The Savvy Freelancer » client testimonials http://thesavvyfreelancer.com Let's put the "freedom" in freelancing Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:52:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Day 24: Get More Social Proof for Your Freelancing Biz http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/management/more-social-proof-freelancing-biz http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/management/more-social-proof-freelancing-biz#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:00:17 +0000 Alexis http://www.thesavvyfreelancer.com/?p=538

speech

This is Day 24 of 31 Days to Start a Freelancing Business (or Make Yours a Better One). If you want to catch up, click here to read Day 1.

In an earlier post, we’ve discussed the importance of client testimonials to reduce your prospective clients’ risks in hiring you. Today, you’re going to gather even more social proof for your freelancing biz – even if you don’t have paying clients yet. You’re going to be reaping the benefits of all the networking you’ve been doing recently in forums, Twitter and other social networking sites, and blogs.

No Clients? No Problem!

If you haven’t done so yet, ask for testimonials or feedback from your former employers, supervisors, and even co-workers. Once, you have exhausted your existing contacts, it’s time to gather new feedback.

There are several ways you can do this:

Offer a service for free in exchange for a testimonial

I mentioned this strategy on Day 11. Now that you’ve joined several forums, you have a place to do this. Double-check the forum rules though, to make sure you’re allowed to do this.

Limit your offer to a few members, of you might find yourself inundated with too much “free” work (it’s not exactly free, though, because you do get something in return).

And another thing: don’t expect the same people to be paying clients in the future. Most likely, the ones who will take up your offer are those who can’t or are unwilling to pay for your services. Nevertheless, they’re valuable. They can refer you to paying clients later on.

Another Strategy

Hold a contest and give away a few of your services. A good way to promote your contest would be through Twitter and your blog. This approach is similar to Laura Roeder’s tactic for “Creating Fans Out of Thin Air,” which you can learn by watching her video here.

It’s a little more difficult to get your testimonials this way, because you gave away your service as a prize, with no strings attached. You can request a testimonial from the winners, but it’s probably not a good idea to REQUIRE it.

Nevertheless, this is another good way to build your network of prospective clients.

Next Steps

As soon as you get new testimonials, publish them in your professional website. Put the better ones on top, because your prospective clients are more likely to read these.

And remember to ask permission to publish your client’s name, photograph, location and URL.

That’s it for today. Got questions? Leave a comment below.

Lexi

PS: Tomorrow, I’m going to show you how you can build up your portfolio or samples of work – even if you’re not actually working for clients yet.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Tim Morgan

]]> http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/management/more-social-proof-freelancing-biz/feed 0 Day 11: Get Proof of Your Freelancing Prowess http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/management/freelancing-prowess http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/management/freelancing-prowess#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:39:39 +0000 Alexis http://www.thesavvyfreelancer.com/?p=460

This is Day 11 of 31 Days to Start Your Freelancing Business (Or Make Yours a Better One). Click here to read Day 1.
Today,  your task is to put together some “social proof” about how good you are at what you do. It’s time to collect testimonials!
For the Beginning Freelancer
If you’re just starting out, you may wonder: “How am I going to get testimonials when I haven’t had even one client yet?”
Don’t despair; you have some alternatives:
Contact your previous employers and bosses, if any. Of course, only approach those whom you’re sure will say good things about you. Explain that you’re going freelancing and need feedback to include in your marketing materials.
Make sure to get permission to use the feedback, as well as the person’s full name, location (city and state will do), website URL, and photograph.
When it comes to client testimonials or feedback, the more details you provide, the better. You’ll want prospective clients to know that these are real people. As with references, your prospects should be able to trace these people and contact them, if necessary.
First names only, or worse, initials, will not be enough.
Do free work in exchange for testimonials.
This is a good strategy if you have absolutely no testimonials or have very few to begin with. You’ll find many people who are interested in this kind of bartering in the forums that you should be a member of by now.
I’ve heard other people say this arrangement is unethical. That is, the other person may be constrained to say nice things about you, because you have given them something free.
If you feel this way, you could always say that you only want their honest feedback – both positive and negative. Or, that you want their testimonial only if they are genuinely happy with your services. Otherwise, you welcome their suggestions for improving yourself.
If You’re Already Freelancing
Make it a point to always ask your clients for feedback, or a testimonial, as soon as you complete each job. This is when your performance is still fresh in their minds.
You could send a feedback request along with the official receipt for their payment, for example.
Living together - 187/365

This is Day 11 of 31 Days to Start Your Freelancing Business (Or Make Yours a Better One). Click here to read Day 1.
Today,  your task is to put together some “social proof” about how good you are at what you do. It’s time to collect testimonials!
Testimonials are important so your prospects know you’re a reliable service provider, who’s not going to leave them in the cold when they need you the most. Besides, prospects will believe what other people say about you, more than what you say about yourself. Click here to learn about the importance of client testimonials, and how to use them.
For the Beginning Freelancer
If you’re just starting out, you may wonder: “How am I going to get testimonials when I haven’t had even one client yet?”
Don’t despair; you have some alternatives:
  • Contact your previous employers and bosses, if any.

Of course, only approach those whom you’re sure will say good things about you. Explain that you’re going freelancing and need feedback to include in your marketing materials.

Make sure to get permission to use the feedback, as well as the person’s full name, location (city and state will do), website URL, and photograph.
When it comes to client testimonials or feedback, the more details you provide, the better. You’ll want prospective clients to know that these are real people. As with references, your prospects should be able to trace these people and contact them, if necessary.
First names only, or worse, initials, will not be enough.
  • Do free work in exchange for testimonials.
This is a good strategy if you have absolutely no testimonials or have very few to begin with. You’ll find many people who are interested in this kind of bartering in the forums that you should be a member of by now.
I’ve heard other people say this arrangement is unethical. That is, the other person may be constrained to say nice things about you, because you have given them something free.
If you feel this way, you could always say that you only want their honest feedback – both positive and negative. Or, that you want their testimonial only if they are genuinely happy with your services. Otherwise, you welcome their suggestions for improving yourself.
A benefit of this strategy is that these “free clients” could become eventually regular paying clients. Or, they could refer paying clients to you later on.
If You’re Already Freelancing
Make it a point to always ask your clients for feedback, or a testimonial, as soon as you complete each job. This is when your performance is still fresh in their minds. You could send a feedback request along with the official receipt for their payment, for example.
But no matter how diligent you are about requesting client testimonials, it’s possible for some to not respond right away. Don’t take it personally; they’re probably as busy as, or busier, than you are. Send a gentle reminder a few days later.
Another way to get testimonials is by offering to write the testimonial for them. Personally, I never do this. I prefer for my clients to use their own words. If you do use this strategy, make sure to get your clients’ approval of the testimonial before using it.
As an alternative, give you clients guide questions. Three questions should be enough and won’t overwhelm even the busiest clients. Ask for specific results and as many details as possible.
You may also want to make minor revisions to some of your clients’ testimonials, to make them more specific and compelling. If you do, get your client’s clearance.
This is a tough task for a Sunday – but it’s a critical one. Let us know how it goes by posting a comment below.

Lexi

Creative Commons License photo credit: tranchis
]]> http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/management/freelancing-prowess/feed 1