By: Andrea Mac | March 21, 2024

If you can only handle me in small doses:

March Madness kicks off today. We do a family bracket, and the winner gets to choose a place to eat out as a family.

I have UConn taking it all.

My favorite things so far is my little guy asking earnestly, “Mom is my bracket upset?”

Building Prequal Vol. 32 – Turn Up The Volume

Trust, but verify.

If you follow this philosophy, you're probably a big fan of testimonials. At Prequal, we've long understood the importance of testimonials, seeing them as potent tools that can drive new business, regardless of industry. There is a big reason that building trust is an essential part of the marketing funnel.

Think about it: How many of us would book a trip without scouring TripAdvisor for reviews? Or make a purchase on Amazon without glancing at customer feedback? Or hire an expert without checking their references or polling our network? Testimonials are the currency of trust in the digital age, guiding consumers toward the best decisions and businesses toward success.

For years, the approach to testimonials has remained essentially unchanged. Platforms like Yelp and Angie's List have thrived on the power of referrals and recommendations, yet innovation in this space has been scarce.

We often think of testimonials as text or when we hit the jackpot, an image or video. Both have drawbacks: good video is hard to produce, and written testimonials often provide an incomplete picture of the whole story. As we thought about how we wanted to incorporate the voice of clients, we weren't feeling super compelled by either option.

We wanted something different.

Businesses and sales leaders come to Prequal typically under one of two scenarios:

• they're doing well and want to refine their sales activities to maximize impact, or

• they are struggling and have identified an issue with their sales process or approach.

There are two very different reasons to seek sales training, coaching, or even client feedback. They also present different storytelling opportunities. We want to tell those stories in an interesting and easy-to-consume way while still providing the whole picture.

We saw an opportunity to breathe new life into testimonials by embracing audio.

Why audio testimonials? Well, for starters, audio allows for a more authentic connection. Hearing someone's voice adds depth and nuance to their testimonial, conveying emotion and sincerity in ways that text cannot. Unlike video, we don’t have to think about lighting, backgrounds, and appearances. Additionally, audio testimonials are incredibly versatile, lending themselves to various platforms and formats, from social media content to podcasts. I love podcasts, so this approach felt especially compelling to me.

Our journey into audio testimonials began with a simple question: How can we better tell the stories of our impact? Once we realized that audio was the answer, we found an expert who uncoincidentally had excellent testimonials. Christy Harst was most definitely the woman for the job.

Working closely with Christy, we developed a structured approach to crafting compelling narratives that would resonate with our audience. We relied heavily on Christy's audio production and interview skills to create a compelling story. The result is a professional, engaging, high-quality audio testimonial. The best part is that this process can be easily repeated for our client engagements going forward.

Here's the final product:

So, where will you find our audio testimonials? Everywhere?

We have a few more testimonials currently in the works, and when they're final, we'll start rolling them out. From main landing pages to social media content and case studies, we're integrating audio testimonials into multiple facets of our marketing strategy. Whether visiting our website or scrolling through your feed, you'll encounter the voices of satisfied clients sharing their sales stories and experiences with Prequal. And that is music to my ears, (Get it?)

-A.

P.S. We only have a handful of spots left for Prequal’s first Field Trip – custom lipstick making at Lip Lab. Join us on April 11 so you can find your perfect shade and meet some new friends. REGISTER HERE.