6+1 tips on how to get a great reference

References are probably the best salesperson you can get for your business. But what is a good thing to keep in mind to make references really effective?

What is a reference?

In the context of the web, by reference / review / testimonial we usually mean a paragraph of flattering text written about your work or product by a client.

In this article, we will focus more on testimonials for services.

Ondrej Ilinchev has written excellently about products on his blog. For freelancers, Robert Vlach wrote a great, practical article on Freelance.

What is the purpose of the reference?

The goal is to capture the professional’s strengths, type and scope of work done. To make the reference credible, it is a good idea for the client to sign their name, give their contact details and a photograph.

What defines a good reference?

• It’s neither too long nor too short.
• It’s specific.
• It should give a sense of the scope of the work.
• It’s positive.
• It’s written in plain language, without complex/field-specific words.

When to ask for a reference?

Request a reference once the work is done and your client is happy or even excited. Call to thank him or her, or write a short email and ask if he or she would write you a short reference.

Writing a reference for someone is no small thing. Don’t assume it’s automatic. Let people know that if they write you a reference, you’ll really appreciate it.

Make this a habit. It will pay off handsomely.

How do I get a little better at references?

Getting a reference, especially a quality one, is not easy. However, it’s useful enough that it’s definitely worth pursuing. So how do you go about getting a good reference?

Tip 1: Offer something in return

Writing a testimonial takes time. Plus, the person in question puts his or her name on it and, in a way, “vouches” for you.

So if you can, try to compensate the person for the effort and risk:

• Offer a short consultation
• Provide a short video or tutorial on how to care for your outlet
• Send a small gift (e.g. a bottle of wine)

Tip 2: Edit it

Your clients are warm-hearted and honest people, but they’re not usually copywriters. Don’t be afraid to rewrite the reference. Don’t add anything. Just make the text simpler, cleaner and more direct. Then diplomatically ask the client to agree to use the new version.

Tip 3: Use a three-step pattern

I personally try to stick with Brian Dean of Backlink‘s framework for my references.

The framework is very simple.

When you approach a client to provide a reference, ask them to answer these three questions:

1. What was it like before your collaboration?
2. What would he or she say to your future potential client?

   This will give you an extremely strong reference. You will probably have to edit it a bit, but the result will be worth it.

   Tip 4: Don’t force yourself

   You won’t get a reference from every project. It’s okay. Don’t fight it.

   There are several possible reasons for this:

   • You do not get the best result imaginable,
   • The client hates providing references,
   • The assignment is bad, the client is not satisfied with the result.

   Often you get a reference, sometimes you don’t. The important thing is not to break it over your knee.

   Tip. 5: Get full name, photo and contact

   “I enjoyed working with you, thank you very much!” Jan N.

   Does such a reference seem credible to you? It’s better than nothing, but not by much… If possible, try to supplement the reference with:

   • client photo
   • name
   • contact

   The goal is to make the reference trustworthy.

   For example, if you let clients post referrals directly to Google my businesses / Firmy.cz, not only will the referral be more fundamentally trustworthy (since it’s on an external platform), you’ll also often automatically get a full name, photo, and sometimes a contact.

   Tip 6: If you collaborate with colleagues, ask them for recommendations too

   If you’re a freelancer or work as part of a team, you’ll meet a number of other professionals as well.

   Wedding photographer meets cake makers, florists, DJs… IT project manager meets progammers, IT architects and graphic designers…

   If you are comfortable working with your colleagues, write them a reference. They will often return the favor (if they are happy too) and you can get a great recommendation.

   It depends on the field, but in many professions a reference from a colleague can be more important to a layperson than a reference from “other laypeople.”

   P.S. A good way to get a reference is also to ask colleagues for feedback (how they worked with you), if the feedback is negative you will learn and improve, if positive you can use it as a reference.

   You win both ways.

   Bonus tip: Use your references

   People often have references on their websites. That’s it. And it’s a shame.

   You can use your references:

   • in offers to clients
   • as a social media post
   • as part of your newsletter

   Once you have a testimonial, make sure you get the most out of it.

   Thanks for reading and let me know in the comments how you get on with your testimonials!