How To Give Authentic Testimonials To Our Peers

Peer recognition is a vital success factor for professionals. It is essential for creating motivation and building relationships. The authentic tone may sound subtle but can easily be sensed.

Photo by Marcin Jozwiak on Unsplash

Undoubtedly, human beings starve for appreciation and recognition.

This basic survival mechanism is embedded in our limbic system. Our emotional side of the brain is hungry for recognition. If recognition comes from a peer, it may even be more satisfying and more meaningful for the receiver.

Peer recognition is widely studied and discussed in the literature of various disciplines.

Business leaders are aware of this psychological phenomenon and use it wisely for team building activities and performance-boosting goals in business environments. Educators also use testimonials among peers as effective motivation building activities.

My focus in this story is to use writers an example. It is a topic close to my heart and mind.

As creative and productive professionals, writers need recognition to perform. Testimonials also relate to the therapeutic aspects of the writing profession.

Writers giving testimonials to writers can be a critical success factor as the outcome is meaningful to the receiver. Peer recognition is one of the most effective motivation building mechanism in human psychology.

Testimonials are not only for individuals, but they are also commonly used for business entities. In this story, I only focus on the individual aspect.

Based on my personal experience as a writer, the main premise of my story is that testimonials can be the best gifts for writers from writers as long as they are given properly. I articulate the term “properly” from its functional aspect focusing on two critical factors.

The two critical success factors are motivation and relationship building.

Let me explain the motivation factor by using the writers as an example.

By giving testimonials to writers, we motivate them to be more creative and productive. Our testimonials can help them to get the desired neurotransmitter in their creative brain.

More specifically, receiving testimonials from peers can increase the level of dopamine, known as the primary motivation neurotransmitter in our brains.

As a writer, myself, I know how it feels when I receive a testimonial from another writer. Receiving testimonials can bring joy and encourage the writers to produce more. The receiver of the testimony knows that his or her work is recognized as valuable and appreciated by their peers.

The relationship-building factor is also essential for giving authentic testimonials.

Testimonials between giver and receiver can be considered as a relationship-building activity. Giving testimonials to other people can help us deepen our relationship. It can initiate trust and enhance trust.

The hidden and powerful message behind the testimony is: I do care for you.

I want to touch on key considerations for giving testimonials

There are many factors making a testimonial to be valuable for the receiver. I want to highlight four essential points:

• truth,
• perceptions,
• authenticity, and
• purpose.

Truth

Truth plays an important role and is the given element for testimonials.

However, there can be a higher weighting for the perceptions created by the givers of the testimonials.

Testimonials primarily reflect the perception of the givers.

 Perception

The perceptions created in testimonials can easily depict how genuine are the givers. Perceptions can be stronger than facts on emotional matters. A testimonial can be considered as an emotional case. Testimonials have sentimental values.

The adjective genuine refers to authentic tone in this context.

From my experience, I know that the most important point for giving a testimonial is the authenticity factor. Authentic testimonials serve the purpose and can be precious for receivers.

Authenticity

Even though context and content play essential roles in the effectiveness and efficiency of testimonials, the tone of our narrative can have a higher weighting in reflecting the authentic voice of the giver.

The authentic tone may sound subtle but can easily be sensed.

As widely recognized in leadership studies, authenticity appears to be the key value proposition for giving testimonials.

Purpose

The purpose of testimonial is critical. A testimony is not about the giver but about the receiver. Like anything else in life, testimonials are also used for reasons beyond their purposes.

For example, some people use testimonials to promote themselves. This selfish approach is a common case while giving testimonials for power figures.

In this specific case, the givers use the powerful position of the receiver to promote themselves. Selfish use of testimonials are undesirable and do not serve the intended purpose.

Concluding remarks

Testimonials can be the best gift that we can give to our peer.

Truth, perception, authentic tone, and purpose are key considerations when giving effective testimonials.

We need to ensure that the testimonials serve the intended purpose.

Testimonials aim to recognize the capabilities and achievements of the receivers.

More specifically, a testimony shouldn’t be a promotional tool for the giver; it should recognize and appreciate the receiver.

I hope these tips provide you with useful insights in recognizing your peers.

Thank you for reading my perspectives.

Follow me to see more articles like this. I am a writer who cares about other writers. It is a joy for me to share my experience.

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