Your Customer Testimonial Video Is Finished. Now Let's Give It a Job.
Producing a film that doesn't go anywhere or do anything hurts my heart.
The whole point of these is that they should be seen, and they should create some kind of change, some kind of an outcome.
So let's say your film is finished.
It's a "docu-monial," a customer testimonial film in documentary style.
And it's a stunner! Your customer comes across beautifully. The story feels honest, because it is. The imagery is good, the vibe is - chef's kiss!
You post it on your website. Share it on LinkedIn. You get 435 views and 12 likes and 3 comments from employees and one from your mom.
Then what?
A customer documentary deserves a plan so that it becomes a revenue producing tool, and here's an idea about what that plan can look like.
Customer testimonial videos belong wherever a prospective buyer needs relevant evidence: on service pages, after sales conversations, alongside proposals and in material they can share with colleagues.
For many of these videos, it doesn't matter whether it gets 10,000 views - it matters if the right people see it at the the right time.
For many of our most productive testimonial films, they're seen just hundreds of times, but they help close so much business that the return on investment from them is massive. These are not "quantity" tools as much as "quality" tools.
Where Does It Belong?
Before deciding where a testimonial belongs, think about your sales journey.
These are perhaps most effective when sent as part of an appointment confirmation process.
"Are we still on for next Tuesday at 3 PM?"
"Yep, see you then."
"Perfect. Before we meet, if you watch this little film it will give you an idea about what it's like to work with us."
When you show up to the meeting, the prospect will be so warm that the opportunity to close the business and start work goes up dramatically.
If you know more about your customer flow, maybe you know specific things you want to make sure get covered in the testimonial, or that you want to address through narration or onscreen text.
Put the film beside the service it explains
A testimonials page can give visitors a place to browse. I would also place a customer film on the page describing the service that customer used.
Give it a useful introduction.
Explain who the customer is, what situation they faced and what the film covers. Let visitors decide whether the story resembles their own.
Include captions and a readable summary or transcript so people can access the substance in the format that works for them.
Then provide an appropriate next step: discuss a project, request information or explore how the service works.
The page should connect the story to a decision.
Send it after a relevant conversation
Let's say that - God forbid - your meeting doesn't end in a sale.
Being able to follow up with a testimonial film might help keep the conversation moving forward.
You mentioned being concerned about [whatever]. This customer talks about [that thing] and you might like their perspective as you weigh your options.
That gives the recipient a reason to watch, and we are all suckers for story. We love it.
These films create internal buy-in
Your contact may love your proposal and still need approval from an owner, finance director or operations team.
Give them something that can travel, something they can pass along.
A customer film should make sense to someone who has never met you or your salesperson.
Short & Long Versions
We usually have reason to make a couple cuts.
The main film might show the whole journey. A shorter edit might focus on one thing, or just a more succinct telling for the sake of brevity.
Before filming, I’d want to speak with the sales team:
Which questions come up repeatedly?
What do prospects find difficult to picture?
Which concerns require a customer’s perspective?
Where could footage show something an interview alone cannot explain?
Those answers can shape our interviews and the scenes we capture.
We still let the customer speak honestly and flex our plans if useful stories emerge.
Make the films easy for your team to find
A folder called “Testimonials” on a shared drive or a link page to some YouTube videos is a start. For each film, the customer, industry, central problem, topics covered, running time and sharing link might be handy if we create a whole library of these.
If a salesperson cannot quickly find the right story, it is difficult to make that story part of everyday work.
Look beyond the view count
Periodically, ask your team whether they use these. A film is only one part of a purchasing decision, but it can be the part that makes all the difference.
At Fascination Films, our Docu-Monials invite your real customers to share their experiences working with you, and the ROI on them can be absolutely incredible.
If you’re considering a customer film, book a free consultation. Let’s talk about the story and the job you need it to do!
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