Do You Believe Testimonials Still Work?
Written by Sandra J. Blum
Two things about testimonials concern me these days. Are there are just so many of them out there everywhere that they don’t grab a customer’s attention anymore? And why does the average testimonial seem to be getting weaker? Maybe people are worrying about the new FTC guidelines on testimonials and hedging their language. So, you get vague, general testimonials like “Tastes great!” and “Quality customer support!”
With the new FTC guidelines on testimonials and endorsements of 2009, you can no longer just cite a testimonial touting gangbuster results gained from your product or service while adding “results not typical” or “individual results may vary.” Now you need to:
• Verify that the person giving the testimonial has actually achieved the stated results.
• Verify the typical results a consumer can expect to achieve, and state them.
So how can you use a strong testimonial and meet the guidelines? The FTC cites the example of an advertisement for heat pumps in which three people describe their heating bills as having decreased by $100, $125 and $150, respectively. The advertiser can’t substantiate this number as representative, because only 20 percent of consumers will save $100 or more. Since consumers would interpret these savings as representative, a disclosure of “Results not typical” or “These testimonials are based on the experiences of a few people and you are not likely to have similar results” would be insufficient to prevent such an advertisement from being deceptive. The advertisement could be fixed however, by clearly and conspicuously disclosing generally expected savings – e.g., “the average homeowner saves $35 per month” or “the typical family saves $50 per month during cold months and $20 per month in warm months” – if these claims can be substantiated by the advertiser.
On the other hand, vague, general testimonials like “Tastes great!” or “Quality customer support!” present no issues. The problem for marketers is that those are pretty unpersuasive testimonials.
I tell clients that testimonials are most effective when they:
• Are specific
• Help overcome a known objection, and
• Increase trust (or the opposite, don’t trigger distrust) at the right point in the sales cycle.
Maybe we can’t do anything about the current “testimonial overload.” But we can dedicate ourselves to using the most effective testimonials possible for our businesses. Complying with the FTC guidelines, as the FTC example illustrates, should have the effect of underscoring our credibility and transparency.
Resources:
FTC: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (Note: examples included)
Word of Mouth Marketing Association
P.S. I’m not a lawyer and this article should not be construed as legal advice. Any changes you make to your use of testimonials should not be based on this article alone. Be sure to speak with your attorney.
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