How to get POWERFUL client testimonials (without the awkwardness)

Get powerful testimonials without awkwardness

Co-authored by Meg Cumby and Kai Davis.

Testimonials are an excellent piece of social proof — a way to build credibility and trust with prospective clients. But they typically don’t just come flying at you on their own. You have to be intentional about asking.

Asking for feedback lets you uncover:

  • What your client’s hesitations were before working with you
  • How the client benefited from your service
  • If your client would recommend your services to others
  • And much, much more

With a few steps, you can turn pieces of customer feedback into powerful testimonials that support the benefits of your services and directly address objections that future customers may raise.

The number one lesson from this guide: The questions you ask — and the habit of regularly asking — are incredibly important. You need a regular, repeatable process for following up with a client and soliciting their feedback on the benefits of your work together. That’s exactly what this guide teaches.

“You give a ton of solid info at no cost. I have been struggling with getting testimonials, and how to use them. So we’ve been sending out emails, asking two simple questions. And guess what, it works? If we don’t ask, we don’t get. You helped my small company feel good about asking for what we want. Thank you.”

— Kim Lifton, President, Wow Writing Workshop

After reading this guide, you’ll understand:

  • Why and how testimonials will help your business
  • What makes a strong testimonial vs. a weak one — and how to upgrade
  • The different shapes and forms that testimonials can take
  • Why you should ask for testimonials instead of waiting
  • How to ask (it’s easier than you think)
  • When is the best time to ask
  • The specific questions to ask a client to generate a strong testimonial
  • What to do if a client goes non-responsive after agreeing
  • How to get results-focused testimonials
  • How to leverage testimonials in your work

Chapter Index

  1. Why and how do testimonials help your business?
  2. Why should you ask your clients for testimonials?
  3. What forms can a testimonial take? (at least six!)
  4. How to make asking for a testimonial easier
  5. What questions should you ask?
  6. What if a client goes non-responsive?
  7. How can you leverage testimonials in your work?
  8. How to put together results-focused testimonials
  9. Your next steps — an action plan

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