How to ask for a testimonial

A testimonial is one of the most persuasive methods of winning new clients. This is how to ask for – and use – a testimonial if you’re not yet on the radar of the directories.

The purpose of a testimonial

A testimonial is independent validation that you’re as good as your Clerk says you are. It’s different from a reference from a referee for the purposes of a directory submission in that it is named.

You can use a testimonial to support your marketing message on any of your marketing channels. A good testimonial adds authority to your practice and provides a point of reference to new clients.

Places you can add testimonials to support messaging about your practice include your your LinkedIn profile and your own website (if you have one) and PR pitches.

When to ask for a testimonial

The best time to ask your client for a testimonial is during or immediately after the conclusion of a matter.

Leave it too long and your client will be busy on new matters and the impact of your work will fade in her memory.

If you’ve created an onboarding system for clients, you can mention the value of testimonials for your practice in your onboarding email.  This way, you won’t catch your client off guard later.

Examples of good testimonials

The most impactful testimonials are short and convey the benefits of working with you. It doesn’t need to be long – one to three short sentences is plenty.  It should reference what you actually did, state the value for the client and be signed off. For example:

“Jasvinder advised us on a complicated restructuring point for a large retail sector client.  She cut through the complexity quickly and her advice was precise and accurate. We will be happy to instruct Jasvinder again.”  Salman Freedman, Senior Associate,  Maxwell Peters LLP.

“Simon is our go-to counsel for employment disputes”. Katherine Dutton, GC, Amerswift Pharma.

When you ask a client for a testimonial, make it clear that you’re not looking for an essay; a couple of sentences will do.

Confirm in writing you may use it 

If you’ve done a good job your client will want to thank you properly.  However, their firm’s policy on gifts may prevent them from gifting you a nice bottle of Chateau Lafite.   A testimonial is another way of saying thank you.

The media policy of some firms may prevent solicitors from providing testimonials to individual counsel. If that’s the case, they will tell you. If not, they might be happy to oblige.

Make sure you have written confirmation that you can use the testimonial in your practice marketing before you start to use it.

Support to ask for a testimonial

A good testimonial is worth its weight in expensive claret and endures for much longer.

Consider including testimonials as part of your practice growth strategy in practice for your submissions to the directories.

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By Heidi Smith
Creator of Jurilogical.com