Getting Started with "They Say" Marketing
Last week I wrote an article about the idea of "they say" marketing, where I outlined the concept, how it differs from "we say" marketing, and why it is so important for your go-to-market strategy. I got a lot of great reactions and feedback on that post - with one friend and former colleague in particular joking that she was mad at me because now she was rethinking a marketing project she was about to wrap up. She said that my ideas made sense, but they were harder to implement than "we say" marketing. I agree! "They say" marketing is harder - but it is worth the effort.
As a follow-up to that post (and hopefully as an aide to my former colleague, or anyone else struggling with how to make "they say" marketing a reality), this post will focus on some of the common challenges that many early stage companies face in delivering "they say" marketing, and some relatively easy steps that can yield surprisingly positive results. I'll outline some of the common approaches I've tried and succeeded with in previous companies. While at first blush these may seem simple, or even simplistic, it is surprising to me how many organizations don't even try. The goal here is to provide you with a few easy steps you can take to hopefully improve your "they say" marketing game. There is real work to be done here, but by planting a few seeds now, you should yield solid "they say" marketing results more quickly than you think!
Ask
It is always amazing to me how many people simply haven't asked their customers if they would be willing to speak publicly about their use of your products. Maybe you are concerned they aren't far enough along, or that there are too many ongoing issues. But the reality is that your early customers are likely hoping almost as much as you are that your product will succeed. They may be staking their internal reputation on your product or counting on your product to help them achieve their goals.
I've often found that many people just assume their customers or beta partners won't be willing to speak publicly. Meanwhile, those early customers don't know that it would be helpful to you for them to share their initial thoughts about, or even hopes for, your products. Often the customer service teams helping customers get up and running are justifiably focused on customer success, and don't think to routinely ask for quotes or speaking support.
So the first, and easiest step, is to simply ask. If you are an early stage company, you should be asking every single customer or beta partner if they would be willing to give you a quote you can use, speak to the press, speak on a webinar or at a conference, etc.
Stop right now and go get your customer list - have you asked every one of them if they'd be willing to speak about your product? Why not?
The key is that you don't ask them to say things they aren't comfortable saying. Nor do you want them to break internal rules or policies. Simply let them know how helpful it would be to have them share their thoughts publicly and ask them if they'd be willing to support you in this way.
Make it easy
A second key point is to make it as easy as possible for your customers to support your "they say" marketing efforts. Your customers are very busy and creating testimonials for their vendors isn't part of their job descriptions. Sending them generic asks for quotes or testimonials will get added to the bottom of their long to-do lists.
Instead offer to have a brief conversation with them (don't even call it an "interview" as that may appear too daunting) and write something up that they can review and approve. Or, better yet, start by writing something up based on the conversations you or your team have already had with them and then offer to have a brief discussion to correct the things you got wrong or that they aren't comfortable sharing. Show them examples of what you are looking for.
You can also start small and grow over time. Maybe start by simply asking if you can use a quote you heard them say already. Then over time expand that quote to be a paragraph-long summary of how they are using your product. Then build on that to maybe have them share that information on a webinar or at a conference. Don't try to jump to a big commitment out of the gate - build up to that over time.
Align to their goals
While writing vendor testimonials isn't on most people's to do list, there can be benefits for them supporting your "they say" marketing efforts. Your customers have personal and professional goals and aspirations that extend beyond the use of your product or service. Find out what those are and figure out a way to tie your "they say" marketing pieces to their goals.
Show how supporting your "they say" marketing efforts can help your customer achieve their company or personal goals.
Does their company have a goal of becoming more known for innovation or security or customer obsession? This was frequently the case at Formlabs, where many of our customers liked showing off how they were using 3d printing as a way to show how innovative they were. We were able to connect with corporate communications teams at major companies like New Balance and Gillette (who can be resistant to public case studies) and show them how we could help them bolster their innovation image.
In addition, many people like the spotlight and recognition that comes with marketing programs like speaking to the press, or speaking at a conference. It can elevate their profile and careers, and also put their company in a good light. However, in many cases they may not be confident developing a presentation or speaking at a conference. Help them! Offer to develop slides with them, or coach them on presenting. Lower the barriers as much as you can and help them become more and more comfortable speaking publicly.
In the early days of Endeca, we worked closely with our champions on the forefront of ecommerce at companies like 1-800-Flowers, Eddie Bauer, and Barnes & Noble. We were trying to spread the word on our new "faceted navigation" approach to search, and they were trying to show how they (both their companies, and personally) were leading the ecommerce revolution. We helped our champions prepare presentations for major retail conferences, paying for their speaking spots and conference fees, and coaching them on their slides and delivery. And the efforts paid off - both for Endeca in establishing us as a de facto approach to ecommerce search, and for our champions as positioning them as industry thought leaders.
The investments you make in your customers' success will pay huge dividends both in terms of better testimonials, but also in customers who appreciate you going the extra mile and helping them achieve their goals.
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Provide options
While developing a standard template for case studies is a good idea, there doesn't have to be a one size fits all approach to "they say" marketing. There are lots of ways your customers can support you:
Look for innovative ways to showcase your customers that both help you show how your products are integral to your customers success, and help your customers achieve their goals.
As an example, when I was at Formlabs we had customers attend trade shows with us to showcase their products. At CES 2022 we invited an early stage customer of ours, TensionSquare, to show their product in our booth. Their CEO attended and was in our booth for most of the conference, which provided him with an opportunity to showcase his innovative medical device and reach a wider audience, and provided us with invaluable "they say" validation. We also secured media coverage for him, which also supported both of our marketing goals.
Provide your customers with a menu of options and let them pick what they are comfortable with.
As a former colleague of mine once told me, focus more on "doing more with, not more like." Meaning, once you have a good quote or interview or short summary, look for multiple ways to share that. Put it on your website, in social posts, in presentations, in PR pitches, in webinars, etc. Customer testimonials are extremely valuable and you should look to leverage them in as many ways as possible.
Incentivize
If simply asking doesn't work, you can offer an incentive program. While one obvious path here is license discounts, don't assume that the only incentives are financial. Find out what is important to them. For some companies, budgets are indeed the biggest issue and license discounts can be a key lever. In other cases, they will want extra help getting your new product up and running - thus offering extended services can be helpful (and it can be helpful for you to ensure customer success!). But for many others, gaining access to developers or leaders at your company may be a bigger incentive as it gives them an ability to shape the product roadmap or get insights into future product plans. Establishing customer advisory boards, opening up early access to new products, and even just public recognition can go a long way.
At Qlik we developed a Luminary Program for our top users. We regularly invited the luminaries to private events and gave them high-level access to our product team, in exchange for public endorsements and support. Each year we would announce a new "class" of luminaries, and quite often those luminaries would add that information to their LinkedIn profile, tweet about being selected, and generally expand their public support for Qlik and our products. They were excited to be part of the luminary program, and in turn we benefited from authentic "they say" marketing support.
Make your "they say" marketing asks a win-win situation.
Summary
"They say" marketing is key to your success in building awareness and credibility, especially for a new company, product, or service. By following these easy steps, you can develop solid "they say" marketing programs and help put your company on the map.
Hopefully these steps and ideas help break down what can seem like a daunting pivot. While there is work involved, it is worth the effort to rethink your marketing programs to make sure they incorporate your customer's voices and deliver on "they say" marketing.
I welcome your feedback on this concept, and what other aspects of "they say" marketing you find challenging to implement.