Yeah.. the thing is when we get a good testimonal its more than outbounding to us. The appropriate persons justifying the quality and our cabatility work is always nice to know..

In reply to Sal, who said, "Asking for a testimonial for me is okay but if the service you deliver is so awesome wouldn't you get this without asking for?" In a perfect world, you would be correct. In reality however, people are distracted by the demands of work, family, bills, TV, and a thousand other things. They might -mean- to give you a good word, but on their list of priorities, it probably falls somewhere between taking the cat into the vet for a dental cleaning and setting the trash out before the truck drives by. I'm always happy when someone values my opinion enough to ask for me to endorse them (assuming they did a good job!). If anything, asking for the testimonial helps cement in the customer's mind, what a good choice she made in selecting you and your firm. Paul

i always try to collect as many testimonials as possible and usually face to face if the opportunity is available because if you get someone to send it to you later it may take a very long time or it may never get done at all

Good article. Asking for a testimonial for me is okay but if the service you deliver is so awesome wouldn't you get this without asking for? also this leads to word of mouth.

Keith, excellent points on testimonials. The ideas are practical and implementable right now. Plus, you remind us to keep asking for testimonials - the best way to actually get one. The best testimonial I got recently is: “One of the career and interviewing ideas you gave me not only got me the job, but got me $10,000 more than I expected. Glad I worked with you on my job change.” Also, I attended your discussion in Houston at the University of Houston. Good information and entertaining. As we say in Texas, y’all come back now, ya hear.

Great reminder. This is a skill that we use throughout life and it begins early. I showed it to my niece. You need testimonials (references) to get new business, get jobs, get into college, get into book clubs. It goes on and on.

Personally, I don't like the way LinkedIn is set up to ask for recommendations. You are essentially asking people to talk nicely about you and potentially putting those people (and youruself) in an awkward position. It is surely their right to say "no" when you ask, but why put them in that position? I advocate following the rule of "It is better to give than to receive". If you have worked with someone and appreciate the way they work, the quality of their work, etc. then YOU provide a recommendation for THEM. If they feel so inclined and you are deserving, they will return the favor. That way, you avoid putting yourself in a position to ask....and putting them on the spot. Obviously if you have a great, deep and long-lasting relationship with a person, there are ways to politely ask for them to provide a recommendation, but I think everyone is better served if you initiate the recommendation.

The best testimonial I've ever received is one of those posted on my LinkedIn.com profile (http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbarden). I keep them there as they are all verifiable. Here is what one long term client said: "I give Andrew a huge recommendation. My business is successful now, but just three years ago I was working at a private school and not enjoying it in any way. I had lost the love of teaching I once had and was dreading going to work for someone else everyday. I really wanted to start my own business but I wasn't sure what would be the best bet. Because I never started a business before and had little capital saved to start a business, I was pretty unsure what my next career step should be. I had witnessed Andrew help other business owners so I asked him to help me strategize and for the next year or so he helped me build a successful in-home tutoring business serving San Diego and the North County area. He both hooked me up with other consultants with special knowledge of business growth strategies and personally mentored me for about 200 hours. I started my business with less than $10k in capital and I now manage over 15 tutors who travel every day to help students improve their grades. He even helped me name my company "Better Report Card Tutors," because the end result of a better report card is what parents care most about. He helped me develop a simple yet effective marketing strategy, and execute various marketing campaigns, including helping me develop a website which you can visit at BetterReportCard.com. He also helped me execute a post card campaign, including guiding the design, picking the photo, and helping me write the sales copy. He helped me stay within my budget and attract my first group of clients. As a consultative sales specialist, he helped me develop a sales script (when clients call) based on the marketing campaigns and now I have close rate of over 50 percent. For every touch point, from when my client first reads my marketing pieces or pay-per-click all the way to closing the deal and signing a contract, Andrew has helped me optimize the sales process, using words and images that most encourage my prospective clients to take action. He is a powerful strategist and "brain-stormer" when it comes to small business growth strategies. The investment in Andrew's consulting has produced a manifold return, giving me an advantage over my competition and helped me enter a very competitive market place with strength, which in turn allowed me to turn a profit my second year into the business, much faster than most start-up businesses. Again, I highly recommend Andrew to both start ups and existing business owners who are looking to grow their revenues, reduce their risk in developing marketing campaigns, and ultimately grow their sales faster. I'm happy to even give you my phone number to answer any questions. Just call me at 760.230.4572. If you are looking to make more money in your business, Andrew has marketing solutions that produce strong ROIs. Give him a ring. You'll be glad you did. Sincerely, Jeff Bibler Director Better Report Card Tutors” July 22, 2009

In addition to the points Keith mentions above here are two other points to consider. 1. Set the expectations - if you're clients know ahead of time that you would like to share their story with others then it won't be an unpleasant surprise when you do. This can be done by showing them your collection of past client testimonials + stories when you are first meeting, and letting them know you are looking forward to seeing their story in your book, or up on your wall. 2. Guide them through value - in "Duct Tape Marketing" author John Jantsch gives four simple questions you can use to help your clients explore the value they received. - What solution were you seeking when you hired us? - What did/do we provide you with that you value the most? - What has been the result of working with us? - What would you tell others who are considering working with us? You can also go deeper with these by asking follow up questions to their answers. So when they say 'X' has been the result of your work together you might ask "And what about X is important to you?" The great thing about a good testimonial conversation is that it is a great opportunity to segue into a referral conversation. They have just said all these great things about you, and now you can explore other people they know who might also benefit from those solutions.

