How can you request testimonials without coming across as desperate?

Here's a simple and easy thing to do. If somebody says something nice about you in an email, Dm, or social media post, ask them if it's Ok to post that as a testimonial. Tell them you're just starting out and you could really use their help. If you ask that way, I can't imagine anybody would say no : )

Better question: How can you give clients such a good experience they want to tell others about you? You'll get multiple testimonials in different formats this way. More on the technical part: 1) Use low pressure language 2) Ask at the right time (when they are experiencing momentum) 3) Make it, save them time

Diversify Testimonials for Impact Beyond traditional circles, seek testimonials from unconventional sources. Consider clients' clients or colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Their unique viewpoints can add depth. For instance, a restaurant owner might ask a food supplier for a testimonial, showcasing a symbiotic professional relationship. This diverse approach broadens your credibility and resonates with a wider audience.

Asking for testimonials without seeming desperate is a bit like inviting a friend to share their thoughts about a movie they enjoyed. Start by thanking your customers for their support and let them know their feedback is valuable. Be clear about what you're looking for and make it easy for them to share their thoughts. Explain how their testimonial can benefit them, such as by boosting their own recognition or helping others. Use a friendly and personalized approach, and if they decline, respect their decision gracefully. Building strong, long-term relationships with your customers can also make them more willing to share their positive experiences naturally, just as friends share their opinions without pressure.

When choosing who to give testimonials/recommendations, always ask someone who: 1. you can easily imagine them happy to write you a recommendation. 2. that you *could* (in theory) also be able to give a recommendation. Leverage the power of reciprocity. It many cases it may not make sense to give a testimonial, but always be prepared to be able to. Social proof is incredibly powerful and cannot be overlooked. Although it's not the easiest to ask for testimonials, it's imperative for building credibility.

Ask it as it happens, the best testimonies are collected when the impact is fresh in the client's experience. When they are in the zone, don't send a form, ask them right away "... Awesome, so as we come to the end of this project, I would like to take a moment to record this bit and ask you a testimony on how I made you feel and the impact I created for you. Can you introduce yourself and go for it?..." Thats it! And now you get to capture their moment of epiphany as they felt your impact!

You don't want to catch your clients in a bad mood once your email asking for feedback has reached their inboxes. As much as possible, you want them to be happy while writing that review, hoping that it's accompanied with those tiny five-star marks. Timing is everything when seeking testimonials. Striking when satisfaction peaks ensures genuine, positive feedback. Choose moments of project completion, contract renewal, referrals, or expressions of gratitude. Yet, avoid soliciting testimonials during hectic or dissatisfactory times to secure authentic and favorable responses.

Not everyone will be providing you with the testimonials until you have brought results for them, right? The best thing would be to work at least with the clients for months or till the contract ends, show them results growing, and then approach them to ask for testimonials. Avoid asking them in the middle of your contract or just at the start of 20 days because that won't be a good approach.

Keep it fresh, but timing is everything. Good timing: Completed a big project, offered a service, the client is pleased, the project got recognition, and you volunteered your skills. Bad timing: Just started on a project, have not delivered any tangible results, participated in a committee but delivered nothing, signed up as a volunteer but did not contribute, the person has no knowledge of your work.

In my experience, when you are able to deliver beyond the client's expectations, they will automatically start talking well about you socially. In some cases, the client might come back to appreciate the work that you have done for them. That is the moment you can request for a recommendation, when they have expressed complete success and satisfaction with your work/service delivered. You just asked them assertively if they are willing to write you a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile. Or assertively ask to use them in the many success case studies you are building up in your portfolio. It is not being desperate when the client already is talking well about you, you are just now asking for permission to make it more official.

Pro Tip ??: Before asking for a testimonial, Prepare a list that covers:- 1. Results 2. Goals Achieved 3. Before and After working with you Try to present the impact visually and in bullet points. This helps them to mention in the Testimonial. Also, Don't hesitate to ask for a Video Testimonial !!

Be polite when you ask people for testimonials. At times people are busy juggling different things and tend to forget. Follow-ups do help but do it politely and request them to understand your perspective onto why their testimonial would help you & how you plan to advance in your career.

In the delicate art of testimonial hunting, courtesy is king. Begin by thanking your supporter sincerely. Express how well you appreciate their trust and time to get to know your brand--let them know how their existence makes a huge difference in many ways. Next, lay out why their testimonial matters, linking it to your personal brand's journey. Offer gentle guidance on what they might highlight—problems solved, value given, impact made. Politely set a deadline, expressing gratitude in advance. The challenge is sincerity in a sea of prompted testimonials, where authenticity often drowns in well-intentioned scripts.

Recommendations not only embellish your profile but provide real, tangible evidence of your skills and accomplishments. But how do you ask for them and what makes a recommendation truly impactful? First, be specific in your request. Don’t just ask for a recommendation - guide the person on particular skills or projects you’d like them to highlight. Second, when you ask for a recommendation from someone you respect, offer to give them a recommendation too. Finally, when writing one, be genuine and detailed. Share a story or instance that showcases the individual’s abilities and character. Remember, a thoughtful recommendation is more than a testament of skills; it’s a story of relationships and collaborations.

