One of the most humbling aspects of copywriting is that no matter how sharp I write an ad or email or landing page, it won’t be as powerful as your best friend telling you “Hey, this is cool. Check it out.”

That’s alright.

Testimonials and demonstrations always beat copy. Trusted word of mouth trumps everything.

That doesn’t mean the quality of your copy can’t make or break your business. You still have to drive them to those testimonials. You still have to walk them through the sales process. You still have to communicate value.

But it is good to know which levers have the most impact on your marketing.

That’s why it’s so great to earn a solid testimonial. I ask for one from every client – you can never have too many testimonials at your disposal – but my favorite are the spontaneous ones. Praise given off the cuff, usually in surprise that the work’s that good. They’re fresh, often funny, and genuine.

For example:

“Ryan, your writing is so good that I’ve been struggling to find a way to express how awed I am by what you sent me. It’s amazing.” – Andrew Warner, Mixergy

“This is really great. Very, very good… I expected to rip your first one to shreds, but I am very impressed.” – Ramit Sethi, I Will Teach You To Be Rich

Those quotes make me smile.

And remind me that good testimonials serve another purpose beyond boosting sales. When you’re thick in the work and losing your perspective, they remind you a real person waits at the other end, eager to see what you’ve been doing, hoping you’ll deliver something that makes them say to their friends, “Hey, this is cool. Check it out.”