Proof is essential for building trust and converting your ideal customers.

You need it to back up your branding claims, show prospects that you know what you're doing, and position your brand as an expert in the market.

The more proof you have, the better.

But most founders and marketers see 'proof' and think client logos, testimonials, and case studies.

While those are needed to establish proof, they are considered low-level proof. Self-reported, self-generated, and biased.

Think about it — no business creates case studies of clients they failed. It's always the clients who achieve extraordinary results that look good on their website.

Your ideal customers understand that.

If you want to build real proof, the kind of proof that eliminates objections and generates trust, you need more than just case studies, logos, and testimonials.

You need more forms of proof.

The Psychology of Proof

Every purchase, whether an impulse buy from an Instagram ad or a multimillion-dollar investment in a B2B service, comes with a twinge of buyer's remorse.

As soon as the purchase is made, buyer's remorse sets in.

Did we make the right decision?
Did we choose the right vendor?
What happens if I made the wrong choice?
Will they actually live up to what they promised?

Those questions (and more) run through your customer's minds, whether they acknowledge it or not.

Proof is a way to lessen that buyer's remorse — to address the objections and concerns they have before the purchase is made.

But self-reported proof is not enough.

Unsolicited, third-party, trusted proof is what actually moves the needle. And those don't come from polished case studies.

Honest reviews, endorsements, unsolicited praise, and even mentions from industry experts do far more than any case study could.

Because that kind of proof is unbiased.

8 Types of Proof

Here are the eight types of proof that every brand should work to create, in order from least impactful to most impactful.

1. Borrowed Proof

This is the lowest form of proof and includes using industry stats to validate your approach, without results from your own work.

Examples:

• Using industry stats in your content and copy
• Explaining the science or psychology behind your approach

Earning It:

You don't really need to earn this level of proof. You just use existing stats, research, or psychology to back up your claims.

It is the easiest to implement in your business.

2. Self-Reported Proof

This form of proof includes sharing your wins and results publicly to validate your claims.

Examples:

• Case studies
• Results posts on social media
• Using client stories in your content

Earning It:

You "earn" this level of proof by generating results for your clients, documenting those results, and sharing them in the form of case studies and content.

Develop a system for gathering, creating, and promoting the results you get for clients.

3. Paid Media Mentions

This type of proof includes paying to be mentioned in publications your ideal customers trust.

Examples:

• Paying to be mentioned in Forbes
• Advertorials in industry magazines
• Contributing articles to industry publications

Earning It:

Again, this isn't one you really earn. Most publications will have criteria for paid media mentions that you have to meet, but money speaks louder than applications.

Caveat:

If you use paid media mentions, do not do what LinkedIn flufffluencers do, who claim they were 'featured on Forbes.' They paid to be in Forbes. When you pretend to be featured, and people find out you paid for the mention, you lose trust.

4. Solicited Testimonials

This level of proof includes asking current and past clients to vouch for your work, thereby validating your approach.

Examples:

• Customer testimonials
• Video stories and case studies
• Customer reviews on Google, Clutch, and other platforms

Earning It:

You "earn" this level of proof by generating results for your clients and asking them to share about their experience.

I recommend coaching your clients to provide testimonials that highlight key aspects of your work with them, such as revenue generated, problems solved, etc.

5. Earned Third-Party

This level of proof includes a credible source deciding that you and your work are worth featuring.

Examples:

• Industry awards
• "Best of" lists
• Media coverage

Earning It:

Earning this level of proof often requires a significant number of self-reported and solicited testimonials to even be considered. Best of lists can often be earned just by showing up with great results. Awards require applying and showcasing excellent results.

Media coverage can be extremely hard to earn, depending on the media you're trying to be covered by, and often requires something big — like an amazing result, a big turnout to an event, or doing something drastically different.

6. Unsolicited Testimonials

This level of proof includes public praise for your work without being asked, compensated, or incentivized.

Examples:

• Client posts about you online
• Past clients refer someone else to you

Earning It:

This is one of the hardest levels of proof to earn because you can't control it. You just have to provide an extraordinary experience and result that WOWs your client into sharing.

The second you ask for it, you're no longer creating this level of proof.

7. Live Results

This level of proof includes providing a live experience where customers can see results firsthand, without having to trust a claim.

Examples:

• Live demos
• Live breakdowns
• Live builds

Earning It:

Creating live results should be fairly easy, especially if your service lives up to its claims. The hard part is getting prospects to attend live events to see your approach in action.

8. Trusted Source Endorsements

This is the hardest level of proof to earn, as it requires someone your ideal customer already trusts to vouch for you.

Examples:

• Industry publication quoting you in an article
• Guest appearing on a trusted podcast
• Being cited in an industry expert's content (like a blog post or book)

Earning It:

This is the hardest level of proof to earn. It requires mastering the other 7 levels of proof while also showing up in enough places to be seen by an industry expert.

It took us 3 years to earn this level of trust for one of our clients. Now, whenever a trusted industry publication writes an article about a process our client covers, its writers reach out to our client for a quote and an equipment photo.

The goal is to reach this level of proof, but don't be surprised if it takes years to get there.

The Proof that Matters

Case studies, client logos, and testimonials are great, but they are not the end-all, be-all of establishing proof of your approach.

Work through all eight levels — starting with the lower numbers and working your way up to Trusted Source Endorsements.

Doing so will show ideal customers that you can be trusted, while removing objections and concerns about investing in you.

Need help with this?

We map out how to achieve each level of proof for our Brand OS clients, helping them become the only choice for their ideal customers.

Until next week,

#SassyJason out.

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