The copywriter s secret weapon against readers fear

If you’re a good B2B copywriter, you probably do your homework before accepting any new copywriting assignment. You research your prospect. You research your product, and even your competitor’s products. And you know your product can greatly improve your prospect’s bottom line. No questions asked.

So theoretically, all you have to do is present your benefits, offer a proof element, show how the benefits overwhelm the price, and you’re in the clear. Right? Not even close. Here’s why.

Even if your product doesn’t carry a 6-figure price tag, your prospect is still going to be reluctant to even request more information. The reason: fear.

the B2B buyer is afraid of making a mistake. If she doesn’t know your company and has never heard of your product, your offer represents a risk to her career. Perhaps she has made a few similar mistakes in the past which have cost her. So you have to get her over this fear if you even want her to give you your most-wanted-response: become a warm lead.

One of the best ways to do this is through the use of testimonials. That’s right, use testimonials to overcome objections.

Most copywriters are taught that testimonials are merely the proof element of a marketing promotion. And while testimonials back up what you say in your B2B marketing message, you can use them for so much more. An effective testimonial can overcome just enough of a prospect’s objections to make the difference between totally ignoring you and requesting more information about your product.

Here’s an example. Suppose your company sells walk-in refrigeration units to restaurants. The goal of your promotion is lead genearation. You know you have a good product to sell, you know your prospects will be concerned about mold growth inside your units. You don’t have a lot of space in your ad to devote to the technical reasons why your product deals eliminates mold growth, so use a testimonial to handle the concern. Like this…

“Since our restaurants are in the Southeast where it’s humid, I was concnerned about mold contamination of our food inventory. But our XYZ Model 123 has been working round the clock all summer long with no mold growth whatsoever. Thanks, XYZ. You really took the worry away.” – Joe Snuffy, Snuffy Restaurants of Florida, Inc.

The benefit to this method of overcoming objections is twofold. First, it gives you a satisfied third-party who is happy with your products and doesn’t mind your telling others. Second, it overcomes an objection that you know other prospects have without having to devote large amounts of copy to overcome it.

Testimonials can help you out in a big way in B2B lead generation. And while they are great to backing up your product performance claims, don’t forget to overcome objections with them as well. The benefit to you will be greater response when generating B2B leads for your product or service.