In his book, A Calendar of Wisdom, which is one of our B2B Writers International Book Club selections this year, Leo Tolstoy wrote: “Better to know a few things which are good and necessary than many things which are useless and mediocre.”
Though Tolstoy wasn’t talking about marketing copy, this quote made me think about how we copywriters often want to — or are instructed to — include every feature, every testimonial, and every benefit in our copy.
However, doing so usually overwhelms the reader and weakens the copy. We need to avoid it if we want our words to convert.
Why More Proof Feels Safer (But Isn’t)
We’ve all been there. The client sends over a massive document of “key points to include.” The product team insists that all 17 features are equally important. The sales team wants every competitive advantage highlighted.
It feels logical, right? If one proof point is good, 10 must be better. If customers care about three benefits, surely they’ll be even more impressed by 12.
With this mindset, we end up with:
- Bulleted lists that stretch on for half a page
- Testimonial sections with quotes from a dozen different clients
- Feature comparison charts with 25 checkmarks
- Case study pages that read like novels
- Logos from every client who’s ever paid an invoice
The urge to include everything comes from a good place. B2B products and services are complex. The sales cycles are long. The purchase decisions are high stakes. Naturally, we want to provide enough evidence to make prospects feel confident.
But what if including all that evidence works against you?
What Too Much Proof Actually Does
When you overload your copy with proof points, four things happen, and none are good.
First, you create cognitive overload. The human brain can only process so much information at once. When faced with too many options or too much data, people don’t make better decisions — they shut down. They skim. Or they bounce.
Second, you signal insecurity. Feeling compelled to list every possible reason someone should work with you paradoxically makes you seem less confident. It’s like going on a first date and listing 47 reasons you’re a catch.
Third, you bury your strongest points under weaker ones. Not all proof points are created equal. When you include everything, your knockout arguments get lost in the noise.
Fourth, you make skimming impossible. And let’s be honest — skimming is how people read now. If they can’t quickly extract your main points, they won’t extract any points at all.
The Case for Fewer, Better Proof Points
Let’s look at a real-world example. AWAI (American Writers & Artists Institute) has trained thousands of copywriters over almost three decades. But if you visit their homepage, you’ll notice they showcase testimonials from just four former students.
Why only four? Because AWAI understands that a few strategic, well-placed pieces of evidence are more effective and create less confusion.
Those four testimonials are carefully selected to represent different backgrounds and outcomes. They’re specific, credible, and emotionally resonant. They tell a complete story that thousands of testimonials (which I’m sure they have) couldn’t tell any better.
The “less is more” approach works because:
- It helps readers connect the dots quickly.
- It conveys confidence in your strongest selling points.
- It shows respect for your audience’s time and attention.
- It allows your best proof to stand out rather than compete for attention.
- It leaves room for your prospects to breathe and process.
Think of it this way — if someone asks you why they should hire you, and you give them 20 reasons in rapid succession, it’s unlikely they’ll remember any of them.
But if you give them two or three compelling reasons, delivered with confidence? Those will stick.
How to Choose the Right Proof
So, how do you decide which proof points make the cut? Start with these four criteria.
1. Relevance to Your Specific Audience
Different proof points matter to different people. A CFO cares about ROI and cost savings. A CMO cares about brand impact and market position. An operations manager cares about implementation time and resource requirements.
Know who you’re writing for and choose proof that speaks directly to their particular priorities.
2. Specificity Over Generality
“Improved efficiency” is forgettable. “Reduced processing time from three days to four hours” is impossible to ignore.
Concrete numbers, specific outcomes, and detailed before/after scenarios will always outperform vague claims.
3. Recency and Recognizability
Recent proof is more compelling than outdated examples. And proof from companies or individuals your audience recognizes carries extra weight.
A case study from three months ago featuring a company in your prospect’s industry will outperform a four-year-old example from an unrelated field.
4. Variety in Format
Don’t stack five testimonials when one great one will do. Instead, mix in different types of proof:
- A single powerful testimonial
- One specific metric or data point
- A before/after example
- A recognizable client logo
- A brief case study highlight
This variety prevents monotony and addresses different ways people process information.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Let’s see the difference between bloated and strategically focused proof in action.
BEFORE (Bloated with Proof)
Our platform helps marketing teams work more efficiently. We integrate with over 25 tools including Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, Zoho, Pipedrive, Monday, Asana, Trello, Slack, Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace, Office 365, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Figma, WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce.
Our clients report saving time, improving collaboration, reducing costs, enhancing productivity, streamlining workflows, eliminating bottlenecks, increasing output quality, reducing revision cycles, meeting deadlines more consistently, and achieving better results.
Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what our clients say: [Followed by eight generic testimonials]
We’ve worked with over 500 companies, including these industry leaders: [Cluttered logo section with 40+ logos]
Our platform has won awards for Best Marketing Tool (2022, 2023), Excellence in Customer Service (2021, 2022, 2023), Top Enterprise Solution (2023), Most Innovative Software (2022), and was a finalist for Product of the Year (2023).
AFTER (Strategic Proof)
Our platform helps marketing teams cut project delivery time by an average of 37%.
We integrate seamlessly with the tools you already use, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and the entire Adobe Creative Suite.
“Since implementing this solution six months ago, we’ve eliminated our approval bottlenecks and delivered campaigns 2-3 weeks faster than before.” — Sarah Chen, Marketing Director at Westfield Insurance
Trusted by industry leaders like Cisco, Deloitte, and Red Bull.
Named ‘Most Innovative Marketing Solution’ by Enterprise Technology Review, 2023.
The second version is significantly shorter but far more powerful. It focuses on specific outcomes, names recognizable brands, includes one strong testimonial with tangible results, and mentions a recent, relevant award.
It gives the reader everything they need to feel confident without overwhelming them with information they don’t need.
A Quick Checklist for Your Proof Points
Before including any proof point in your copy, ask yourself:
- Is this among the strongest 20% of all possible proof I could share?
- Does it speak directly to what my audience cares about most?
- Is it specific and substantial rather than vague and general?
- Does it complement (rather than duplicate) the other proof points I’m using?
If you can’t answer “yes” to all four questions, that proof point probably doesn’t belong in your primary copy.
Final Takeaway
As Tolstoy reminded us, “Better to know a few things which are good and necessary than many things which are useless and mediocre.”
As marketers, our job isn’t to tell prospects everything — it’s to tell them exactly what they need to hear to take the next step with confidence.
Next time you’re reviewing copy, challenge yourself: “If I had to remove 75% of these proof points, which ones would deliver the most impact?” Then find the courage to cut the rest.
Your readers will thank you.
