One of the most effective ways to generate testimonials is to write them first. 

This is a practice, not a tactic. A specific, honest recommendation for a client or collaborator, with no expectation of return. Simply a genuine contribution to someone whose work deserves to be named out loud. 

The reciprocity tends to follow anyway. But that is not the point. 

Why this matters 

We close every engagement thinking about what we can give before we think about what we might ask for. A recommendation or an introduction. It could be a referral to someone we know who could help with what comes next. Sharing something we learned during the project that has value beyond the deliverable. 

This is not altruism. It is a deeply practical orientation toward how relationships compound over time. The firms that grow on trust rather than transactions are the ones that have built a reputation for showing up generously, consistently, over years. That reputation is not earned in a single gesture. It is built through a pattern. 

What generosity looks like at the end of an engagement 

It’s a structured close that centers the client. What did we learn together? What is the client better positioned to do now than they were at the start? What matters next and who can help? 

It’s writing the testimonial or recommendation before asking whether the client would be willing to provide one. Most clients are happy to provide a reference. Very few initiate it. Making it easy is a generous move. 

It’s staying connected after the project closes. Not to sell, but because the relationship has value beyond the transaction. A check-in a few weeks later. A relevant article shared or an introduction made because it was useful. 

Generosity is a growth strategy 

This is not a soft idea. It’s how effective business development works. 

Referrals come from relationships. Relationships deepen when people feel supported without an immediate transaction attached. The firms that generate the most referrals are rarely the most aggressive—they are the most consistent. Cass has made generosity her word of the year for 2026 for a reason. Practiced deliberately, it becomes operational. The question at the end of every engagement—and in the day-to-day—is simple: what can be given here before anything is asked for? 

That orientation, practiced consistently, builds the kind of reputation that grows a firm over time. Quietly, durably, and without a pitch.