How to ask for a testimonial
Ask the day something lands, not weeks later. Ask for two questions instead of a testimonial, send the questions yourself, let the client type or record a voice note, promise they see the final version, and follow up once. The wording for each step is below, ready to copy.
- Six steps, from timing to follow-up
- Three scripts you can copy and send
- The five asks that get ignored
- Or send one link and let it ask for you
Free plan: 5 testimonials and 2 case studies. Your client never signs up.
“Our welcome flow was basically off. Three weeks after the rewrite, email went from 9% to 24% of monthly revenue.”
Marta R., e-commerce founder
Case study
From 9% to 24% of monthly revenue in three weeks
Six steps that turn a favour into a two-minute reply
- Step 1
Ask at the peak, not at the invoice
The best moment is the day something lands: a launch goes live, a number moves, or the client sends an unprompted thank-you. Waiting until the project wrap-up email means asking someone whose attention has already moved on.
- Step 2
Ask for two minutes, not for a testimonial
"Would you write me a testimonial?" hands the client a blank page and a writing task. "Would you answer two questions about the project?" is a request they can finish before their coffee goes cold.
- Step 3
Give them the questions
Name the before state and the result you want covered. Most clients write vague praise because nobody told them what would actually be useful.
- Step 4
Remove the format decision
Let them type or record a voice note, whichever is faster for them. Spoken answers are longer, more specific and sound like a person.
- Step 5
Promise approval before publication
One line, "you'll see the final version before it goes anywhere", removes the main reason people stall: fear of being quoted badly in front of their own market.
- Step 6
Follow up once, then stop
One short nudge after five days recovers a good share of silent replies. A second nudge costs you the relationship for a paragraph of text.
Copy one of these and send it today
Replace the fields in braces. Keep it this short, longer asks get fewer replies.
Email or DM, right after delivery
Hi {{first_name}},
Now that {{deliverable}} is live, could you answer two quick questions about it?
1. What was the situation before we started?
2. What changed since, in numbers if you have them?
Here's a link, it takes about two minutes and you can type or record a voice note: {{link}}
You'll see the final version before I publish anything.
{{your_name}}When they already praised you
Hi {{first_name}},
Your message about {{deliverable}} made my week. Can I quote you on it publicly?
If you're happy to, this link lets you confirm the wording and add one detail about the result: {{link}}
Nothing goes out without your approval.
{{your_name}}The single follow-up, five days later
Hi {{first_name}},
Bumping this in case it got buried. Two questions, about two minutes: {{link}}
If now is a bad week, just say so and I'll drop it.
{{your_name}}More situations, including the after-a-result and the long-silence versions, are in the testimonial request email templates.
Five asks that get ignored
- Asking "how was your experience?" — it invites "great, thanks!" and nothing publishable.
- Attaching a document the client has to open, fill in and send back.
- Asking three months later, when the result has blurred and the enthusiasm has gone.
- Writing the testimonial yourself and asking them to approve it, which produces text nobody believes.
- Sending the ask to someone who was not the one who felt the result.
If you are unsure what to ask once they say yes, start from the testimonial question bank.
Common questions
Let one link do the asking
Create a free collection link, send it to your client, and get answers by text, voice or video. Then CasePruve turns them into a case study you can publish. Free plan: five testimonials and two case studies.
5 testimonials and 2 case studies free · No card · Your client never signs up