Whatever your line of work, if you are in business for yourself, a surefire way to secure new clients is through recommendations from existing clients. Therefore you shouldn’t underestimate the role good client reviews can play in the success of your business.
Whether you are a contract worker, sole trader or running a small business, testimonials show that you have a proven track record in your field and that you are serious about client satisfaction.
Lee Woodman, Digital Director at Boox says, "Without positive client reviews freelancers on sites such as Upwork would simply not get any work; the entire ecosystem is driven by good reviews."
Getting great testimonials
Positive feedback from happy customers can certainly help land new projects, but most freelance professionals are unsure about how to go about getting it, or are reluctant to do so.Here are a few tips:
- Do a good job! If your work isn’t up to scratch, you can’t expect your client to recommend your services to others. Over-delivering on projects is one way to ensure glowing client reviews.
- Request feedback as a matter of course Ask every client to give feedback on your work every time you finish a job or contract. If a client expresses satisfaction, ask if you can use their comments as a testimonial.
- Just ask! Many freelancers are too modest or scared of criticism to ask for testimonials. Just because a client doesn’t outrightly compliment your work doesn’t mean they are not happy. As the saying goes, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
- Use online endorsement tools There are many professional tools you can utilise to garner testimonials.These include LinkedIn’s skill endorsements tool or review platforms like Trustpilot.
Where to use testimonials
Once you have got some great testimonials, and your clients’ permission to use them (very important this), how can you use them to promote your business? There are a number of ways:- Your online profile If you have a professional website, put your best testimonials on the front page, or on a side bar so that they are visible on every page. You can manage reviews on Facebook through the settings on your company page and, as mentioned above, you can ask for endorsements from your LinkedIn network.
- Your CV or portfolio Including a few well chosen references on your CV or adding a testimonials page to your freelance portfolio goes a long way to showing your worth to potential clients.
- Your marketing material When using testimonials in your brochure, flyers and other printed material, give as much detail as possible for maximum credibility. Include a photograph, full name and location. Again, make sure you have the permission of your client to do so.
- Job bids or tenders When you are tendering for a contract or project, putting a couple of concise, relevant testimonials at the bottom of the proposal document will add weight to your bid.