Virtual assistant client testimonials help you stand out in this fast paced VA industry. Testimonials help you build trust and grow your business even in before you get paying clients.
But what happens when your clients are not forthcoming with the glowing testimonials you know you deserve?
You’ve done amazing work. They said they love it and you’re an asset to them but why is it so difficult to do one little thing that’ll make all the difference in your business?
Why does it happen and what can you do to get testimonials fast? More importantly, how can you leverage other types of social proof to grow your VA business when you are still building your client base and don’t have many clients to give you testimonials?
In this blog post, I’ll share all about how to get fantastic testimonials from your clients even if they’ve never given anybody a testimonial.
But first, let’s talk about the possible reasons why they aren’t giving you the glowing testimonials you deserve.
Why Your Clients Aren’t Giving You Testimonials
Getting testimonials from your clients is not as simple as some people put it. Since you’re reading this post, you’ve probably sent polite follow-up emails or requests for feedback, but all you hear is crickets. One of my clients needed testimonials for her website I was rebranding.
For months she couldn’t get the busy people in her network to give her a testimonial. Yes she asked. Yes she followed up. But 6 months later, the testimonial elements on her website still had placeholder texts.
Sound familiar? There are a few reasons why clients may not provide testimonials even when they’re happy with your work. I’ll share them below as well as how I helped her get those people to give her glowing testimonials.
1. They’re Busy
As a virtual assistant, you already know that one reason why people sign up to work with you is because they are busy. I know you believe it will only take 5 minutes, and nobody is too busy to take 5 minutes and help someone out. But let’s look at the hard truth, your virtual assistant clients are busy running their own businesses. Writing a testimonial might not be at the top of their priority list, even if they’re thrilled with your work. It’s just the simple truth. A lack of time is one of the most common reasons clients don’t give testimonials right away.
What to do: Make it easy for them. Provide a simple template they can use, or offer to draft something based on their feedback that they can quickly approve. This way, you’re saving them time while still getting that glowing testimonial. Everybody wins!
2. They Forgot
I know you probably sent a follow up email, but sometimes, clients forget. Life gets in the way, and they don’t think about giving you feedback after the project is completed. This doesn’t mean they don’t value your work; they may just need a reminder or two reminders.
What to do: If you haven’t already, send a polite and friendly follow-up email a few days after you’ve asked for the feedback. I recommend you follow up at least three times.
3. They Don’t Know What to Write
Some clients genuinely don’t know what to say. It’s that simple. They might struggle to put into words how your work has impacted their business or their workflow. The onus falls on you to make it easy for them and put the words in front of them. In my village they say whoever wants to poop, has to find a toilet. If you want a testimonial, you have to remove the hurdles in the way of getting one. A virtual assistant client testimonial is an asset.
What to do: Ask for specific feedback about a particular aspect of the project. You could say something like, “I’d love to hear how the launch strategy we implemented helped improve sales” or “Did the onboarding process make your workflow smoother?” Being specific makes it easier for them to respond. Better still, you could create a testimonial request form and ask multiple choice question and one or two open ended questions. They just have to enter their answers and you’ll take their answers and craft a testimonial for them to approve for you.
How to Get Virtual Assistant Client Testimonials Fast
So, now that you know the possible hurdles in your way to getting fantastic testimonials from your clients, and some tips to get them, here’s how to get these testimonials when your clients are dragging their feet? Here’s how:
1. Ask for Testimonials Immediately After a Win
Clients are most excited when they see results—whether it’s a completed project, an automation of something that has been stressing them, or a boost in their sales. This is the perfect time to ask for a testimonial. Strike while the iron is hot, and you’ll get an enthusiastic response.
What to do: After a milestone is achieved, send a quick email to message saying, “I’m so happy with the results we’ve achieved together! Would you mind sharing your experience in a short testimonial?”. They’d most likely say yes. If you communicate primarily via WhatsApp there’s no reason to send them an email asking for a testimonial. Ask on WhatsApp where the celebration is happening and they can write it there for you or wherever you want. Remember, you want no hurdles to getting that testimonial.
