By doing a little extra work, you can go out and get great ones. Testimonials that talk about specific benefits, and connect with your prospect because they are talking more than just "before and after" -- they're telling stories about real people. With testimonials like this, your copy becomes even more powerful.

A typical testimonial is what I call a Before and After testimonial. The customer tells you about the problem he use to have, and how it went away after he started using the product. The Before and After testimonial is a lot better than what we use to see, which was "I love your widget!" But for today's prospect, you need to do even better.

That's because your prospect is getting use to seeing Before and After testimonials. Everyone is using them, and they just don't have the same impact they use to have.

To get your prospect's attention, you want to have testimonials that talk about specific benefits or selling points in a way they can relate to. If you don't have them, it's just a matter of getting out there and talking to customers.

Grab your list of satisfied customers and start interviewing them. Spend 20 minutes talking to each one. Think of this as a "search and find" mission. Your job as a copywriter is to uncover the rich, emotional stories behind all of those Before and After stories. That's the first step.

When you're finished, you are ready for the next step. This is where you take the information you just gathered and transform it into the strongest testimonial possible.

As you finish your interview, take a moment and ask the customer you can use what he said as a testimonial for the product. Most likely, he will say yes. When he does, tell him that you'd be happy to type one up based on the comments he's made. Let him know that he will have final approval on it before it's used. Most customers love this idea.

Now it's a matter of taking the information you just got and crafting the best testimonial possible. If you've done a good job interviewing them, you should have some great material to work with.

Go through your interview notes and ask yourself:

* Which angle should I take?

* What are the key benefits I want to emphasize?

* Which one does this story support the best?

* What is the best way to use or position this story?

* Is there some part I can include that will make my prospect stop and think, "Hey, that guy sounds just like me!"

Can you see how powerful this is? How much more effective this type of testimonial will be? You'll be amazed at the different angles and opportunities you will uncover. Chances are you'll even end up with some great real-life stories you can use in your sales copy too!

Interviewing is a great way to get powerful testimonials for your copy. The key is understanding how to guide the conversation so you can get to the "good stuff" in a short period of time. Then it's just a matter of positioning it properly.

You'll have a testimonial that's written in your customer's words, only better. It's laser-focused. It addresses key selling points and reveals real needs and desires that your prospect will immediately connect with. It's a testimonial that most copywriters only dream about!