Ever wondered how some designers seem to have a carousel of rave reviews on social media at any given moment? You know you offer quality work, so how do they have the whole world singing their praises while your inbox is empty after completing a project?
I promise, it’s not about the quality of your work. You’ll get rave reviews, too – as soon as you start asking the right questions at the right time. Take this testimonial request template and framework for a test drive and watch the happy client testimonials start rolling in!
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1. Ask for feedback right after you deliver incredible content.
Some of us realize too little, too late that the testimonials section of our website leaves something to be desired. But reaching out to clients six months after wrapping up a project is unlikely to give you the gold-star results you’re hoping for. When you are thinking about when and how to ask for a testimonial, make a plan to snag those great reviews while your work is still super fresh in their mind!
Personally, I like to send a follow-up email shortly after they’ve seen their new brand identity, when they’re most likely to remember the details of working with me. If they don’t reply within the next week or two, I send them one more reminder! It’s always worth it to follow up if it means capturing glowing reviews, especially from ideal clients.
2. Nudge your clients in the right direction with intentional questions.
I’ve found that most clients actually want to leave a great review – but they don’t know how to phrase their experience in a way that creates future sales for you. Thankfully, this is an easy problem to fix! Instead of simply asking, “Would you send me a testimonial about our time working together?”, offer them a quick questionnaire.
This is a great way of asking for testimonials from clients that allows you to get the answers you want most, and also helps them think clearly about specific aspects of your work. Here are the five questions I never leave out:
- What was your specific struggle or problem prior to working with me in terms of brand and design?
- How did you feel about your brand before?
- What do you have now that you didn’t before?
- What was the process like? Are you happy with the result?
- How has this impacted your brand and presence?
These questions lead your clients to articulate how you actually helped their brand! Without these questions, you might get a review that sounds something like, “Bethany is so sweet, and I loved working with her!” That’s very kind, but pretty unhelpful when it comes to booking future clients.
After these questions, though, you’ll probably get a much more detailed review – and better yet, one that actually highlights your work. You can piece together the answers to these questions and post a review that sounds like this:
“Before working with Bethany, my brand didn’t feel like me at all. Now, my design completely aligns with the dream I’ve always had for my brand. Bethany met all her deadlines and was so easy to work with, and I’m obsessed with my new brand. I’ve already seen growth on my social media platforms, and I’m watching sales roll in!”
Hello – what a night and day difference. That kind of review will have your sales rolling in, too! By asking clients to identify their own pain points, describe how you fixed them, and outline how your work made a difference in their brand and even their bottom line, the reviews basically write themselves.
PS If you want to check out my testimonials all in one place head over to Insta and look at the client love highlight. It’s got snags of email replies and full testimonials.
3. Don’t forget to highlight client experience, not just project results.
Once you’ve received some completed questionnaires, sift through them to find the real gold – and nope, I’m not talking about how great your work is. See, to some degree, your work speaks for itself! Potential clients can check out your own website and brand, as well as click-through your portfolio, and get a pretty good idea of your work or products.
But here’s the kicker – no matter how good you are, nobody wants to work with a difficult person. Testimonials are the perfect way to let your personality shine through, letting future clients know that not only are you good at your job, but you’re also a blast to work with.
While it’s great to include complimentary remarks about a finished product, make sure that your reviews mention a little bit about you, too. Details like, “She was so easy to work with, and answered all of my questions right away,” or, “He delivered everything on time, and he designed a brand that was better than I could have even imagined myself!” show that you’re creative, knowledgeable, prompt, and (most importantly of all) not a jerk.
You Are On Your Way to Getting Compelling Testimonials From Clients
Getting amazing reviews really is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Ask for feedback promptly, lead clients to answers that will actually help, and highlight your work and their client experience equally. If you want to automate the process even more, create a quick form with these questions to send to clients after a project is completed. Then, you can scroll through their answers to find great reviews anytime.
Hopefully, these tips help you figure out how to ask a client for a testimonial in the future. Want to check out my own client reviews? Visit my services page to see what my latest customers are saying. While you’re there, you can book me for your next project.
