Earning client reviews ethically, and getting more of them.

Why Reviews Matter So Much

Prospects choosing a personal branding practice are buying something they cannot inspect before they pay. Reviews are the closest thing they have to a reference check at scale. Anyone can call themselves an expert; it means far more when other people say it, unprompted, in their own words.

For practices, reviews compound. Each one makes the next prospect a little more confident, and on directories that rank by verified reviews, such as the PBA Power Ranking, they are the only input that counts.

Ask Everyone, at the Right Moment

The single biggest reason practices have few reviews is that they do not ask. Make it routine.

The best moment is a natural high point: a delivered website, a launch that went well, an invitation the client was excited about, the end of a successful phase. Asking at a high point is not manipulation; it is simply when the client is thinking about the value of the work.

Ask every client, not only the ones you expect to be delighted. Selecting only happy clients produces a picture prospects learn to distrust, and on some platforms it breaks the rules.

How to Ask

Keep it short, personal and direct:

Then make it easy. Send the direct link. Suggest, if they ask, what prospects find useful: what the starting point was, what the work involved, what changed. Never draft the review for them.

What Not to Do

• No incentives for reviews. Do not offer discounts, gifts, free services or entries into a giveaway in exchange for a review. In the United States the Federal Trade Commission treats fake reviews and rewards conditioned on positive sentiment as deceptive, and most review platforms prohibit incentives of any kind. Rewarding referrals is a different matter, provided the reward is not tied to a review.
• No writing reviews for clients, and no editing their words beyond what the platform allows.
• No reviews from friends, family or staff presented as client reviews.
• No review swaps with other practices.
• No gating, where unhappy clients are steered to private feedback and happy ones to public review.

Every one of these, once found, damages the reviews that were genuine.

Where Reviews Should Live

Spreading reviews across many platforms dilutes them. Choose one or two primary platforms that your prospects actually check and that verify reviewers, and direct every request there. Platforms that confirm a reviewer was a client carry more weight than testimonials on your own site. On PBA, reviewers are contacted to confirm they were clients before a review is published, and a person reads every one; see How Reviews Are Verified.

Testimonials on your own website still have a place, with the client's permission, but label them as testimonials and link to where verified reviews can be read.

Answer Every Review

Thank people for positive reviews, briefly and specifically. Respond to critical reviews calmly and promptly, and fix what can be fixed. How you respond to criticism is itself proof of how you work. The full approach is in responding to reviews and complaints.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an agency offer a discount for a review?

No. Incentives tied to reviews break most platforms' rules, and rewards conditioned on positive reviews are treated as deceptive in the United States and elsewhere. Ask for honest reviews without any reward.

When is the best time to ask a client for a review?

At a natural high point: a delivered milestone, a successful launch, a clear win, or the end of a phase. Ask while the client is thinking about the value of the work, and ask every client, not only the happiest.

Should I ask clients to review us on several platforms?

Usually not. Focus on one or two platforms your prospects check, ideally ones that verify reviewers. Concentrated reviews are easier for prospects to find and weigh.

Can I help a client write their review?

You can tell them what prospects find useful, such as the starting point, the work and the result. You should not draft or rewrite the review. It has to be their words.

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