A testimonial only earns its place if the reader believes a real person actually said it. That means a full name, a location, ideally a face or a logo, and one specific result, put where people are actually looking. Here’s how to spot a weak one, how to ask for a strong one, and a copy-paste message you can send today to get testimonials that win you work.

Why do testimonials make or break a sale?

Nothing can make or break your business quicker than people talking. The fact is, we are human beings and that means we listen to what other people say. It’s probably more important than ever to make those words count.

A version of this article was first published in 2015. It was true then, and it’s only gotten truer. People now read your reviews before they’ll so much as email you (they’re checking you won’t waste their afternoon). Proof is part of how you’re perceived, the same way your personal brand is. And a page of glowing praise with no names attached does the opposite of reassure. It reads as fiction. And fictitious testimonials are not the testimonials that win you work.

Avoid wet lettuce testimonials at all costs.

Here’s one from a recruitment agency I’ve genuinely seen:

“Very positive! Staff are always helpful and obliging. Also, you found me the exact job that I wanted in the location that I wanted” – Community Safety Officer.

This has no credibility at all, and it just looks like someone made it up. No name you could look up, no business, no photo, no actual result. It could be about anyone, written by anyone, including the person whose website it’s sitting on. It’s a limp, wet lettuce.

What makes a testimonial credible?

Get good testimonials with logos, names, photos or videos. If you can’t name your clients on your website, then don’t add it in at all, or decide upon a way of anonymising it that doesn’t dilute its credibility.

Bring it up to standard with four things. A name, the town or city they’re in (“Sarah from Leeds” lands, “S.T.” does not), a photo or a company logo, and one specific result you got them. Specifics sell. “Lovely to work with” is pleasant. “You increased our leads by 100% in six weeks” makes someone reach for the keyboard. (FYI, that’s lifted directly from an email I received only this week – just saying!)

Where should the testimonials actually go?

Here’s the bit most businesses get wrong. They gather up their proof, make it look pretty on their testimonials page and feel very pleased with themselves. The problem is that almost nobody clicks a testimonials page (it’s the marketing equivalent of keeping your best work in a drawer). Put your strongest one or two on your homepage, right next to what you’re offering. Drop relevant ones onto your service pages and beside your call to action buttons, where the reader is deciding whether or not to trust you. Proof works where the decision gets made, not in a room down the hall no one visits.

How do you ask for testimonials that win you work?

Most people never ask, because saying “can you write me a testimonial?” feels uncomfortable and there’s a fear that it’s just going to land on a busy client as homework. A blank page and a vague request gets you either silence or, worse, more wet lettuce material. Make it a two-minute job instead. Ask at the peak, right after a win, while they’re happy and it’s fresh. Tell them exactly where it’ll go and that you’d like to use their name, business and town. And hand them prompts, so they’re filling in blanks rather than staring at one.

A copy-paste message you can send today

Hi [name], really pleased we got you [the specific result]. Would you be happy for me to use a couple of lines from you as a recommendation on our website? To keep it quick, just answer whichever of these you fancy:

• What was the situation before we started?

• What’s different now?

• What would you say to someone weighing up whether to work with us?

Two or three sentences is plenty. And if you’re happy for me to put your name, business and town next to it, that’s the part that makes people believe it. Thank you.

Send that, and you’ll get back something you can actually use. Names, specifics, credibility. The opposite of a soggy salad leaf.

Testimonials are some of the hardest-working copy on your whole site when done right, and part of a bigger trust picture. The full playbook sits in How To Get Reviews And Recommendations For Your Business. Go and look at yours now. If any of them could have been written by anyone about anyone, you’ve got wet lettuce, and it’s quietly costing you the sale you never knew you were in the running for.

Want the shortcuts? My book, Stop Hiding – Start Marketing, comes with the Show Up Vault: the full library of prompts, templates and workbooks, including ready-made request messages for gathering reviews that actually convert. Grab your copy here.

FAQs – The quick read on this.