As business owners and as consumers, we are obsessed with value, am I right? We’re always on the hunt for a deal, and if you’re anything like me, I bring home one too many throw pillows from Target and meet my husband’s eyeroll with an insistent, “But they were on sale!”

Let me make something clear: when it comes to communicating the value of your work, we aren’t talking about money. We aren’t talking about pricing your products or services lower than anyone else’s so that people perceive you and your work as a “deal.”

We’re talking about value in terms of WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE.

The value of your work can be boiled down to IMPACT. What are you providing others by selling your product or service?

Here’s one sneaky way to point to your value that doesn’t involve you writing about yourself at all: let your clients share your impact by asking them for (and sharing) testimonials.

I use HoneyBook, which is a client relationship manager, or CRM, to help me run my business. My favorite thing about HoneyBook is that it automates a variety of processes for me, including contract and invoice management. What’s also automated? A “Thanks for Working with Me!” email that each client receives at the close of our project together.

What’s beautiful about that email is that in addition to thanking them for being awesome, it asks them to share a review of their experience in working with me and provides them with a link to do so. And I don’t have to think about it!

This trick is LOVELY, let me tell you, and when you share these on social media, on your website, or in your email marketing, you’re able to communicate the value – the impact – of your product or service without a lot of mindset work or wordsmithing.

Don’t have a CRM? That’s okay! You can create a canned email response in Gmail. You can also create a simple client feedback survey in Google Forms, or input calendar reminders to call or text each of your clients a certain number of weeks after their project to check in.

I know that it can feel awkward to communicate your value, but it’s so important. In case it helps you create your own form, here’s a link to my testimonial request. I’m cheering you on!