Which would you rather do:

A) Ask a client for a testimonial?

or

B) Write a testimonial for a business?

Both can be awkward, right?

There's the whole asking thing that can feel like fishing for compliments. If you're being asked, you've got that terrifying blank page and a "what am I supposed to say that will work for them and for me?" moment.

That's why I rely on capturing my testimonials in the wild.

Because testimonials are everywhere once you start to look for them.

Seriously. In the last couple of weeks, I've had email exchanges with no less than three clients that resulted in a testimonial in the most low-key way.

For instance, Whitney reached out to tell me that her schedule changed and she can once again join On Fridays, We Write virtual co-working. And in telling me this, she said:

"I’m so excited to be BACK with you this November. I look forward to leveraging this sacred space you create, and being back in touch."

Which made me happy on so many levels. And it was a pretty nice testimonial. Already written.

So when I responded, I included this paragraph:

"Also, may I use your email to me -- with the edits below -- in marketing for On Fridays, We Write? If you're cool with it, I'll include your name. Or I can use the quote without your name. Or, I can not use the quote at all. Just let me know what you're comfortable with."

It was easy for Whitney: she just had to give me a thumbs up or down.

It was easy for me: I just had to work the ask into an ongoing conversation.

Do This:

• Keep an eye peeled for potential testimonials in your email correspondence.

• Keep an ear open for potential testimonials in your conversations -- especially at the end of calls, if you are a coach.

• Review your social media posts for comments or replies that might be great. Screenshot these.

• When you spot one, make the ask by:

  • Jotting down and/or editing what they said.

    • BTW, editing for length, clarity or weeding out extraneous info is a-okay. (There was a whole other paragraph within Whitney's testimonial that was off-topic.)

  • Use my request language above as your template.

    • Edit it to make it sound like you, or not.

    • Change "...your email to me" to "...what you said in our recent conversation" or "...what you posted" as necessary.

    • You can invite people to make edits or changes, but I generally don't. Most people will be proactive if they want changes.

  • If it's not part of an ongoing email string, "May I quote you?" makes a nice subject line for this kind of request.

  • Give them some time to respond, then follow up once or twice if they haven't.

    • Some people use the "if I don't hear from you, I'll assume you're okay..." tactic, but I am not a fan. You're asking for a favor and to link themselves with your business. They deserve to actively make that choice. But, I might use the quote anyway without naming names.

• Keep track of your testimonials in a doc or spreadsheet. I note the quote, the speaker, the topic (or product or program) in my Content Vault Google Sheet.

• Build them into your content, your social posts, your proposals, etc.

People say nice things about you and your work all the time. You should share them.

Let me know how it goes!

“Well Said Wednesday” is a blog by Barbara Govednik, Founder, Content Coach & Message Strategist of 4.23 Communication. It’s published every other Wednesday…ish.