Why testimonials sucks

[altima]

Checking testimonials is a common way to evaluate the product or service you consider to purchase. What could be better than hear a feedback from people who already use it?

Unfortunately, testimonials are not as reliable as we may think and I will explain why below. Full article is published in my blog

Let’s go back in 1950ths. That time couple young scientists (Elliot Aronson and Judson Mills) conducted an interesting study in the Stanford University. Studends were asked to pass two kind of addmission tests to join some club, then they evaluate the quality of discussion (listen the record) from one of that club's meeting.

The results were pretty interesting: the students who experienced a mild initiation evaluated the discussion as it was – dump and purposeless and the speakers as wearing and unwise. In contrast, the group that passed a hard admission test had found the record interesting and exciting, discussants – intelligent and attractive. Similar experiments were conducted several times with the same results. Why the same object had so different evaluation?

The answer is related with two concepts: cognitive dissonance and confirmatory bias. When a person agree to go through a big pain, or do something hard to get a desired object, it means that the initial evaluation of that object was quite positive. Every investment to the object increases it price in the person’s mind. When the person finally gets the object he/she tends to notice only the information that supports that pre-defined expectations and miss all that dis-confirms them. Such a feature of a human mind is called “confirmatory bias”. What happens when the person obtain a contradicting piece of information about the object? If the fact is against our evaluation of the object, we need either to change our evaluation or do something with that fact. Such situation, when there are two exclusive theory in the mind is called a cognitive dissonance and people do not like to live with it. For the human’s brain it’s easier to skip the fact or change it’s interpretation, because otherwise we have to accept that we made a mistake with our evaluation and the higher was the evaluation, the harder to admit that it was wrong. So most of us will adjust a perceived reality to make it suits our expectations.


Though, how all this is related with the testimonials? If one purchased something, especially an expensive product or service, there is a very high probability that he/she will notice only information, confirming that the purchase decision was very correct and finally completely convince himself in it, even if the buying is not so good. That believe will becomes very sincere and put deep roots in his mind, so he will honestly give a product/service a great testimonial, that in fact is not deserved.

Hence, do not rely on testimonials so much, people who already made a purchase rarely provide an unbiased feedback. I don’t say that testimonials completely useless, if the product is a complete crap, probably people have to adjust their evaluations, but in many cases, especially if we talk about premium brands, better to hear somebody else, maybe people who are just considering a purchase.

P.S.: This article appeared after I started to attend Managerial Judgement course (as a part of my MBA in Melbourne Business School), so I want to thank my professor Jill Klain who bring that cognitive dissonance application in business to my attention.

[DavidM]

Interesting insight. I commented on your blog.

[Eca IT business systems]

i agree. Also in my opinon there is nothing worse than reading dated testimonials from 1+years ago, doesn't matter if it was the little corner shop or some BIG corporation.

[JohnSheppard]

lol. If I understand correctly you mean to say that testimonials don't help the customer?

While you get no arguement from me, I think you misunderstand the purpose of testimonials

Most people are in business to sell things....testimonials sell things....if you're a money driven sales person on commission that's all that really matters. Forgive my cynicism, but absolute truth went out of the the sales process a long long time ago

Testomonials work because the vast majority of people don't think beyond, "Jimbo says this is great, I want what he's got" and are also more inclined to believe what other people tell them, even if they don't know them.

[altima]

Originally Posted by JohnSheppard

lol. If I understand correctly you mean to say that testimonials don't help the customer?

While you get no arguement from me, I think you misunderstand the purpose of testimonials

Most people are in business to sell things....testimonials sell things....if you're a money driven sales person on commission that's all that really matters. Forgive my cynicism, but absolute truth went out of the the sales process a long long time ago

Testomonials work because the vast majority of people don't think beyond, "Jimbo says this is great, I want what he's got" and are also more inclined to believe what other people tell them, even if they don't know them.

The article was written from the buyer outlook. All we buy something from time to time, not only sell.

I would not argue that testimonials may help companies to sell, so to use them in your own selling pitch or not is another issue. Probably, since many people still believe in them it makes sense.

[bridiej]

I guess it depends in which way you view them.

I have testimonials on my website, not so much to say how fantastic I am but more to show potential clients that I am a real business, I've been in business for a number of years and I work with clients in their profession.

Most of my testimonials include the name and company details of the person who supplied it, so I guess if a client was that way inclined they could look up the contact details and check it all out.

[JohnSheppard]

Originally Posted by altima

The article was written from the buyer outlook. All we buy something from time to time, not only sell.

I would not argue that testimonials may help companies to sell, so to use them in your own selling pitch or not is another issue. Probably, since many people still believe in them it makes sense.

heh yeah I know, I guess it's just an anomaly to come across someone who thinks about things other than their business image here, so I thought I'd make the comment. I also dislike the way out society is. It's easy to look at other cultures and go...woah, those dudes are messed up....but when you look at ours...we're not exactly helping each other are we? Most people seem to be ok with it.

[altima]

Originally Posted by JohnSheppard

heh yeah I know, I guess it's just an anomaly to come across someone who thinks about things other than their business image here, so I thought I'd make the comment. I also dislike the way out society is. It's easy to look at other cultures and go...woah, those dudes are messed up....but when you look at ours...we're not exactly helping each other are we? Most people seem to be ok with it.

Well, maybe some people after reading this article will make better buying decisions
As for me personally, I had not trusted testimonials so much even earlier, but mainly because suspected that they are often fake. Appeared, that even genuine testimonials are not very useful.

[JohnSheppard]

Originally Posted by altima

Well, maybe some people after reading this article will make better buying decisions

haha.

Well, I think the best people to educate on their moral responsibility is sales people. However maybe that is just as futile

Originally Posted by altima

As for me personally, I had not trusted testimonials so much even earlier, but mainly because suspected that they are often fake. Appeared, that even genuine testimonials are not very useful.

Hmm, myself, I don't think many reputable companies would fake them.

Everyone's different. Humans are the way they are, the large majority are not born with analytical minds, nor to be independent. Sales is just a numbers game. As your original post says in not so many words...."they work"

My main gripe with sales techniques of some varieties is that one sided stories are generally presented as whole truth (by taking advantage of assumed social contracts). Displaying positive in the absense of negative testimonials is usually one of those techniques.

I don't understand how one could call themselves honest by doing such things, yet this practice is actively accepted and promoted by many people.

Nothing is black and white...

However, I will shut up now as I am taking it off topic

[altima]

Originally Posted by JohnSheppard

haha.

Well, I think the best people to educate on their moral responsibility is sales people. However maybe that is just as futile

true, so as buyers we have to be better educated

Also, off-topic, John, but I like your signature about Lemon market.
That's another interesting effect showing, how strange a market economy can be