Generic praise (“Great to work with!”) is pleasant to receive and nearly useless to a future buyer. Specific feedback with context is persuasive precisely because it is believable. You get it by asking better questions — and by being clear about how it will be used.
Ask at the right moment
The best time is shortly after a clear milestone: a delivered piece of work, a finished session, a decision made. Waiting months turns detailed memories into vague goodwill.
Ask questions that produce context
Instead of “Could you write a testimonial?”, send three questions:
- What was the situation before we started, and what made you look for help?
- What did we actually do together that was useful?
- What is different now — and what is still unresolved?
Separate feedback from permission
Treat feedback and publication as two separate decisions. Thank people for the feedback first. Then ask whether you may publish an excerpt, and agree exactly what: name or initials, role, organisation, the quoted words, and where it will appear. Keep a record of that agreement. Never edit the meaning of what someone said, and remove it promptly if they change their mind.
Publish with context
When you use the feedback, add the context a reader needs: what kind of engagement it was and roughly when. Include the honest parts too — a note about what remained unresolved often makes the rest more credible, not less.
