This is a guest post by Nathan Hangen. Be sure to let him know what you think of it in the comments!

Businesses rely on trust and authority to survive. If your customers don’t trust you or believe that you have the goods, then they aren’t going to buy from you.

Big corporations generally don’t suffer from this because they have money to throw around. This allows them to create the illusion of authority, which for most people is good enough. Small businesses though, especially those based solely on the internet, don’t have it quite so easy.

Overcoming these issues can be tough for new businesses especially, which is why blogs are such an excellent marketing vehicle. Over time, you get the chance to display your knowledge and expertise, winning your prospects over one by one.

It works.

From Slow to Fast

The problem though, is that it takes time. You have to keep your foot on the pedal and keep grinding away until you reach critical mass or the level at which word of mouth and buzz marketing takes over for you.

Considering that sales are the lifeline for any business, the longer this process takes, the more you’ll struggle to improve that bottom line.

But what if I told you there was a way to speed up that process, and build trust and authority almost overnight? What if I told you that you have access to a resource that can not only help you create social proof, but was also free?

Sounds good, right?

Let Your Customers Speak for You

Well, the good news is that if you’ve ever sold a product or service, then you’re in luck, because all you need in order to take advantage of this strategy is customers.

Sure, you can let your web copy or direct mail convert your leads into clients and customers, or you could simply let your satisfied customers do it for you. Consumers trust each other more than they trust the guy trying to make a sale, so it’s a natural fit.

By placing your customers in front of your prospects, they immediately put down their guard and listen to the message, and not the methods. As an example, just take a look on Amazon.com or any other site that lists product reviews. I don’t know about you, but when I’m considering a purchase, I scroll through the reviews before I do anything else. If they’re good, then I move on to the product details, and eventually…become a customer.

The same is true for your products or services. Reviews speak louder than bullet points.

How to Get the Goods

The easiest way to do this is to simply ask for a review, but if you haven’t been building an email list, then it’s going to be tough to reach your customers…so make that a priority if you haven’t already. You could also use a simple contact form on your website that allows customers to submit reviews. Contact Form 7 is a great plugin for this.

You could also open up for comments on your product pages, and let the reviews come in uncensored, which might sound scary at first, but proves that you aren’t hiding anything.

The big kahuna

Although text reviews are great, the most powerful reviews are those in audio or video format. When prospects can see and/or hear your satisfied customers, they are much more likely to identify with them. Video reviews especially, are an extremely powerful way to create social proof and disarm those that are loaded with objections.

Incentive

If your customers aren’t biting, consider offering an incentive in exchange for a review, such as a discount coupon or a free sample of another product. I’ve had success just offering to link to their blog or website on my review page.

However, if you’ve really delivered and your customers are satisfied, then you should have no problem getting at least a few reviews.

Create a showcase

Reviews are only powerful if they are easy to find, so highlight them whenever possible. Link to them on all of your sales and product pages, and consider embedding them in the sidebar or footer of your blog. Create a separate page just for customer testimonials. Make them easy to find…first impressions mean everything.

The Authority Hack

I know this sounds simple, but the truth is that most people aren’t tapping into their biggest resource, and it’s costing them time and money. Your products are great and your customers are happy, so why not show them off? The more you have the better you’ll be, especially if you can get your hands on a few video or audio reviews.

Reviews act as the social proof needed to convince your prospects to give you a shot. They help struggling businesses get over the hump, and help strong businesses become even stronger.

So, what are you waiting for?

Nathan Hangen is an entrepreneur, social media consultant, and co-authored the book Beyond Blogging. You can follow him on Twitter @nhangen.