Comments on: How to shoot a video testimonial

By: Peter Mackie

Peter Mackie — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 01:39:07 +0000

Just adding a clickable URL to the previous August 1st post about testimonials.
http://www.clearstreamfilms.com
Thanks very much.

By: Ken McCarthy

Ken McCarthy — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 16:31:39 +0000

Great comments and great question from Scott.
As you can see, getting testimonials at a distance is not easy.
Three suggestions:
1. To get people to send you video, the best thing way to go is with a contest. Best customer story wins the prize.
Here’s what it takes to get people to take action on this. The prize must be VERY compelling. One guy I know made his prize a $10,000 consulting and training package.
2. Another way to do it is hire cameramen locally and save yourself the extensive travel costs involved with jetting someone around the country. It’s going to be a big research project, but there are companies that might be able to help. (Google and see what you come up with.)
Keep in mind, you need more than just a guy who can turn a camera on and off and focus a lens. You’ll need people who can put your customers at ease and get them talking.
3. A cheaper, simpler option: Go to a city where a lot of your customers are and get what you can get from that one location.
A more expensive variation: Go to a resort area and pay your customers expenses to join you there. Everyone loves a free vacation.
Or combine idea #1 with idea #2. Announce a customer story contest and winners get a free trip to Orlando or Vegas where you’ll be with cameras. (Better make sure the winners are tele-genenic.)

By: Ed Anderson

Ed Anderson — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:42:24 +0000

At the last NRA show (National Restaurant Assoc.) I set up my video camera in our booth and talked to owner/operators about our donutmachines and how happy they were with our money making machines. Unbeknowns to them I operated the video camera with my remote control so they were totally unaware that they were being recorded.
Also recorded people’s comments when tasting our mini donuts the same way.
Then I told them they were recorded and had them sign our standard release form. There no refusals.
In this way we got some great testimonials which we are now editing for Quicktime movies on our site.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:03:40 +0000

Ken:
Thanks for the great info.
Any suggesstions on obtaining video testimonials long distance?
Our customers are spread across the US. It is not the type of product that would yield iteself to a national or regional event like a seminar.
I thought of one of a couple of possible ideas.
1. Fly a camera man out to willing customers locations. This would get expensive but certainly would be worth it.
2. Find a way to get customers to mail us video tapes that we can then edit and process. Possibly run some sort of contest. Ask customers to answer a series of questions on tape. Not ideal but a possible method to obtain the testimonials we are looking to obtain.
If you have any suggesstions I would love to hear them.
Thanks,
Scott

By: Peter Mackie

Peter Mackie — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 10:24:11 +0000

Testimonials are imperative. You MUST have third party corraboration. All I would add to the above – having performed hundreds of interviews – are the following:
Tell them to answer in complete sentences, because your voice will never be heard. Lock eyes with the subject (tell them before filming to try and avoid letting their eyes drift). If they drift away, don’t hesitate to call them back. If they’re in the middle of a great sound byte, point at your own eyes, they’ll get it. Finally, you can’t speak while they’re speaking, but you can articulate facial gestures that let them know how interesting, funny or compelling what they’re saying sounds. This will further draw them in, make them forget about the camera, and will – sometimes – produce gems. Lastly, tears are the international gold standard (see Babrbara Walters). If a subject gets emotional, do NOT interrupt, sort through it later. The 90/10 split might be generous. So get clever with your editing.
Thanks, Ken
Peter Mackie
ClearStreamFilms.com

By: Jerry Dyas

Jerry Dyas — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 09:53:10 +0000

Ken
Good stuff. I was at a Trade Show last month in Chicago. I brought my camera and got some video testimonials. I did as you suggest. I got them talking first. In fact on one I said let’s practice- and I asked questions. They were comfortable because the camera was not on- or so they thought. In fact I did have it on. I did this because people tend to freeze up when they think they are on camera.
Thanks

By: Brian Lord

Brian Lord — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 01:52:27 +0000

Very Helpful thanks Ken once again.
Brian