created by coLiberate ventures
<aside> <img src="/icons/info-alternate_gray.svg" alt="/icons/info-alternate_gray.svg" width="40px" /> This resource provides sample language and guidance to help you collect testimonials and craft case studies from past and current partners, colleagues, clients, and collaborators.
The ultimate goal is to build credibility with prospective clients through social proof.
The sooner you ask for testimonials or start documenting case studies - and the more specific you are about what you’d like them to speak to - the better. Both tools are valuable - use whichever fits the relationship and situation best!
List the hard and soft skills that are most relevant for the offer you’re building or the services you deliver. Even if your offer is still evolving, think generally about the skills your future clients would value.
Note: If you’ve done a career capital audit, it may be helpful to review it for this step.
Hard skills are specific, technical, or specialized abilities that can be learned through training, education, or experience. They are often measurable, certified, or tied to a specific job function. Examples include:
Soft skills are behavioral, interpersonal, and cognitive traits that affect how you work and interact with others. They are harder to quantify but are critical for leadership, collaboration, and overall effectiveness. Examples include:
Using the skills and expertise you listed in Step 1, identify strong examples of your work.
Depending on whether you’re gathering a testimonial or creating a case study, the focus will be slightly different:
Whether you’re pulling a testimonial or crafting a case study, the goal is to spotlight real evidence of your strengths and impact that connects to the offer you’re building now.