Blow your competition away

[Ben J. Gromicko]

Inspector Success Tip.
Video Testimonials.

Letter testimonials are over. Do you have letter testimonials on your marketing, brochure, on your website? I know you do. And that’s pretty okay. It’s not the best though. Letter testimonials are old. They do not work anymore. Particularly when you don’t actually list the entire name of the person who apparently spoke highly of you. “….Gromicko Inspections did a great job. I highly recommend Gromicko Inspections to anyone… signed B.G.” Uh! That’s stuff is over. Forget it. It’s old.

Here’s what’s new - what’s best - what’s NOT being used by your competition. Video testimonials. Video. Don’t do letter testimonials. No one reads! Studies actually show that 1 out of every 4 words on your website are actually read. You need video. Video on your website - right on the front page! Here’s how you do it. Look at your digital camera. Every camera has a setting that takes pictures and video. It’s easy. So that’s how you actually take the video.

Here’s how you get your client to give you the testimonial. Before the inspection begins… Say to your client something like… “When we finish the inspection, I’m going to ask you for something - a video testimonial. I’d like to take it with my camera here - just a few seconds about your home inspection. So - what I’m going to do right now is my best inspection - I’m going to do the best home inspection that I can do - My goal is to earn that testimonial. Okay?”

Then at the end of the inspection… turn on your camera… Don’t worry about the audio or video quality. It doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it SHOULD look and sound rough. Because it’ll be more authentic looking on your website.

Video testimonials. No one is doing them. On your web page - put 10 videos, and when you’re talking with a potential client - say “Go to my website, and see for yourself. I’ve got a hundred testimonials, but I just put up a few…”

Having someone else speak highly of you - it’s the absolute highest form of marketing that exists on the planet - someone else speaking well about you and your service.

If you don’t have video testimonials on your website - you’re going to lose to someone who does.

IMHO

[Vince Santos]

No one is doing them because when you ask your client for a video testimonial they will look at you like you're crazy.

[Ben J. Gromicko]

Originally Posted by vsantos

No one is doing them because when you ask your client for a video testimonial they will look at you like you're crazy.

Then I suggest that you don't do them, and buy some tooth brushes.
Because you'll be eating the dust of your competition who does. . IMHO

[Gary L. Farnsworth, CMI]

Privacy issue with most clients.

[Michael Roberson]

I have a few "Totally sold out" clients who would. I aim to have another one Home Inspection

[Gary L. Farnsworth, CMI]

That is the difference in newbies, and us older inspectors. Young guys would welcome the exposure. Older people would want the privacy. Difference in generations. You have to choose your target audience. I am considering removing my testimonial page altogether. Anything anyone posts on the internet, it is there forever. Young people do not know better. They will as they get older. You will too, Ben.

These are also reasons that I do not e-mail reports, or sent agreements or pictures via internet or use the iNACHI agreement system. I have actually gained more inspections because of my privacy policies. I have performed inspections for professional athletes, lawyers, polititians, police officers, and realtors who appreciate the privacy.

[Ben J. Gromicko]

Really young people, like myself , typically hire contractors based upon what other people say. Hardly anything else comes close to someone else's opinion when making that judgement.

Text testimonals are out. Video testimonials are in.

Ask your client if they'd be willing to give you a video testimonial (5 seconds). If they say, "No." Then ask the agent. Agents love to spread their faces via video all over the internet. SEO for them. Suggest a video link exchange.

[Dominic J. Maricic]

I agree with you 100% Ben. Guys, you can feel out a client and know if they'll do it or not. And you're right, the younger couples are more likely to do it. Or the investors that are using you over and over.

[Bruce A. King]

It might impress some people but it is a flawed process.

The experienced home buyer knows that the important thing is what is in the report AND that no problems were found after moving in that the inspector should have reported. This is not known to them at the end of the onsite inspection and they would be naive to start praising the inspector at that point.

I get about 20 percent of my business from clients that have used other local inspectors and were not happy with the amount of items missed. They said that they seemed to know their stuff but missed many items and they did not know it until they moved in. They also were setup with these guys by their realtor. Asking these clients to jump ahead in time would be stupid.

[RAY THOROMAN]

Video testimonials are not a ''must have'' IMO.

I'm not winning/loosing inspections because of this. There was a craze awhile back about video email.


For me, text and print are still vital on your website. Keep it simple and to the point. Sample reports are good, services you may offer, agreements, sop, work action pics, credentials/logos.


Good luck with the video testimonial thing, keep us posted if you see better conversions solely on this



Regards.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Ben, I believe you are on to something here. I will look into it.

[Kevin M. Leonard]

Interesting concept Ben, but I disagree with you that nobody reads written testimonials. I have them all over my home page & have clients tell me that they DO read them. After I started posting emails received from my clients I noticed my competition doing it also.

However I do respect my clients privacy & always ask them if I can post their comments with their first name only. They always say yes, of coarse.

In the last 7 years I thinks I have had 2 potential clients ask for referrals. I tell them I do not give out clients names & numbers. I then tell them that it is because I respect their privacy & if they hire me I would do the same for them.

[John McKenna]

I am going to make a video entitled "Why I choose me to inspect your home".

Sub-titled: "If you don't believe me, just ask me".

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by jmckenna1

I am going to make a video entitled "Why I choose me to inspect your home".

Sub-titled: "If you don't believe me, just ask me".

Excellent John, can not wait to see it.

[Ben J. Gromicko]

...but seriously folks....
Reading is not fundamental when shopping online and choosing a service.
Check out some very popular websites - everyone is scrapping text, and going for video.
On HomeDepot front page - video
On Oprah front page - video
On Gap from page - video
On Amazon.com - video
On Sears.com - video
No one would ever watch a Seinfeld, if the show was text. No matter how funny it was.
If text was the most effective tool for communication or marketing on a website - no website would have digital pictures.

Video testimonials are easy to get. If you've gone through process of getting text testimonials - video testimonials should be just as easy - but 20 Times more effective.