“According to Nielsen research, ‘92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer, and 70% of people will trust a recommendation from someone they don’t even know.’” Sujan Patel wrote the prior statement in an excellent blog post 9 Strategies for Using Customer Testimonials in Your Content.
The basic premise according to his post is: “Testimonials are a type of review and social proof. They serve the same purpose (guiding potential customers and helping overcome objections), but they’re different in one big way: Testimonials are sought and selected by you. This means you have full control over which testimonials are used, as well as where and how they are displayed.”
Use these testimonials to highlight the ease of use and efficacy of laser treatments in your office.
In my article entitled Testimonials and Success Stories Article published in DC Practice Insights I cover Six Keys to Maximizing Testimonial Impact.
- Use the person’s full name
A testimonial from a well-known and respected local resident carries prestige.
- No anonymous testimonials
If you cannot identify the person at least by initials, then do not use the testimonial. There is very limited credibility in “no-name” praise.
- Recent ones only
Show your recent work. Older (5+ years) testimonials speak to the past not the present.
- Have at least three testimonials
Like the old Sally Field speech at the Academy Awards, “I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!” Whether the testimonials rotate on your web site or are in a static box you want to project variety and that lots of folks value your practice.
- Quality over Quantity
Point four above covered quantity. If you have to trade off, then trade off in favor of quality. A series of not gushing testimonials is not as effective as a few glowing ones.
- Use audio or video
Written testimonials are two-dimensional. Video or audio is three dimensional. The viewer or listener can pick up on tone changes, emphasis on certain words etc.
