Don’t Just Ask Customers for Testimonials. Ask for This Kind of Testimonial
Reading Time: 3 minutes TL;DR Summary: Strong testimonials focus on results, not just character references. Buyers seek proof that your product or service works for them. Encourage better testimonials by asking specific questions about the problem, change, and results. Improve your testimonials to drive more sales. Read on for tips on crafting compelling testimonials.
Most testimonials sound nice. The problem is, nice does not always sell.
A lot of business owners collect testimonials that say things like, “They were great to work with,” “She was so supportive,” or “He really listened and cared.” That is good to hear, of course. It means you treated people well. But those kinds of testimonials often do not do much to help a new buyer make a decision.
Why? Because they are mostly character references, not proof that your service or product actually works.
What Buyers are Really Looking for
When someone reads a testimonial, they are usually not just trying to figure out whether you are a nice person. They are trying to answer a much more practical question:
“Will this work for me?”
That is why results-based testimonials tend to work better. They help the reader see what changed for someone else and imagine a similar result for themselves.
What a Stronger Testimonial Looks Like
The testimonials that tend to be more persuasive usually follow a simple pattern:
- Where the person was before
- What was not working
- What frustration or problem they were dealing with
- What happened after working with you
- The specific result they got
That result might be more leads, more confidence, less stress, a faster process, better rankings, more sales, or finally understanding what to do next. The point is that it is specific.
A testimonial like “Tony was great to work with” is fine.
But a testimonial like “Before working with Tony, our website was not bringing in quality leads. After the redesign and SEO improvements, we started getting more inquiries from the right kind of customers” does a lot more heavy lifting.
How to Get Better Testimonials from Customers
The easiest fix is to stop asking for a general testimonial and start asking better questions.
Instead of saying, “Would you mind writing me a testimonial?” give people a few prompts like these:
- What problem were you dealing with before working with us?
- What made you decide to reach out?
- What changed after we worked together?
- What specific result or improvement stood out most?
- What would you say to someone who is considering working with us?
That gives people a much better chance of writing something useful instead of just saying you were nice, responsive, or pleasant to work with.
Go Check Your Testimonials Now
Take a look at the testimonials on your website and ask yourself:
- How many are just saying you are a good person?
- How many actually show a result?
If most of them are personality-based, that is probably something worth fixing.
There is nothing wrong with testimonials that show you are kind, thoughtful, or easy to work with. Those can help support trust. But the ones that really help move a buyer closer to a decision are usually the ones that show what changed.
Key Takeaways
- Nice testimonials are not always persuasive testimonials.
- Buyers want proof that your offer works, not just proof that you are pleasant.
- The best testimonials usually include the before, the problem, and the result.
- You will usually get better testimonials by giving people prompting questions.
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