A few issues ago we wrote about tooting your own horn. Even better than that is having someone else toot your horn for you! Although if you pay for someone’s testimonial, in reality, it is still you doing the bragging. The problem with testimonials is that they usually end up with someone talking about how chiropractic cured some condition or disease that they suffered with and which medical care was of no avail. That is obviously a great testimonial for anyone with that disease and probably anyone who has any so-called incurable disease. But we are not trying to present chiropractic as a cure for disease or an alternative (even a superior one) to the practice of medicine. How then do we produce good, effective testimonials and keep the philosophy sound?
I think it necessitates an entirely different perspective of what a testimonial is for. Perhaps it necessitates an entirely different perspective of what we want as practice members. Obviously, if you create a testimonial around someone saying you or chiropractic cured their xyz disease, it’s because you want people with xyz disease to come into your office. So if you want regular, lifetime practice members that is what your testimonials should be about. Our office has done a series of interview testimonials with practice members who have been coming in the office for 25 years or more. If you would like to read them or get an idea of what we use, they can be found at www.strausschiropracticcenter.com.
Cover whatever you want in an interview. Some examples follow:
1. Why the practice member originally came in the office (anything from to have diseases cured to wanting regular lifetime care).
2. How they began to understand about chiropractic (doctor explained it, lay lecture, literature, etc.)
3. The benefits they have seen since being under care.
4. Why did you start seeing a chiropractor?
5. Was the Strauss Chiropractic Center your first experience with chiropractic?
6. How did you hear about the office?
7. Do you recall your initial impressions?
8. You’ve been members of the Strauss Chiropractic Center for ____ years, what has chiropractic played in your life?
9. Why do you continue to have your spine checked after all these years?
10. Do you have children? Are/were they checked? Why/why not?
11. Is subluxation a term you’re familiar with?
12. How would you define it?
13. How do you feel chiropractic benefits you?
14. Do you talk to others about chiropractic? If so, what do you tell them? If not, why not?
15. If you could do a brief commercial for our office/chiropractic, what would you say?
16. Tell me a little about your feelings about our office/chiropractors.
17. How have things changed/stayed the same over all these years?
18. What has Joe/chiropractic meant to you?
19. In closing, knowing that many people will be reading this story of yours, is there anything you would like to tell them or leave them with.
Closing thoughts: People are different and will come for different reasons. Interviews present real people actually staying under regular care for lifetime.
Allow for “censorship” – maybe not put words in their mouth but leave out what you do not like.
Additionally, we’ve taken these folks pictures and put on interview write-ups which go on back of our calendar and website (real people using chiropractic regularly) and hung in office (“Wall of Fame”) for all practice members to see.