I've gathered a few. Can you sign one for me?"
"Of course," I chimed. "Let me see what you've got."
He was rushing to complete a deal with a potential client. Two of his current clients have put their signatures on testimonials he composed and I was next. I scanned the testimonial he wanted me to sign. I told him I might have something better for him sitting in my laptop.
Although he spent a lot of time putting his client comments together, he committed one critical error: He used a Microsoft template to produce these testimonials.
Now there's nothing wrong with Microsoft. And there's nothing wrong with templates. In fact you could stuff a dozen or so comments on a page and call it your testimonial page.
But in Charles' case, he was producing individual comment pages to stuff inside a sales binder. To maximize his presentation, each client comment page called for something unique. Using a template approach defeated that purpose.
Why?
Because each page had the same look and feel:
His company contact info on the top-left corner. The financial institution he represents right beneath. The current client's contact info on the top-right. A generic salutation to the prospect. Four to five paragraphs of text. And the close. All three were typed in Times New Roman 12pt font and had a uniform look.
Which wouldn't work for him. Here's why...
There was minimal variety. One testimonial didn't stand out from the rest. Which made all three appear whitewashed and sanitized. This would take away from his credibility when selling to a new potential client.
And most of the paragraphs were written with wordy vignettes that really didn't get to the point. Usually, shorter is better. But then you must also answer the big question, "Where's the beef?" Meaning what is that one critical element you're trying to communicate to the reader.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not anti template.
Templates are good because they're a fast, easy and inexpensive way to churn out projects. Just plug in the facts or numbers and you're all set. You save lots of time working with templates.
But in Charles' case, using a template for testimonials is bad because the prospect can physically see the lack of uniqueness. If they see a cookie-cutter assembly line of testimonials the prospect may suspect the clients didn't actually write them. Or possibly doubt their authenticity. And that's not the impression you want to give when a prospect is deciding whether or not to hire you.
And here's where templates can get ugly:
A Human Resources director reviews one hundred resumes with 73% done in a popular template. Those 73 resumes look and feel so uniform not one stands out. In that group, a highly qualified applicant can easily get lost in the mix if her resume looks just like the rest.
I e-mailed Charles my testimonial from my laptop. It was a three-sentence paragraph, double-spaced in 14pt Courier New font addressed to him with my picture on the top-right corner. He absolutely loved it. Sometimes less is more.
Now he has some contrast. Now his credibility has risen. Now he's ready to meet the big account prospect.
Most of the time, a template can be a great tool. Certain marketing situations require more variety. Put yourself in your prospect's shoes to see if using a template will help or harm you.
Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy's Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business and personal growth. Get your free subscription today at www.TommyYan.com.
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