I am a firm believer in testimonials — but it wasn’t always that way. I had to learn the hard way that you need social proof, but I was always a bit too apprehensive to ask for it. 

But Today Ashlyn wants to shake Past Ashlyn’s shoulders and ask her, “What’s the harm in asking?!” The worst people can say is no…and the best is that you’ll get an awesome review. 

So in the last few years since I’ve learned to use testimonials in my marketing strategy, I’ve definitely learned a thing or two about leveraging them. And it starts with knowing how to ask for one.

 

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Leverage the technology available to you

As you may already know, I’m obsessed with HoneyBook. 

But in case you didn’t already know that HoneyBook is a client relationship management tool (a place to file and e-sign agreements, process invoicing, manage client projects, and communicate with the client). 

While there are some other great options out there, I think HoneyBook reigns supreme. 

Not only is the interface beautiful, but it makes asking for testimonials as a part of your client workflow a breeze. 

I’m definitely someone who has to write things down, or I will forget them. And client testimonials are no different. So the fact that I can fire off automations in my client workflows is what makes it a winner in my book. 

While this post is not just meant to sing HoneyBook’s praises, I legit stopped forgetting about those testimonials after using it. 

It was so easy to slide it in there with email automation at one, three, and six-month cadences. 

So let me ask you — how will you use the technology you already have to get those testimonials? 

Regardless of what you use, start looking at how you can work it into the client experience. 

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Let the client do what feels right for them

When reaching out to clients for testimonials, offer them multiple ways to respond. The harder you make it on them, the less likely they will respond. 

The most common ways you can ask for reviews:

• Video testimonials
• Written testimonials
• Surveys

If possible, you can send out options for all three! This will make it much easier for you to get quality answers you can use.

And if someone already sent you great feedback, don’t ask for it twice! Just ask them if it’s cool if you use what they sent you (like in a DM or email for example). 

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Ask the right questions

Yes and no questions are not helpful when it comes to client testimonials! Why?

Because it blocks your chances of getting full-on, feedback that’s rich with those juicy bits of details your potential clients love to see. 

But whatever method you collect testimonials through, make sure you’ve got your bases covered: 

• Have them identify the problem they had before working with you
• Ask them why they decided to work with you
• Have them describe the transformation they had after working with you

This is the bare minimum, but it’s a starting point! Feel free to add any extra questions as you see fit. 

Use hearty testimonials

The biggest mistake I see creatives make? Using vanilla testimonials! 

Sure, using reviews like, “She’s so great to work with!” or “She does great work!” is useful, but it’s just too plain to make an impression on someone who is trying to decide whether or not to pull out their credit card for you. 

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Never stop collecting testimonials 

As a business owner, you’ve got to constantly ask yourself how you can improve what you’re doing, and look for ways to give those ideas legs. 

Don’t be shy — ask for those testimonials! Don’t just say, “Thanks for working with me!” say, “Thanks for working with me! Mind leaving a review?” 

Again, what’s the worst they can say? No? 

More times than not, you’ll get a great review you can use on your website. And I personally think that’s worth a few moments of feeling uncomfortable!

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Organize what you’ve got

As a copywriter, I have lots of testimonial data. And there is no way I could decipher what to use if I didn’t keep it organized. 

So, I use a very fancy folder system — which is literally just keeping these testimonials organized in my Google Drive. 

Folders works best for screenshots of DMs and messages, but if you want something to keep all your long-form testimonials organized, try spreadsheets! 

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Place testimonials intentionally across your website

Now that you’ve got 5-star reviews, you need to know how to use those testimonials well — aka how to use them in your marketing materials and across your website for maximum impact!

This is something I teach inside of Copywriting for Creatives — we’ll walk through where and how to intentionally litter your sales pages and emails with testimonials as if they were confetti!

If that sounds like something you’re interested in learning, you can learn more here!

But P.S. — testimonials aren’t the only thing we cover! I’ll teach you how to master your message, write your site, and launch it to SELL through my tried-and-true copywriting curriculum and templates.

Deal? Deal! Sign up here.