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THE QUESTION
I recently hired an independent contractor for a project. After the project was completed, he asked me to write a testimonial for their website.
While the end result of their work was excellent, it was a bumpy road. There were frequent delays, miscommunications and pushback on edits and changes. I feel conflicted about writing a falsely positive testimonial, but saying no also feels wrong, because they did good work in the end. What’s the best way for me to navigate this situation?
THE FIRST ANSWER
Susan Power and Layan Jasser, PowerUp Leadership, Halifax
It’s understandable to feel conflicted as you’re balancing honesty with a sense of obligation. The key here is to focus on writing a testimonial that’s truthful but tactfully worded. You don’t need to detail every challenge but you also shouldn’t feel pressured to provide a glowing endorsement that doesn’t align with your full experience.
One approach is to highlight the positive aspects: the final outcome, the contractor’s expertise or their ability to deliver on your vision without embellishing the process.
For example, you might write: “The final product exceeded expectations and demonstrated strong technical skill. We appreciated the contractor’s dedication to getting it right.”
This acknowledges the quality of the end result without pretending the journey was smooth.
Alternatively, if you feel that eliminating the challenges paints too rosy a picture, it’s okay to politely decline the request. A simple and respectful response could be: “I appreciate your work on this project. While the final result was strong, I don’t feel I can provide a testimonial that fully reflects the experience on my end. I hope you understand.”
Ultimately, a testimonial is a professional favour, not an obligation. You’re entitled to decline if it compromises your integrity. Just aim to respond with appreciation and honesty – that’s always a fair and professional approach.
THE SECOND ANSWER
Bill Howatt, founder, Howatt HR Consulting Inc., Ottawa
It seems they, too, appreciate the excellent outcome, prompting the idea of using a testimonial to help attract new opportunities. Consider asking them to imagine themselves in your shoes and write a testimonial based on their experience as your client. This approach allows you to see what aspects of the project they found worth highlighting. Once they complete the testimonial, review and edit it to meet your standards.
The next step is crucial for transparency and alignment. Schedule a call to discuss your edits. Start by highlighting the positives and what you’re comfortable including. However, it’s also important to provide straightforward feedback on any less-positive aspects of your client experience. How they respond to this feedback and the level of humility they demonstrate can guide your final decision of whether or not to provide a testimonial in the end.
This three-step process can help you feel congruent and provide the contractor with some coaching for their professional growth along with recognition for their excellent work. The process can also help you get to a ‘yes’ you feel comfortable with, or to land on a ‘no’ if you’re not satisfied with their responses. If the person is not open to do the work to earn your testimonial, this may result in you deciding not to provide one.
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