Hello Keith et All, Another little tip for the individual that perhaps hasn't made the step to owning their own business would be to leverage the LinkedIn Testimonials feature. Its a great way to help build your personal brand by having your clients share what its like to work with you, and also a valuable tool for checking out what its like to work with a new connection. You can always ask the person afterwards if its ok to use the testimonial on your company website, and your building a closer relationship with your clients by bringing your social network into your relationship plans with the people you do business with. Have a wonderful day and thanks Keith! Kent

I truly believe in the power of testimonials. All of my past and present clients are raving fans so whenever they send unsolicited feedback, I ask if I can use it as a testimonial. Toward the end of our working together, I ask for a more structured testimonial, but the ones written or said from the heart are so powerful. This one brought tears to my eyes. "I am going to be 60 in January, and this is the first time in my life, that I woke up, and felt good inside. I actually felt love for myself. I realized, at that moment, that in the past I would wake up , slip on my armor and arm myself with MY tools, , (in order to survive.) They have become very heavy. I am happy to say that I have let go of them and feel good about myself, I am not afraid anymore and I love my new shiny tool box." When I use this, I let people know that it was written after 2 sessions. That adds power to the testimonial. I ask past and current raving fans if they are willing to speak with prospective clients. The future clients love hearing about the work we do from the people who have gotten results. I send the raving fan a quick note letting them know that they will be contacted by a prospective client. If we are no longer working together, it gives me an opportunity to touch base with them and see how our work continues to enhance their lives. It is WIN/WIN.

Keith, Thank you for the summary on how to get good testimonials. I have found guiding them in what to say is the most important step. Often clients are looking for what to say, as do want to help out. I ask three question to help them start the writing process. 1. What was your biggest break through. 2. How did I exceed your expectations? 3. How do you feel about working with me? Here is one of my favorites, “I have hope again. Since meeting with Christopher, I have come to understand why I haven’t been satisfied with my current job. He has guided me through the steps necessary not only to apply for and gain meaningful employment, but also challenged me to reexamine my hopes and dreams. I hate to say this, but he is more of a life coach than just a career coach. Or maybe my career has more to do with my life than I thought previously. I would have to say, in all my jaded-ness, Christopher is very good at what he does.”

One the best testimonials I ever received was unsolicited, and talked not only about my skills and being an "A" player, but about how much fun it is to work with me. That gave me the confidence to ask for testimonials! Which leads me to another great testimonial I received recently: Someone paid me an unexpected compliment, and I had the presence of mind to ask if she would be willing to put that in writing. Now it's in print for the whole world to see!

Great points here Keith. I think we generally underestimate the power of a personal endorsement, especially from someone who knows us (to your second point) and that comes as part of the ongoing conversation (your third point). My best endorsement came from a senior manager at IBM, Mike Nicoletti, who is himself an outstanding presenter, in his write-up of my new book: "...Ten Breakable Habits is easy to read, yet has a depth of value in creating a remarkable presentation. I recommend it to anyone who wants to make their presentation memorable."

I'm a chiropractor and I have seen several people in my profession put video testimonials on their website. Actually seeing the person make the testimonial makes it more authentic and emotionaly engaging. We're soon opening our new clinic and plan to put this in place as soon as possible!

These helpful tips are certainly helpful for businesses and job seekers, too.

Keith, great post! Here's 2 examples of quality testimonials. 1. Whenever I can get a client of mine to introduce me, in person, and preferably in front of an audience of more prospective clients. As a trainer and a speaker, i don't want to waste an opportunity to promote my work, so i always have a happy client introduce me, when possible, to my audience. Further more, I try and select a client who is respected and recognized by the audience. 2. When somebody who is highly respected and recognized endorses my work. For my last book, Jeffrey Gitomer, Brian Tracy, Ivan Misner, and a handful of other well known folks said something nice about it. That goes a long ways, because of who they are. You put it well in Point 4 - Guide Them. The more valuable somebodies time is, the more likely they will tremendously appreciate choosing from several 'ghosted' endorsements, or at least using them for thought joggers. Too many businesses think this is presumptive or pushy, when it's the other way around. To ask somebody for an endorsement without giving them a template or model can be even more of a time burden. Cheers Keith! Jon

The most moving testimonial that I received was from one of my sales coaching clients, " ... David's energy has not only helped me in my sales career but with my family life and military career, as I now have 214 soldiers under my command." Wow ... this expressed the very essence of why I wake up every morning and do what I do. It is not just about over achieving and exceeding expectations ... it is about LIFE and making deep personal connections with those with whom you engage. If I get one thing across to any of my clients, this is what I want them to embrace. We can all achieve a life that we can applaud. "We never touch people so lightly that we do not leave a trace" ~Peggy Taylor Millin.

The best testimonial I have ever received is when a client of mine told me that "what you see is what you get" when working with me. She went on to explain that regardless of whether I am on stage presenting, working 1-2-1 coaching, or hanging out with you over dinner, you get the same authentic person. I consider this a very high compliment and am always striving for authenticity in my relationships. Thanks for the reminder on how important gathering testimonials are and how easy it can be if we just get out of our own way. Thanks, Keith! Pamela Muldoon

Thanks, Keith-I find your advice very effective. Ever so often, we allow opportunities to slip by either because we're not focused at that point or we are shy to ask for what we want; only to repent at leisure, later. Each of us need such reminders, to sharpen the axe! Sunder

The best & worst testimonial I got was from a customer "You are a great salesman!" I know I have great conversational skills but not selling skills to increase buying temperature of the customer i.e when a customer says the phrase, they are talking from logical point of view and you have just tripped on logical mine and lost the emotional side of customer. Nevertheless, I changed my script and my sales increased...