So today I achieved, what I think to be, one of the major milestones of my freelancing. This absolutely epic milestone I'm referring to was pleasing a client so much that when I asked for a testimonial, they responded back in less than 5 minutes with a glowing 6-line testimonial, and a few compliments to boot.

This made all the hours of hard work, late nights and brainstorming worth it, because I finally knew that I could do this thing. I can write well enough that a client doesn’t hesitate to give me an astounding assessment. But, I immediately realised that my skills weren't all that warranted such a great prize. There was a bit more at work here than great writing.

What Got Me An Epic Testimonial

One of the “compliments” that the testimonial bestows on me is, “Damien has the rare skill to adroitly juggle multiple projects and, especially valuable, clearly communicate through email and project management software.”

Surely it can’t be that uncommon for people to know how to multitask and communicate properly, right? Well, as it turns out, it is.

Being a successful freelancer is more than being great at the skill you market, it’s being great at all of the other things that make it easier for your clients. They’re not just paying you to write, they’re paying you to make their lives easier.

So regardless of your freelancing speciality, you have to not only rock at what you do, but rock at what makes your client’s lives easier.

How To Get That Testimonial

Getting that epic testimonial depends on a lot of stuff, including being good at what you market yourself as. So if you’re a freelance writer, and you‘re not the best writer, you’re not going to get that testimonial. But for those of you who know you have the skills, here are a few things to consider the next time you deal with a client:

1. Email Response — How quickly do you respond to emails? It should be within the hour (if you can manage it), especially with major projects. If you don’t have the time, at least read the email to make sure it’s not urgent.
2. Friendliness — Do you greet your clients whenever you send them an email? Do you tell them to have a great day? These are basic manners that clients just love seeing from freelancers.
3. Multi-tasking — Are you able to submit that article on time, while still writing for other clients? This is a crucial skill for any freelancer!
4. Making Suggestions — Something that I learned from a freelancing role model of mine, Karen Marston, is to always make suggestions. If you’ve noticed something your client might improve on, tell them! By making suggestions you’re adding value to yourself, which sets you apart from all the rest.
5. Mistakes — You’re human, and you make mistakes. So if you do, take the criticism well and work your ass off to fix it. Hiding your mistakes and not owning up only make you look untrustworthy and will definitely make them think twice about the work you’ve done so far.

How To Ask For The Testimonial

Just ask. Yeah, that’s really all there is to it. Be nice, be considerate, be complimentary and just ask. What’s the worst that can happen? They say no. So just ask — people might surprise you.

Just be sure to ask as soon as you’ve completed the project. That way you’re fresh in their mind and they’ll be on a bit of a high from the great content you just sent them, meaning they’ll be a lot more willing to write you a great testimonial.

Adding Extra Value = Client Satisfaction

The central theme throughout this whole article has been going that extra mile for your clients, to show that you’re a whole lot better than the rest of the freelancers out there. Because unless you’re Da Vinci, your work won’t actually be that much better than most of the freelancers out there. So add value to yourself and score yourself happy clients. Happy clients mean great testimonials, and great testimonials mean more future clients.

Good luck, and stay awesome!