Zip Your Lip! And Other Tips for Getting Great Sound Bites for Patient Testimonial Videos

31 Oct Zip Your Lip! And Other Tips for Getting Great Sound Bites for Patient Testimonial Videos

Sound bites are the soul of patient testimonial videos. They can make or break a patient story. When they convey the right emotion, they help your audience feel empathy, trust, compassion and connection with your featured patient – and, by extension, with your brand. So, how do you get great testimonial sound bites?

After interviewing hundreds of patients and patient families over the years, here are my top tips for getting authentic, compelling bites that’ll make your patient testimonial videos memorable and effective.

Prepare

Study your subject and their story. Get all you can from their care team or a pre-interview call. Every knee replacement is different because every patient is different. Every stroke recovery is unique because every patient is unique. Your job is to get to the heart of their story. Knowing the characters, the conflict and the happy ending your providers brought about will help you plan the path you want the interview to take. As for the interview questions, you already know you shouldn’t ask ‘yes or no’ questions, but go even deeper by planning the way you ask. Consider the different answers you’d get with emotion-based phrasing: “Describe the moment you first heard the diagnosis” vs. fact-based phrasing: “What was your diagnosis?” Your patient is sharing a personal story. They’ll share more meaningful details when you ask things in a way that’s specific to them.

Don’t start the interview before the interview

When you arrive for the interview, talk about the weather, the pictures on their wall, the score of the game – anything but the reason you’re there. Not only will this build rapport and help them relax, it’ll keep them from telling you their entire story before the camera is rolling. The first time someone shares a story is almost always the best version. You might have already heard most of it over the phone, but sitting across from them, officially starting the conversation, will feel fresh and unrehearsed. Save that first telling for when you’re ready to capture it.

Listen

Bring your list of questions, so you remember them, but don’t stubbornly stick to that list. There’s nothing worse than seemingly ignoring an answer to ask the “next” question on your list. If your patient feels interrogated, they won’t open up. Pretend you’re having this conversation over coffee or at a cocktail party. “Oh, really – tell me more about that…” can lead to a very good sound bite. Let their answers dictate your next question. Your list will be there when you need to refer to it, but allow your patient to lead the way.

Ask this question

It kinda pains me to give away my “secret sauce” for interview success, but I’m about to share my favorite question for patient experience videos. It’s usually the last, or second to last question, and it almost always gets the sound bite. Ready? Here it is: “What’s the moral of this story?” Another way I sometimes ask it is: “What’s the bottom line in all of this, to you?” You’re basically letting them own their story and share with you how whatever medical experience they’ve had has impacted their life. By the way, it almost always comes out as praise for the team of providers that helped them through it, with a dash of hard-earned wisdom or life perspective. Try it. It’s almost magical.

Then, ask this question

Another favorite question, and one that I almost always end with, is: “Is there anything else you want to add?” Most of the time it simply gives the subject a chance to thank the medical team, mention something we forgot to ask, or clarify a point. Sometimes, though, this one delivers a nice summary bite, a surprise, or a twist we didn’t see coming. This simple, catch-all question can lead to a bonus sound bite or a pretty little detail that adds to the story.

And my number one thing to say in an interview is – NOTHING.

The absolute best sound bites tend to come just seconds after a good sound bite. When someone tells you something that’s starting to get to the crux of their story, let them talk! Zip your lip. Put a sock in it. Shut your pie hole. It may sound simple, even obvious, but most people don’t do it. When your patient is sharing the details of their experience, resist the urge to jump in with a comment or your next question. Nod, hold eye contact, smile with empathy, bite your cheek … and wait. People tend to naturally fill that little bit of silence with the ‘icing on the cake’ kind of bite. They provide clarity, they reminisce, they go deeper. This takes practice, but – I promise – it pays off.

Because I’m always looking for more tools, techniques and questions that work, I keep an eye out for resources on this topic. If you’re geeky that way, too, you might like this article about testimonials. It’s not specific to healthcare, but has really good information and suggestions about gather and using effective testimonials.

Interviewing patients is one of our favorite things we do. It’s a privilege to get a front row seat to their personal, intimate story. We also love interviewing healthcare providers for bio videos, service line videos or as part of patient testimonials. Many of the above tactics apply, but here are our ideas that are specific to interviewing providers.

There you have it, a peek inside our interviewing toolbox. The more you use these tools, the sharper they get. My mother would be disappointed I told you to shut your pie hole, but it was said in love. You’ll thank me later!