By Joyce Sunila
Recently, a client asked me to remove all of the personal observations I’d written into his website copy (even though they were definitely his observations).
He’d related his personal views on society, women, the beauty industry, and so forth to me during a long phone conversation. But when he saw the stuff in print, he balked, saying it made him look “unprofessional.”
“My prospects only care about themselves,” he insisted. “They want information about what they are going to get, not idle chit-chat about my world-view and what motivates me to help women look their best. And they want to know my qualifications. The website should be more about my objective qualifications.”
In other words, he wanted me to fill up his website with the same reassuring clichés all plastic surgeons trot out on their websites.
But if I boiled out his personal stories, it would have two unintended consequences.
1. The website would become dull.
Personal insights keep your information engaging and memorable.
2. Loss of trust.
Doctors in high-trust specialties (that’s you) think others only trust credentials, expertise, and experience. That’s not true. Trust doesn’t come from credentials, it comes from the way people experience you.
Revealing your backstory allows people to see you and begin to trust you.
There are places for credentials, expertise, and qualifications on your website.
- The Home page.
- The “About Us’’ page.
- The Gallery.
But on every page of a website? And in lieu of the revealing, possibly endearing asides that could pique a reader’s curiosity and make her feel she’s finally found someone special?
Not so much.
What will make you stand out is … you. A few words about those aren’t likely to alienate anyone, and they could stir up some lasting interest.
Joyce Sunila is the president of Practice Helpers, providing e-newsletters, blogs, and social media services to aesthetic practices. You can contact Joyce at [email protected] or visit the Practice Helpers website at www.practicehelpers.com
