How should you ask for client testimonials?
You close your computer, do that stretch with your arms over head, & silently mouth, “Yes!”
You just wrapped a client project. And now comes the moment you dread—
Asking the client for a testimonial. Which can be so, so… Awkward.
You fire off an email that goes something like this:
Hi, [insert client’s name here],
I really loved working with you. Gosh—I sure hope you did too.
So, uhh… if you wouldn’t mind (I mean, only if you have time!)—would you be willing to maybe write a testimonial for me?
Ok, bye!
-Brittany Herzberg
That felt painful to read, right? (Just imagine being on the receiving end of that.)
Research shows that people really like client testimonials—56% of people find testimonials helpful—according to Animoto.
And—9 out of 10 people say they trust what a client says about a business WAY more than what a business says about itself (thanks for that Wyzowl).
So how can we make the testimonial ask—& the writing—easier for everyone?
My copywriting clients frequently share how much they have piled on their “To Do” plate. (It’s… a LOT—they are health & wellness business owners & often have kids or fur babies, so none of us should be surprised. 😂)
I needed to make this tiny task not feel so big & overwhelming. (I mean—how do you even clearly explain your entire client experience & all the emotions wrapped up in it in only 3-4 sentences?)
The idea came to me to create a template.
This testimonial template is basically Mad Libs-meets-client-experience.
It gives my clients a way to complete a sentence about their experience—quickly! My client, Brenna McGowan loved it so much she even said she would buy the template!
The testimonial template doesn’t just help my clients—it gives me access to bite-sized quote snippets from clients to use on social media & my website. And helps me understand what’s working for my clients & how I can make their experience even better!
Win. Win. Win. For everyone!
Quick for my clients & insightful for me.
It’s clear—client & customer testimonials matter. But so does the way you share them! Which is where the idea for client case study pages comes in to help you—like Flynn helped Rapunzel in Tangled. (If he actually helped is debatable, but watch the movie & draw your own conclusions!)
Curious about this case study page process & how you can do this for your own website? Read more about Case Studies.