I will be eternally grateful for your great gift of taking in to the fullest extent what it is that I
have to offer, living it, and then reflecting it back in terms of the potential experience of others.
You have given words to a process that defies words. And you’re constantly in a position to help
me continue to hone that, deeper and deeper and more and more resonantly, who I am and what I offer,
which is truly invaluable. — Jon Hansen, 
Working together was absolutely key, and I think that’s what made it such a great
experience. I felt like you were my partner in this. I felt like my success was your
success. To me, someone who has that attitude and the skills to go with it —
that’s an unbeatable combination! — Daniel Stone, 
I have a website I’m proud of — but for me, the hugest benefit has been
increased self-confidence. Because of the process we went through, and the validity that
came with the process, I trust what I think and I trust myself to speak about it. I have
greater confidence and clarity in my message about who I am and what I do. — Bev
Dwane AICI CIP, 
What you’ve sent me is so darn perfect it hurts! It’s a sheer pleasure to work with someone
who writes as beautifully as you do — and in “my” voice. — Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D,
You have a real gift for words. You’re really, really good at it. — Sherry Essig,
Show a little appreciation
A few weeks ago, I attended the board meeting of a local professional organization to which I belong.
One of the topics on the evening’s agenda was volunteers: how we can increase the number of volunteers, and keep those we already have actively engaged and happy.
Not being a board member (I was there to contribute to a completely different agenda item), I mostly just listened. However, those of you who know me will know that I couldn’t keep quiet forever; I simply had to offer my suggestion.
It was pretty simple: show our volunteers some concrete, useful appreciation. The thank-you email is great, and recognition in the organization’s chapter newsletter is nice. But whether someone is self-employed or has built their career as an employee, a concrete, factual appreciation of their work in a useful public forum goes a lot further.
In other words, I said, why not write a recommendation for our volunteers on LinkedIn? And if for some reason they’re not on LinkedIn, write a testimonial for them that would serve as a letter of recommendation for a job or promotion within their organization.
All of this got me thinking about appreciation, and the various ways we do – or don’t – show it.
One of the things I help my clients with is creating powerful testimonials for their websites. Testimonials that respond to their potential customers’ fears and doubts. Testimonials that help potential customers envision how their lives could benefit from what my clients offer.
Talking with my clients’ clients is a delightful process. And I’m always blown away by how eager people are to contribute in thoughtful, constructive ways.
But they – we – usually don’t offer testimonials without being asked. Volunteers often aren’t recognized in ways that have practical usefulness for them.
How come?
Based on my own experience and my experience in gathering testimonials for clients, I suspect there are two things involved.
First and foremost seems to be a feeling of vulnerability.
What if this person I think so highly of doesn’t want my testimonial? I don’t want look like some sort of weird groupie!
Secondly is the sense that offering something concrete and useful is hard. Most people don’t know what makes an effective testimonial or recommendation – and why should they? they’ve never been informed!
I don’t know what to say…
But the truth is, it’s not that hard. Be honest and be specific – that’s all that’s necessary. Avoid “So-and-so is great.” Instead, say “So-and-so did this and that allowed me/my organization to have/do/be this.”
Sending an unexpected note of recognition to someone can be a wonderful thing, for you and the recipient.
When it’s in a format that’s useful in the long term, beyond the immediate feel-good moment – useful for helping people understand that value of someone’s offering, helping this person whose work you appreciate get more clients or land the job they’re interviewing for – that’s doubly rewarding. Because it means not only have you allowed someone to feel your gratitude for their talents and abilities – for their presence in your life – but you’ve also helped them take one step further along their path.
And for those of us who find traditional networking approaches uncomfortable and artificial – the act of offering honest, heartfelt appreciation to someone can be a great way to create and nurture relationships.
What’s your experience with offering and receiving testimonials and recommendations?
The art of requesting and receiving solid, powerful, and effective testimonials from your clients is a bit more involved. Would you find additional posts on this topic useful? Let me know in your comment. And if you liked this, please tweet it and post it to your Facebook page!
Posted under Communicating your message.
Tags: Networking, Testimonials