We all know how powerful testimonials can be when used in our sales and marketing efforts. However, getting strong testimonials from even the happiest clients can be more painful than it should be. 

There are a couple of reasons for this: 

  1. Clients respond to your request with an enthusiastic, “sure, I’m happy to send a testimonial!” and then never send it.
  2. When they do send a testimonial, it’s often too verbose or lacks substance. What could have been a fantastic asset now feels like a waste. 

Here’s what’s really happening in both cases.

In the first instance, they’re stuck on what to write. Yes, they had a good experience with you, but they’re intimidated by how to communicate that clearly. Essentially, they’re suffering from writer’s block. 

In the second instance, they don’t really know what makes for a strong testimonial and don’t realize that they’re including irrelevant or unhelpful information.

Powerful testimonials communicate a story of transformation.

Here’s how you can help your clients overcome writer’s block and send you not just a usable but powerful testimonial that will serve your sales and marketing efforts. 

Step 1 – Give them the option to let you write a testimonial for them.

Now hang with me if you’re questioning my ethics. Everything I’m suggesting is above board and in the best interest of your client. 

After they tell you they’re happy to provide a testimonial, don’t just say “thanks” and wait for their response. Help make the process easy for them.  

Provide a few questions for them to answer about their experience working with you. They can use them as prompts to make it easier to write their testimonial.

Or, give them the option to send their answers to your questions, and then you craft a testimonial using those answers. Of course, you should send it back to them for their approval. 

This serves your clients by removing any pressure they feel about writing a perfectly worded testimonial. This benefits you because the questions you send them to answer will provide the pieces needed to craft a powerful testimonial that communicates a story of transformation. 

Win-win. 

How to make the request

You might be wondering how you frame these options, so it lands positively with your client. 

Here’s an example: 

Dear Awesome Client, 

Thanks for your willingness to share your experience working with us! Here are two ways you can send over your testimonial: 

  1. Use the questions below as prompts to write 2-3 sentences about your experience working with us and the results you’ve achieved.
  2. If writing a concise testimonial feels daunting, here’s an alternative. Send over your answers to the questions below. I’ll write a testimonial using your answers and then send it back to you for approval. 

When framed this way, offering to write the testimonial for your client makes it feel like you’re serving them — because you are. 

You’re not going to say anything they didn’t say themselves. You’re just crafting what they’ve said into a format that communicates their transformation or success and is helpful for your business.

So what questions do you ask them to answer?

Step 2 – Questions to craft a powerful testimonial

Since powerful testimonials communicate transformation, you need to ask questions that uncover that transformation. 

The general frame for this starts by establishing the problem they were facing, describing their experience with your product or service, then showcasing the success they’ve achieved as a result of your product or service. 

Simple enough. Problem. Experience with your product/service. Result.

Here are questions to help uncover these three elements: 

Problem:

  1. What problem were you experiencing that prompted you to work with us? 
  2. How were you feeling about [their current situation that relates to the problem your offer solves]?
  3. Had you tried to solve this problem before? If so, how did that go?
  4. Why was it important for you to solve this problem? 

Experience with your product/service:

  1. Describe your experience working with us. 
  2. What did you like about our product/service?

Result:

  1. How do you feel about [their current situation that relates to the problem your offer solves]?
  2. What does your life look like now that we’ve worked together? 
  3. What results have you experienced as a result of our product/service? 

 You don’t need to ask all of these questions. Pick one or two from each section to guide your client. Adjust the questions so they make sense based on what you offer and the client you’re sending them to. 

If they choose to let you write their testimonial based on their answers, use their words and write the testimonial in the problem, solution, result format.

You will probably have to shorten what they’ve said and cut out unnecessary filler info.

There you have it, how to get strong testimonials from your clients and make the process easy for them.