In a professional environment, most people have been asked to give someone else feedback – either verbally or through a written testimonial. For some, it comes extremely naturally. They can either reel off a host of positive points or form some carefully constructive criticism. But others struggle, trying to think of the perfect words to describe a person, or what it was like to work with them.
I can’t tell you exactly what to say to someone, but I can tell you how to formulate an easy testimonial that will show how much you care and make the person you worked with feel incredible too.
It’s important here to note that although this will help give you an idea of how to construct a testimonial, the words you use should be personal to you – I’m just giving you an easy framework to help in the future. And be honest, people appreciate honesty and will love it if you give them something to work on.
Initial response:
When I give people feedback/testimonials I always like to start with an easy statement. If it’s a product-based experience, you can start with: “The service that (this person/company) provided was incredible.” If it’s an individual that you’ve worked with you can start with something similar: “I worked with (person/company) on a recent project and I really enjoyed it.”
Of course, people nowadays can ask for feedback when they haven’t necessarily worked directly with you. You may have heard them lead a course or talk and this feedback is just as valuable. I’ve asked for feedback from people who’ve asked me to help them write a LinkedIn post or reword a speech.
Be specific:
The devil is in the detail. Make sure that you mention a couple of really specific points that someone helped you with. If they helped you find the words that you couldn’t, tell them. If they helped you design something that was perfectly as you’d described it, tell them. If they did anything that helped you reach your end goal, that’s right, tell them! “I was a bit clueless when it came to designing a website, but they helped bring my vision to life.” Or “I was struggling to find the right words to describe my business, then Gareth asked all the right questions and told my story perfectly.”
Of course, you can mention more than one example here, you don’t have to choose just one if there are lots of positives, so don’t stop if you don’t want to.
The perfect ending:
All great pieces of writing end with the perfect sign-off, so make sure that you round it off in a positive way too. “I enjoyed working with Gareth, and I look forward to working with him again in the future.” It’s a nice positive way to finish and lets other people know that you’d consider working with that person or using their service again.
You can also just come out and say that directly. “I would have no hesitation in recommending this person to anyone in need of a quality copywriter.”
Think before you type:
Of course, not all reviews will be positive. There may be things that go wrong, deadlines may be missed, or you just may not be happy with the service you’ve received. In those instances, I would say that reviews and feedback are still welcomed by most people, but that those issues should be ironed out during the process.
If someone isn’t grasping what you’re asking of them, have a call rather than trying to explain it over email. And, if a service isn’t quite what you expected then go back to the person and tell them, it gives them a chance to rectify it so that the outcome is a positive one.
One good way to do this is with a ‘compliment sandwich.’ This consists of a positive statement, followed by something that needs to be worked on, and ending with another positive comment. It would sound like this. ‘I enjoyed our call yesterday, you didn’t quite grasp the message straight away, but you listened and worked hard to provide a positive outcome.’
In the modern world, where people expect everything yesterday, I think it’s too easy to get carried away and post a negative review. Just remember, by doing so without talking to them first you could be having a detrimental effect on their business.
So, think positively, and try to resolve all issues while you’re working with a person/business. If after all of that, you’re still struggling then give me a call and I can help you find the right words – my testimonials say I’m pretty good at it.
** Just to help you out a little, here’s a complete testimonial:
“I worked with Cloud Nine Writing on a recent project, and I was very impressed. When it came to finding the right words I had no idea where to start, but Gareth asked all the right questions to find out my story and then tell it perfectly. His communication was excellent, and he took the time to find out exactly what I wanted before expertly crafting the words. I enjoyed working with Gareth, and I look forward to working with him again in the future – I would have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone needing some wonderful words.”
