Asking a client for a testimonial can feel like asking for a favor, which is why so many businesses never quite get around to it. But a genuinely happy client is usually more willing to say something nice than the asking party expects; the discomfort is mostly one-sided.
The businesses that collect good testimonials consistently aren't better at asking, they're better at asking at the right moment and in the right way.
A good testimonial is worth the awkwardness of asking
A specific, credible testimonial does real work: it answers a prospective client's unspoken doubts in a way nothing you say about yourself can. The brief discomfort of asking is small compared to what a genuinely good one is worth later.
Ask at the moment of genuine satisfaction
The best moment to ask is right after a clear win, a project delivered well, a problem solved, positive feedback already given voluntarily. Asking during a lull, or worse during a rough patch, produces a lukewarm testimonial at best and an awkward silence at worst.
In Stelaah, a project's completion is a real event you can act on immediately, making it easy to ask for a testimonial at the actual moment of satisfaction rather than remembering to circle back later. See how projects works.
Ask a specific question, not "any thoughts?"
"Any feedback?" produces a vague, generic answer, if it produces one at all. "What made the biggest difference for you working with us?" gives a client something concrete to answer, and concrete answers make far better testimonials than general praise.
Offer to draft it for them to edit
Many clients want to help but don't know what to write, and that uncertainty is often what stalls the request entirely. Offering a short draft based on what they've already said, for them to edit or approve, removes the blank-page problem and dramatically increases the response rate.
Say plainly how and where it'll be used
Tell the client exactly where the testimonial will appear, on the website, in a proposal, wherever. Clarity here builds trust and avoids the awkward situation of using a quote somewhere the client didn't expect to see it.
A simple checklist
If you do nothing else, do these five things:
- Ask right after a clear win, not during a lull or a rough patch.
- Ask a specific question instead of a generic one.
- Offer a short draft based on what they've already said.
- Tell them exactly where and how it will be used.
- Thank them regardless of whether they say yes.
Do that, and asking for a testimonial stops being an awkward favor and becomes a normal, expected part of a well-run relationship.
Run your client work in one place. Stelaah keeps projects, clients, contracts, and invoices together, with Aria for the busywork.
Start freeWe build Stelaah, the workspace for client work. We write about running teams, agencies, and venues without the busywork.