2. Offer Incentives for Testimonials
This works! Although it can be tricky. In some cases, offering an incentive for a testimonial can motivate clients to provide feedback. You could offer a discount on future services or give them a bonus template, eBook, or service in exchange for a testimonial. Anything that makes sense for them that won’t cost you much works.
3. Use a Feedback Form
I mentioned this earlier but it deserves it’s own paragraph. You can create a simple feedback form that your clients can fill out, making the process as easy as possible. You can provide multiple choice questions and some open-ended questions like, “What did you enjoy most about working with me?”. “Would you recommend my services to others looking for a VA? If yes, why?” or “How has my service helped your business?”
How to Leverage Other Types of Social Proof When You Don’t Have Testimonials
If you’re just starting out or haven’t gathered many testimonials yet, there are other types of social proof you can use to build trust with potential clients. Here are some options to get started, even if you’re low on testimonials.
1. Case Studies
Use case studies to share the results you got for your clients. When you have data to share, a testimonial becomes a “nice to have” and not a “must have”. While testimonials are brief, case studies allow you to dive deep into a project and showcase how you helped a client achieve specific results. If you can’t get a testimonial right away, build out a detailed case study that highlights the challenges, your solution, and the outcomes. That way when if you eventually get one, you can just use it to wrap up your case study.
2. Portfolio
A portfolio is a must for every virtual assistant. If you can’t get a written testimonial, let your work speak for itself. Showcase your best projects, social media posts you’ve created, blog posts you’ve written, websites you’ve built or any other tasks you’ve handled for clients. This is particularly helpful for potential clients who want to see what you’re capable of. Most prospective clients would ask for a portfolio but nobody asks to see some of your testimonials.
Read: How to Create Your Virtual Assistant Portfolio When You Have Little Or No Experience
3. Client Wins or Metrics
You don’t always need a formal testimonial to show results. Share metrics, numbers, or improvements you’ve achieved for your clients. Did you increase website traffic by 20%? Improve social media engagement by 30%? Improve website speed by 10%, Increase opens and click-through-rate by 50%? This is valuable social proof, even if it doesn’t come in the form of a testimonial. This can also be shared in your case study and portfolio.
4. Reviews on Platforms Like WhatsApp
If you’re chatting with a client via a social media platform or project management tool, sometimes they get impressed and impulse share. E.g. “I just saw the work you did! I can’t believe how leads are just getting automated responses”. That conversation is social proof. You can you can repurpose these as testimonials on your website or social media as screenshots or you transcribe. Even short, simple feedback like “Great job!” or my personal favourite that a handful of clients have used to describe me: “Rose, you are gold!” adds credibility.
How to Ask for Testimonials in a Way That Works
One thing I’ve learned in my VA journey is that asking for testimonials isn’t just about sending a generic request. It’s about making your client feel like their feedback matters and is valuable to your business growth.
Here’s my approach:
- I always ensure I have a solid understanding of how I’ve helped a client before asking for a testimonial. Generic testimonials don’t serve either of us well. It’s better to know how my work has specifically benefited them.
- I don’t just ask for a testimonial; I guide my clients by providing a framework or questions they can easily respond to. This reduces the friction and increases the chances of getting detailed feedback.
- I leverage every opportunity to get a testimonial. Sometimes is from a call, I just ask a simple question “what did you think about xyz” and then the words start flowing, I click record and that’s a testimonial with their permission.
Final Words
You need virtual assistant client testimonials as a VA and that’s why I provide in-depth training on how to get strong testimonials—even if you don’t have clients yet. You’ll learn how to position yourself for success, with multiple digital skills training, live projects for hands-on experience, and detailed feedback on your work.
And if you join Go Virtual Academy (my community for virtual assistants), you’ll get access to my full Testimonial Request Kit. This kit includes templates and step-by-step instructions on how to get glowing reviews from your clients. You can purchase this kit from my shop or get it for free when you become a member.