The power of patient testimonials
Are you getting positive feedback from your patients? Catherine Harriss reveals what private doctors need to know about getting and using their testimonials.
Back in 2014, I wrote an article for Independent Practitioner Today about the importance of testimonials.
Even then, despite knowing testimonials were important for private practice marketing, I didn’t fully appreciate exactly how important they were.
Testimonials remain the mainstay of business, never more so than for private practice.
The type of testimonials I am referring to are those written with meaning – usually some time after the event – and convey the true emotions connected with their time with you.
I have no time for testimonials sought on the day, that are written in a couple of words: ‘great thanks!’ or ‘lovely doctor!’ What I do have time for are those that convey why they are thankful and include within them the story of how the patient(s) were affected.
How are testimonials used?
To convey other people’s experiences
Trustpilot, in 2020, identified that nine out of ten people read other people’s reviews to understand more about the provider and the outcome thus indicating exactly the importance placed on the customer journey and the trust that others have in fellow users’ opinions.
To check for authenticity
I have always posted on line reviews that I have received via email. These are often full of spelling and grammar mistakes, which may go against the grain of correcting text, but they show authenticity.
I also keep them on file should anybody ever query them.
Alternatively, I also encourage people to let me know about their experience via writing a Google review or writing a Facebook review.
These cannot be altered and can only be removed by approaching Google – and then Google will only remove them if the review contravenes Google’s policies.
So, for the most part, Google reviews remain telling a ‘warts and all’ story of a person’s experience. If your care is good, then there is nothing to fear.
Of the free services, Google reviews are more trusted than other review sites, with nearly 60% of people looking to see what is said there before looking elsewhere.
Google reviews produce Google stars and it is these that show up alongside listings on the search engine. We know that people are more likely to click on a link that has Google stars.
Facebook reviews also cannot be altered nor can they be deleted. This is a good point. In all the thousands of patients that I have helped book in for care, only two stand out as writing negative reviews. On both occasions, I contacted the individuals and talked through their issue and in both situations, they altered their testimonials to be favourable. Communication remains important for the whole time of your patient journey.
To build trust
Research by Brightlocal in 2020 identified that 79% of people trust a review as much as a personal recommendation.
We all understand how word-of-mouth recommendations work so the fact that testimonials for the majority are viewed in this way,is only beneficial.
What testimonials don’t do
Testimonials don’t come across as ‘selling’, as they are written from the heart
The passion emitted from this can be very persuasive and so encourage others to visit the same practitioner to obtain the same feelings and results.
I came across this day after day when potential patients quoted testimonial they had read and asked if their history could lead to a similar outcome.
These testimonials literally lift the spirits and can do more for your practice than any other amount of information.
Testimonials don’t create objections, they break them down
In marketing speak, objections are all those questions that generally start with ‘but’.
‘But I am 46 and therefore too old’. ‘But I am too overweight so I won’t be able to have surgery’. It is surprising how often individuals’ stories via testimonials tackle these objection directly and so ring true for many other people.
Again, their persuasive nature helps break down barriers that people perceive to having the surgery. In essence, when a testimonial is received from an individual who is very surprised that they had a positive experience, it can help so many others in similar circumstances.
What testimonials do
They substantiate your claim
If your service aims to eradicate, reduce or cure a certain condition or problem, then this is what your testimonials should reflect.
The detail and expression within them can be of so much benefit to your private practice.
They help make you more relatable
When a testimonials writer provides detail of how they came to arrive at your door, how they found you and why they chose you, this indicates a significant thought process that they have gone through to find you.
They endorse the key benefits of your product/service
Often in the medical world, we hope that patients come and visit us for a sole treatment, whether that involves starting a long-term course of treatment or a single operation where there is no need for repeated care.
This is very different to many business models where you are thinking of ways to encourage repeat business. If the testimonial indicates that they came to see you with a problem and you provided a solution and it worked, then you will have done well.
If the patient provides information about added benefits, then even better. It re-inforces that your treatment will help them find the solution they have been looking for.
They enable comparisons
It is never good to hear that individuals have had a poor experience elsewhere, but this can happen and it does happen for many different reasons.
Again, a comparison to this poor experience really helps your credibility.
Facts about testimonials
Are testimonials important?
A study by Big Commerce found that 92% of customers read online reviews before buying and 88% of consumers trust online testimonials and reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family.
This is backed up by a study by Nielson, that found 70% of reviews and recommendations were trusted by strangers. The search engine Watch found that 72% of consumers took action only after reading a positive review.
How many testimonials matter?
Vendasta found that 73% of consumers read six or fewer reviews before making a decision and then identified that 12% of consumers read more than ten reviews.
Earlier in this article I mentioned Google stars. Research by Opt-in Monster identified that a site needed 40 or more reviews before consumers felt that the star rating on Google was accurate.
Big commerce noted that once 50 or more testimonials are received, then the conversion of visitors into bookings or purchases increases by nearly 5%.
Do testimonials affect outcomes?
The impact of testimonials does affect the revenue of a business. I have first-hand business experience of the power of testimonials. One business I helped generated more than 1,500 testimonials and a similar number via social media. I know from conversations that many booked in for surgery after reading about other people’s experiences.
Research by Strategic Factory found that testimonials regularly generate 62% more revenue. Dimensional Research found that 90% of buyers who read positive customer success content claimed that it influenced their purchasing decisions.
How important are they?
Of all the online content that you can produce for your business, testimonials are the most important. They convey trust and as a provider of specialist health services; this is the number-one factor that you can control and capitalise upon to boost your private practice.
How to capture testimonials
I have always encouraged my clients to seek testimonials but also, importantly, for clients to write testimonials with ease.
These can be done via email that provides follow-up information for the patient and links to Google or Facebook where a testimonial can be left.
Alternatively, testimonials can be done via a third-party software such as Feefo and Trustpilot. These are trusted sites used in many areas of commerce and enable reviews to be left that are honest.
I know from experience that by using one of these sites, it is possible to seek answers to the questions that you want to pose that will help solicit a response. It is not possible to alter these, but it is possible to respond to them.
Catherine Harriss (right) founded MultiWorks Marketing in 2011. See https://attractdreamcustomers.com
