We’ve spoken a lot recently about translation testimonials because they’re so vitally important to your freelance translation business. We’ll continue along this thread today and talk about what should be included in testimonials and how you can use testimonials to your advantage.

Testimonials provide potential translation clients the opportunity of seeing firsthand what other clients are saying about you and your services. Basically, adding testimonials to your marketing materials and to your website provides proof that you are who you say you are and that you’re capable of providing the services you advertise.

Gathering testimonials doesn’t happen overnight: it takes time and effort on your part. Your efforts in obtaining testimonials from satisfied customers will be rewarded with new translation clients, so you need to be strategic about asking for and receiving testimonials and then leveraging them for maximum impact.

When requesting testimonials from past translation clients, ask for permission to include the following information –

Basic information; and this would include the client’s name, their company’s name and a description of the company;

A photograph of your client. Receiving permission to use a client’s photograph will offer more credibility to their testimonial - it also makes for an eye-catching testimonial;

Specific information regarding the translation project. The testimonial will hold more weight if it includes specific information regarding the subject matter and/or language. Not only will be testimonial be more authentic, it will help with search engine optimization;

Specific issues that may have been resolved. Any testimonial that lists an issue that you were able to resolve, like translating complex graphs or meeting a very tight deadline, shows potential clients that you’re capable of working and delivering in stressful situations. It gives them a glimpse of your work ethic and an insight into your character: it certainly holds more weight than a deadline that simply says you completed a project to the customer’s satisfaction;

Showcasing your translation work. Any testimonial that highlights just how important and effective your translation work is will stand out above other testimonials: it will be memorable to potential clients and set you apart from other translators. These types of testimonials may refer to your skills in translating (say) a life-threatening medical situation, or a critical legal deposition. Either way, the more specific the testimonial is, the more effective it will be.

Displaying Your Translation Testimonials

Create a section on your website to encourage client feedback: this may be in the form of a form to complete, a dedicated email address, or you may even direct clients to your Google+ review page or your Facebook or LinkedIn page.

If someone should be singing your praises on your Facebook business page you can publicly thank them on your other social media pages such as Google+ or Twitter. Do this by copying and pasting any comments received to your social media pages. For effective marketing, use any testimonials received on your print marketing materials such as flyers and business cards. Using testimonials from satisfied customers is a very effective marketing strategy and a strategy that works exceptionally well. If you don’t advertise yourself and your translation services by using testimonials then you’re doing yourself a great disservice, because potential clients have no other way of discovering your translation knowledge and talents.