Social proof is evidence that other people already chose you, used to reduce a new visitor's uncertainty.
It works because deciding alone is expensive. Seeing that others decided the same way reduces the perceived risk of being wrong, which is the actual obstacle in most purchases under a few hundred euros.
Specific proof outperforms impressive proof. "Trusted by thousands" is unfalsifiable and reads as filler; a named customer describing a concrete result is checkable, and checkability is what makes it work.
Proximity matters too. Proof from someone who resembles the visitor persuades far more than proof from a larger but unrelated customer.
In practice
A testimonial reading "I booked four clients in the first month" from a named coach outperforms a logo wall for someone deciding whether coaching pages work.
Common mistake
Displaying counts you cannot substantiate. A single unverifiable claim invites doubt about everything else on the page.
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