The Key to Great Dental Testimonials is Connecting them to Your Brand

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In your marketing it’s always good to have patient testimonials. But it’s even more important to have testimonials that speak to potential new patients.

Consider the testimonial that goes something like this. “I came to your office today with an emergency and they got me in right away. I really appreciated it.”

That’s nice.

How about this one?

“Every time I come to the doctor’s office the team members are friendly, the service is good and I enjoy coming back.”

That’s also nice. What’s not nice is that they just sit there. They validate a current patients’ decision to choose you for a dentist but do little to motivate new patients to come to your door or pick up the phone.

A consultant named Ron Sheetz once told me that what’s needed in a good testimonial is a message that connects with people. Everyone knows that you can stage or arrange for a good testimonial. But you can’t do that with a ‘real’ one.

What’s a real one? One that tells a story that pulls the potential client in and creates an identification with the message.

Here’s an example:.

“Before Dr. Smith, I was always been terrified of the dentist. Clammy hands, lump in my throat, sweat on my forehead, all of it. It started when I was ten and the dentist told me pulling the tooth wouldn’t hurt me. He might have been right in most cases, but this tooth was impacted. The pain jolted me almost out of the chair. He laughed it off and told me it wasn’t that bad. But it was. Dr. Smith doesn’t laugh. He knows exactly what it’s like to be afraid!”

Better, right? You can see yourself in that chair, in that situation. It’s probably happened to many of us. Because this dentist is showcasing this story in their marketing shows that they know what it’s like to be in that chair.

That, my friends, makes all the difference.

People assume you have the skills to do dental care. What they want to know is that you also have the touch to do human care. To empathize and see yourself in their position.  

That is the crucial difference between telling a potential client that you know how to do your job and letting them know that you understand and can empathize.

If your marketing materials have the standard kind of testimonial, that’s fine. But if you’re looking to create a testimonial with impact, consider what your clients are looking for in a dentist and then ask for testimonials with a bit more meat on them.