People who feel awkward to ask for a testimonial often aren't mindful that those they ask it from may feel embarrassed to give them. If you sense a lack of cooperation from the person you turn to, be sensitive enough to ask if there's any format they'd prefer for the testimonial: video, textual, audio, other. Different alternatives will offer a broader set of possibilities, one of which may be more suitable than others for those who'se feedback will be posted. Another thing is allowing a range of possibilities per the personal information that you'll present about the testimonial provider. You can ask them to choose from posting all the relevant details, just initials or a title or the name of the company they work for.

It is an 'idiot proof' for your client to give you testimonials. Here is how you can do so - 1. Give an 'upfront offer' so that they cannot say no. 15 days of free service, 10% off for next month etc. so that they really want to give that testimonial to you. 2. Give them scripts - add the keywords you want to rank for and send scripts to your clients so that they can copy, edit and paste.

The easier it is for them, the more chance they'll do it. When you ask them, make sure to already tell them what you want them to write: 'To make it easy for you, can you just respond to these 3 questions in 3 lines, please? - question 1 - question 2 - question 3" Easy, right?

If you're focusing on building your personal brand here on LinkedIn, utilise the 'request recommendation' tool and include a message with it. This is a really quick, simple way for them to write you a review that can go on your profile. Otherwise, consider interactive surveys like Typeform or Survey Monkey with a maximum of 10 questions including one that allows them to write their thoughts of their experience with you freely. You want to make the process really smooth and quick so they have no excuses to put it off, or worse, forget about it entirely.

Once you give a good service, then there is no issue in asking for a testimonial. But the real problem is that most Clients don't have the time or probably don't know what to write. It's a good idea to give a few samples, or prompts for them to complete the testimonial or a quick feedback form asking the right questions. So in this way they can easily come up with a testimonial, that will do well for your Marketing.

I am just switching hats here of being a customer for a moment! Last week, when I got dropped off at home, the Uber driver asked me to give him a rating! I smiled and said - Surely and gave him a rating a few minutes later. Had he not asked, I probably wouldn't have cared to give him the rating! The first thing we need to do is to ask for feedback! Often, we stop ourselves from asking for it! The next step is to ask for it in the most professional manner and go that extra mile of drafting something for the client - sometimes it helps giving them keywords, some aspects that you want them to reflect upon! Once you have done that, don't forget to follow up once in a while (of course, don't overdo it!)

I have built two businesses and became a top producer using referrals and testimonials …without ever asking for one. Using the law of reciprocity and GIVING a testimonial or referral first without asking is a great way to not only earn increased levels of trust but expand my network without ever being needy. Sure, it may take a bit longer and most people do not reciprocate, but the ones that do are solid gold and worth it.

I totally agree here about gratitude and reciprocity. If you want to build meaningful relations with people, you should always remember that it's not only about "getting," but also about "giving." Make sure to support those people who are there for you and support you!

To request testimonials gracefully, express your gratitude. After they provide a testimonial, thank them sincerely and consider giving back. For instance, share their testimonial on your website or social media, and don't forget to mention or tag them. This builds stronger connections and encourages future testimonials.

One of the best ways is to do one each. Ask for a testimonial from them, and offer one back as a client. Show them how much you value their time and offer to give them something useful too. This goes a long way!

Expressing gratitude is more than a courtesy; it's a strategic move. Beyond a mere "thank you," reciprocate with a gesture—a note, a gift, a referral. Elevate their voice by sharing their testimonial, cultivating a symbiotic relationship. This reciprocity transforms a transaction into a meaningful connection, fostering a cycle of mutual support and trust.

Sometimes people won't recommend you. It's hard not to take that personally. But it's usually not about you. It's about them. So here's a tip: before you ask someone for a recommendation check if they're actually on LinkedIn regularly! If the last time they posted anything was years ago, they won't get the reminder from LinkedIn to write a recommendation for you. If you know and trust them, send them an email or text them to make sure they actually know you've asked for their help!

First and foremost asking for a recommendation shouldn't for even one second be associated with desperation. If you offer a service a question as simple as , " What has been the greatest impact you've experienced since we started working together?" would give you a great answer that you could use as a testimonial/recommendation. That shows the transformation a client will get which is more effective than a generic ', highly recommended'

LinkedIn is one of those places where asking for a recommendation / testimonial is relatively straight forward. Personalise: Tailor your message to the person's experience. Acknowledge Value: Express gratitude for their past collaboration. Suggest Points: Offer key achievements or qualities they can mention. Respect Time: Ask politely, understanding their schedule. No Pressure: Ensure they know it's voluntary.

I have sent out over 450 recommendations and got back only around 12. And that's ok. The recommendations I have are great! And honestly, when someone has 100+ recommendations, it all starts to become a little cultish. And I don't know about you, but my self-worth isn't based on a recommendation or lack of it on LinkedIn.

Requesting a client, colleague, or employer recommendation is an act of diplomacy in today’s fast-paced world. People would love to write one for you if they weren’t so busy, self-absorbed, and distracted. To those who consider me recommendation-worthy, I always state at the outset that I respect their time. Then, I offer guidance and make acquiring the recommendation a collaborative effort and a learning experience. Should the situation warrant, I let them know I will write one for them in return. I then sketch out broad strokes for what the recommendation should contain; perhaps write a few sentences verbatim. From there, the other party can put their touches on the content to sound like their authentic voice and writing style.