Video Testimonials help close sales. This is a strong statement, but is it true?

To test this statement, think for a second about your behavior as a consumer. Do you check reviews or testimonials before making a buying decision? I know I do. But since we’re talking business, let’s check some numbers.

According to research done last year by Wyzowl, 95% of people say that reviews, both positive or negative, have an influence on their buying decisions. Being more specific on video, the same survey indicates that 79% of people say they’ve watched a video testimonial to learn more about a company they wanted to do business with, and 77% say that video testimonials have played an important part in convincing them to buy a service or a product.

Now that’s a significant number – so let’s think about the reasons for that: while we all look at reviews before we buy, there’s a big difference between the influence a written review has, to that of a video testimonial. I would say that there are two factors that make that difference:

TRUST

We tend to trust video testimonials more. Written testimonials can always be “doctored”. There’s a feel that they tend to be less genuine, whereas in a video testimonial you have a real person talking about a real experience, and that feels much more genuine. Remember, customer make their decisions based mostly on feelings, not logic.

EMPATHY

A good testimonial will cause the viewer to empathize with the person talking, to feel (again) that the problem the person is describing is the same problem they have – and therefore, your solution for this problem is exactly what they need.

So, if a person was thinking about doing business with you but wasn’t sure that you had the right answer to their problem, that video testimonial will give the “last push” for them to feel they can trust you. That is why video testimonials will help you close sales. Because they touch people’s feeling rather than their logic.

Please email me at info@leibproductions.com with questions, comments and suggestions for topics you would like us to write about. See you at the next Video Lion!