The Power of Persuasion: How Advocacy Trumps Facts in Marketing and Politics

Jun 21, 2024

2 min read

One of the lessons we are reminded of in this tedious period of Election campaigning is that it is very difficult to change a narrative or belief with facts.

We've had 4 weeks now of televised debates, interviews and broadcasts that have contained nothing more than:

"My facts are better than their facts."

And the reality is that we have already stopped listening to most of the noise.

"We are the X party and our facts are better than the Y and Z party facts."

"We are the Y party and our facts are better than the X and Z party facts."

"We are the Z party and our facts are better than the X and Y party facts."

Yawn.

Imagine now, your dental marketing.

"Here are my facts - and my facts are better than everyone else's facts (or no facts)."

Yawn.

What type of people do you think are interested in your facts?

It's now an old joke - but I'm going to single out teachers and engineers - who want to know as many facts as you do before they make a purchasing decision - but then shop around for the lowest price.

Seth Godin suggests that the people we really want to attract are those who are asking:

"Do people like me visit practices like yours?"

They don't want facts - they want advocacy.

A patient testimonial from "someone like me" is worth more than a thousand facts.

Focus on facts in your marketing and you will attract patients who are looking for a quantitative experience - "how does it work and how much will it cost me?"

Focus on advocacy in your marketing and you will attract patients who are looking for a qualitative experience - price isn't the issue.