Testimonial Power - The Economist

Testimonial Power – The Economist


Client testimonials rock! They are one of the most powerful marketing tools you can use. If you aren’t using them – why not? If your excuse is that you don’t have client testimonials perhaps there’s a big problem with your service.

If you have great service but don’t know how to collect client testimonials then we can discuss that in a future post. In the mean time here is a powerful testimonial that you might enjoy for The Economist magazine from the king of the world. No, not James Cameron – the real king, the guy with the most money.


The Economist

“The magazine I spend most of my days reading.”
Bill Gates, Chairman and Founder Microsoft


It’s a great testimonial for a few reasons:

Everyone knows Bill Gates.
Bill Gates is respected for his business acumen.
Bill Gates is a very successful business person.
Bill Gates is considered a global leader.
The people who are inclined to read The Economist magazine would likely be interested and influenced by what Bill Gates says.


First, my congratulation to The Economist for continuing to publish a first class, no – world class publication. I have read it for years.

And second congratulations for obtaining such a powerful client testimonial.

Now let’s be clear – The Economist did not pay Bill Gates for his testimonial. He is neither an entertainer nor athlete eager to shill for the highest bidder. This is his honest opinion given freely. That’s why client testimonials are so powerful and why they are better than paid celebrity endorsements. Don’t tell Nike that. Somebody might get fired. And they might save millions.

So why is this testimonial from Bill Gates so effective for The Economist?

Because The Economist is similar to Bill Gates. The Economist is respected for business acumen, is very successful and is a global leader. The Economist couldn’t have found a better spokesperson.

What is the message of the testimonial? If you want to be successful like Bill Gates – read what Bill Gates reads – The Economist.

And the secondary message is – if you want Bill Gates to notice what you are doing or saying – put it in The Economist.


George Torok

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Enterprise: Is it Safe?

Enterprise: Is it Safe?

How well are you addressing this question for your clients? Perhaps you seldom hear this question however it is often on the mind of your clients. They want to know: “Is it safe to use your product? Is it safe to deal with your company? Is it safe to buy from you?

Security is an operational issue. Feeling safe is a fundamental marketing issue. It’s one thing for the engineers and technicians to design and create a secure system. It’s quite another thing if your clients don’t feel safe about it.

The technical side of security is logic based. Feeling safe is an emotional state that is influenced by perception. And perception is based on our perspective and emotional state. Perspective is based on a mix of: purpose, experiences, knowledge, ability and risk tolerance.

Perspective and emotions are constantly changing. That’s the challenge for you. Feeling safe is a gray zone and it is relative. At one time a secure world meant that the USA had thousands of ICBMs pointed at the USSR while the USSR pointed back with their horde of nuclear daggers. Today a lone suicide bomber can make us feel unsafe. You might feel safe in your home until there is a break-in. Depending on what has happened recently in your favourite vacation spot you might feel safe or unsafe about visiting. Feeling safe often has little to do with security.

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Read the rest of this article in the November 2007 issue of Enterprise Magazine.

George Torok is a regular contributor to Enterprise Magazine and has been for the past eight years.

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Networking: Stop Working the Room

Networking: Stop working the room

Too many networking experts tell you to “work the room”. Stop doing that. It feels slimy for you and the people who you “work”. Is that the first impression that you want to imprint on contacts in your network? That they just been “worked”? How do you like it when you have been “worked”?

It’s not that those misguided networking experts mean ill for you. They are just telling you what they did and perhaps they got used to feeling slimy. That’s what often happens when one doesn’t know better or stop to think about what they are doing. They just rationalize it with mantras like, “no pain, no gain”. Sometimes slimy people are not bad - they just stop thinking or caring about how they appear to others.

Networking is not about working the room or working people. Networking is about building relationships that are mutually productive.

Networks are built on trust.

Networking is built on relationships.

Networking is built by connecting with people.

Networking is about people – not rooms. And people don’t like to be worked.

Otherwise you might as well just enter the room – shout your name for all to hear then throw you business cards into the air – and then leave with a flourish. You worked the room and let everyone know how little you thought of them. And you did nothing to build a strong network.

Sometimes the event organizers force you to work the room in their attempt to fool you regarding the real value of the networking event. They announce the game – In the next five minutes give your business card to as many people as you can. What a stupid game. If you wanted to do that you would have been better to place an ad in the newspaper. Networking is more about quality then it is about quantity. Networking is not about giving out your business cards to everyone in the room. Networking is not about collecting everyone's business card. That's not networking.

Networking is about building a network of people you know and trust and who know and trust you.

Stop working the room. Start networking.

The next time some "networking expert" tells you to work the room – tell them. “I didn’t come here for the room. I want to connect with people.”


George Torok

Promote Brand You

Personal Marketing

Networking Guide to Success

Personal Marketing is Profitable Marketing

Personal Marketing is Profitable Marketing

How personal is your marketing?

Why is personal marketing important to you? Because personal marketing translates into profitable business. It is more profitable because you spend less on mass marketing and get a higher revenue from your target customers.

Personal marketing means connecting with the person. How do you do that?

Smiles, friendly greetings, using their name

Build stronger relationships

Say thank you and congratulations

Helping vs selling

Not hiding behind corporate mission, policy, titles, hierarchy or protocol

Collect and use client testimonials

Write and send note cards and post cards

Direct contact

Treat staff like people

Treat customers like guests

Study and understand the values of your target market


Make your marketing more personal and more profitable.


George Torok

Personal Marketing

Motivational Speaker

Corporate Spokesperson