From testimonials to transformation: why most businesses miss the gold in client feedback
I am Rachel Dunford, a multi-award winning impact specialist. I help organisations capture and understand the difference they make, and I show them how to communicate that with confidence and honesty. I care deeply about helping thoughtful, ambitious businesses recognise the change they create for the people they work with. When they can see it clearly, they can grow in a way that feels aligned, ethical and true to their values.
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Why testimonials are not enough
Most businesses collect testimonials because they know they should. You finish a project, send a short form, and receive a few polite lines.
“It was great.”
“I really enjoyed working with you.”
This is lovely to read, of course. But can you use it to make key decisions about where to go next in your business? Not really. Testimonials tell you that someone liked the experience. They do not tell you what changed for them, why they chose you, or how they describe your work when you are not in the room.
The REAL gold sits in the detail - the sort of detail that was missing in the above examples. It sits in understanding the transformation your clients experienced, and not simply the transaction they paid for.
What great feedback can actually tell you
Good feedback is not about compliments. It is about insight.
When you gather thoughtful, in depth feedback, you start to see patterns that reveal:
★ What your clients value most about working with you
★ Why they chose you instead of someone else
★ How their confidence, clarity or decisions shifted after your support
★ The language they naturally use to describe the difference you make
★ The shifts that you enabled in their business
This is not just nice to know - it is powerful business intelligence. It gives you proof, language and direction. It helps you refine your messaging, strengthen your offers and articulate your value in a way that feels grounded and honest.
Why most businesses miss this
Most people are not taught how to ask questions that draw out meaningful insight.
If you ask, “Were you happy with the service?”, you will hear “Yes, thanks.”
If you ask, “What changed for you after working with us?”, you will hear stories. You will hear the moments that mattered. You will hear what they were carrying when they came to you, and how they felt when they left.
The best questions make people pause and reflect. They give your clients space to notice the change they have experienced.
But this takes time and intention. Life is busy, projects move quickly, and many businesses fall back to the easy, polite one liners because they are familiar and convenient - and because it feels less work for both parties!
The transformation that comes from listening
Once you start gathering richer feedback and actually using it, something shifts.
You stop second guessing your value, you stop relying on your assumptions, and you start seeing your business through your clients eyes.
It is grounding. It is empowering. And it is often the moment where everything becomes clearer, because you can finally describe the difference you make with honesty and confidence.
Turning feedback into strategy
Collecting feedback is one thing. Knowing how to make sense of it and how to use it across your business is another. Many organisations have notes, screenshots and kind words dotted across folders and inboxes, but no clear way to turn that insight into decisions that strengthen their work.
This is where I come in. I am skilled at interpreting the data and feedback you already have about your clients experiences and collecting more if there are gaps. I help you understand what your clients truly value, how they describe the difference you make and where the real opportunities for growth sit. Then I work with you to apply that insight so you can make better, more evidence based and impact focussed decisions.
Together, we can weave your impact evidence into the way you sell, the way you market, the way you communicate and the way you support your clients. When you use the real words and experiences of the people you work with, everything becomes clearer. You stop guessing and start leading with truth.
Ready to uncover the gold in your feedback?
If you have been collecting testimonials that look lovely but do not help you steer your business, you are not alone. The insight you need is already there. It sits in the stories, language and reflections your clients have already shared. You simply need a way to uncover it and use it with confidence.
If you would like support with this, I invite you to book a no obligation discovery call with me (there's only one date left this year!). We can explore where you are now, what you want to achieve and how the gold dust in your client feedback can fuel your decisions, strengthen your offers and help your business grow in a way that feels grounded and aligned.