Tired of being told to "just get testimonials"?
So you can talk about your service with confidence, without the conversation getting stuck on testimonials, reviews or proving yourself.
A 15 question assessment
You can be credible before you have testimonials.
What to do when you have no testimonials, reviews or case studies yet.
For people offering a new service who are tired of being told to show proof they have not had the chance to build yet. Answer 15 questions and find realistic ways to build trust with clients and social proof alternatives you can use now, without faking testimonials or waiting for reviews.
15 questions. Around 2 minutes. Immediate recommendations.
What this assessment helps you work out
A clearer sense of how to make your service feel more credible, even before you have formal proof for this specific thing.
01
What credibility you may already have
The experience, thinking, process, examples or early signals that could help people take you seriously, even if you have not turned them into visible proof yet.
02
Which credibility path fits best
Whether your strongest starting point is your process, thinking, relevant experience, examples, early signals or making the service feel safer.
03
What to create or show first
A practical first move that can help your service feel more trustworthy without forcing testimonials you do not have or overclaiming.
What this looks at
Trust does not only come from testimonials.
- How clearly you explain the problem
- How you think
- How your process works
- What you have built or demonstrated
- What relevant experience you bring
- What early signals you have noticed
- How you reduce risk
- How honestly you explain what is ready and what is still new
The aim is not to pretend you have proof you do not have. The aim is to find honest credibility signals you can use now.
Why this exists
Built for the stage you are actually at.
When your service is new, being told to get testimonials or show proof can feel pointless. You may have experience, judgement, examples and useful work behind you, just not tidy testimonials for this exact thing yet.
This assessment was built by Joannah Bernard to help find what can realistically make your service feel credible now.
Common questions
How to handle having no testimonials yet.
- What is social proof, and what counts as social proof?
- Social proof is anything that helps someone believe other people trust you and your work. Testimonials and reviews are the obvious version, but social proof also includes a visible process, a credible link to past work, a sample result, early reactions from real conversations, and any honest sign that you have done the thinking. If formal proof does not exist yet, these quieter signals still count.
- Can you sell a service with no reviews or case studies?
- Yes. Reviews and case studies are one form of proof, not the only form. A clear scope, a visible method, a sample result or a credible link between your past work and this service can all reduce the feeling of risk before formal proof exists.
- What can I use instead of testimonials?
- Five practical alternatives: your visible process, your thinking on the problem, adjacent credibility from past work, a tangible sample or demo, and a clearer scope that makes the service safer to say yes to. The assessment helps you pick which one fits your situation best.
- How do I build trust with clients and credibility for a new service?
- Start with what you already have rather than what you wish you had. To build trust with clients quickly, make your process visible, show how you think, connect relevant experience to this service, build one realistic sample, and be honest about what is new. Pick one path and create the first piece before adding more.
Read more
Quieter ways to think about proof.
Ready when you are
Find realistic ways to feel credible now.
Take the assessment and see what kind of credibility you can use before you have formal proof for this service.