People may not trust Big Pharma…
Or their health insurer…
Or even the “medical establishment”…
But they DO trust trust their doctor.
In fact, the American culture code for doctor is hero, according to Clotaire Rapaille, author of The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They Do.
Rapaille writes, “Doctors [project] images of rescue, of being saved from danger, of being spared a horrible fate. Most Americans were imprinted with the notion that doctors save lives and can recall a time when a doctor saved a family member, or maybe even a time when a doctor saved them personally.”
So obviously doctors are ideal spokespeople for products. With a doctor as the face of your brand, you create a strong feeling of trust right out of the gate. After all, you have a hero endorsing your product!
And when I consult on onboarding sequences using my First 7 Days Formula, I always play up a doctor endorser. I include photos of the doctor in their lab coat. “Casual” mentions of their credentials. Stories about a patient (with the patient name anonymous, of course.)
However, the “doctor” card is one you have to play carefully…
For instance, let’s say the doctor has this incredible story about how she gained a lot of weight and then lost it all on a new diet plan. While that’s a great story to include, you can’t rely on it too much. Because a lot of people will think, “Sure, SHE was able to do it. But she’s a doctor…”
Also, you don’t want to make your doctor seem too pretentious. For instance, if the doctor graduated from Harvard Medical School, that’s important to include, but we don’t want to mention it in every email.
Similarly, you want to make your doctor seem like a relatable, likable person (another important part of my First 7 Days Formula). Work in details about their family, their hobbies, and their personality. For example, if they have a dog, find a way to include it in a story. Add a photo. The animal-lovers in your audience will instantly feel more connected.
On a personal note, I’m pretty sure I only started reading copywriter Ian Stanley’s posts because of his freakin’ adorable dog, Poseidon. (Sorry, Ian.)
So those are a few tips about how to write as a doctor-endorser.
One final note…
Is there someone who might be MORE persuasive than a doctor-endorser?
Maybe.
In The Culture Code, Rapaille says that there’s someone Americans love more than doctors: nurses.
“A recent Gallup poll identified nursing as the most ethical and honest profession in America for the fifth time in six years (it ranked second to firefighting in 2001, in the aftermath of 9/ 11). We perceive nurses as caretakers, as the professionals who spend more time with us when we are sick than our doctors do, and who always have our best interests at heart. Discovery stories included phrases such as ‘made me feel better,’ ‘came in and sat with me,’ and ‘I wanted to believe her.’ Americans feel safe and loved with nurses at such a high level that there is really only one comparable relationship. The code for nurse in America is mother.”
Could there be room for both a doctor and a nurse to endorse a brand? That way, you’d have a “hero” and a “mother,” making people feel both saved and taken care of.
It’s certainly food for thought.
