David Vogel is a video marketing strategist who helps businesses leverage the power of video to help them grow their businesses. His 100% remote video production solution allows businesses to create professional video content without the complexity or expense of an in-person video crew.
For nearly 40 years, Italy sat on my bucket list. This year, my wife Adrienne and I finally made the trip: 17 unforgettable days exploring Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Bologna, and Cinque Terre.
Yes, the food was incredible (I could write an entire post about lasagna alone). The architecture, the art, the history were breathtaking.
But what I did not expect was how much the trip would reinforce something I already knew: the way we bought our perfect vacation is the same way your customers are buying from you.
And those lessons are too important not to share.
Every step of our journey involved choices:
Some decisions were made before we left, others on the fly. But here is what mattered most:
We did not hire a travel agent.
We did not buy a pre-packaged trip.
We did not open a guidebook.
Instead, we relied on:
The result was a trip we would not change a thing about. And it reminded me of a truth I see every day in business: customers crave trust, proof, and clarity.
Our best meals and tours came from referrals.
One example: when we checked into Hotel Spadai in Florence, the concierge recommended La Carbonata. Honestly, we would not have chosen it ourselves since it sat on a busy main street and we had been told to avoid those.
But we trusted his referral. And it ended up being our best dinner in Italy.
Business takeaway: Referrals remain the most powerful driver of new customers. But not all referrals are equal. A vague “they are good” does not close deals. A vivid, authentic story from a happy customer does.
That is the difference between curiosity and conversion.
We wanted our trip to be perfect. That meant our research had to be perfect too.
Here is the thing: information is everywhere. Google gave us results for every query. TripAdvisor was packed with reviews. Facebook groups offered endless advice. And ChatGPT provided conversational, customized answers.
But the real magic was not in the platforms. It was in the questions we asked.
For example:
Business takeaway: Your customers are drowning in information. Their success (and yours) depends on whether they are asking the right questions and whether you are positioned as the one who can answer them clearly.
When you provide clarity in the research phase, you stop being just another option. You become the obvious choice.
We did not book a single hotel, restaurant, or activity without reading reviews.
Here are a few:
Those numbers gave us confidence to spend our money.
Business takeaway: Reviews and testimonials are not optional. They are essential. They provide the trust customers need to move forward. And in a world where buyers research heavily before making decisions, social proof can be the difference between winning and losing a deal.
In Rome, Adrienne and I watched tray after tray of tiramisu being delivered to nearby tables. We had not planned on dessert until we saw the pattern. Naturally, we ordered it. It turned out to be the best tiramisu of the trip.
In Bologna, we noticed the only restaurant with a line out the door. No online research. Just human instinct. We got in line. It ended up being the best pasta we had in Italy.
Business takeaway: Humans follow cues. In your business, you may not have a literal line down the block, but video testimonials create the same effect. They let prospects see and hear real customers choosing you. It is the digital version of “I will have what they are having.”
Here is what Italy reinforced for me:
That is how we bought in Italy. And it is how your prospects buy from you.
At Remote Video Testimonials, we believe your happiest customers are your best salespeople.
The challenge? Most businesses do not know how to capture their stories effectively or how to use them strategically. That is where we come in.
We help you:
🎥 Capture authentic customer stories remotely
✂️ Edit them into high converting sales assets
📈 Deploy them in the right places so they drive measurable revenue
The wrong testimonial can hurt you. The right one becomes your sales engine.
If you take one thing from my Italy trip, let it be this: your customers are already telling the stories that will sell for you.
The only question is whether you will use them.
👉 Schedule a free consultation today to learn how.
At Remote Video Testimonials, we have developed a fast, easy, and affordable way to get professional-quality customer video testimonials without the hassle or expense of an in-person video production crew. With our 100% remote video production process and our interview-based approach, our virtual video crew can shoot video testimonials anywhere in the country in just 30 minutes. If you would like to learn more about Remote Video Testimonials, please call (914) 677-2588 or email david@remotevideo.wp59.qa.internal.searchatlas.com
