Client Testimonials 101: How to Get Them, Use Them, and Sign More Dream Clients

You know that feeling when you walk past a restaurant that’s completely packed… and suddenly you want to eat there even though you weren’t even hungry two seconds ago?

This is marketing psychology in action – a psychological phenomenon called social proof. And your brain does it automatically every single day.

When potential clients land on your Instagram or website, they’re doing the exact same thing. 

They’re looking around for signs that other people have trusted you and gotten results. 

And one of the easy breeziest ways to use social proof in your business? Client testimonials.

But (and this is a BIG BUT 😉) – only when you use them right. 
In this post, I’m breaking down why testimonials are marketing GOLD, the mistakes that keep them from actually converting, and exactly how to collect ones that do the heavy lifting for you. 🙌

Let’s get into it!

What Is Social Proof and Why Is It So Important in Your Marketing?

I once heard a story about a social experiment involving people lining up in queues.

Researchers formed a long line in a busy mall that led absolutely nowhere. The thing is, the people walking around the mall didn’t know that.

Because this was a looooong line, folks just started getting into it. They figured that because the line existed and people were standing in it, talking enthusiastically, it MUST lead to something good.

They might not have known where the line was going, but they gave in to FOMO and hopped on into it, anyway.  

This is how social proof works.

When we see other people doing something, our brains automatically assume there must be a good reason for it. It’s part of how we decide what’s safe, what’s popular, and what’s worth our time and money.

And that same instinct shows up in marketing all the time.

Potential clients read testimonials and see other people working well with you, enjoying the experience, and getting results. That’s the social proof they need to know that your offer is worth paying attention to.

Through client testimonials, you’re showing that other people believe in you AND that you have the evidence to prove it.

It’s a quick and easy way to build trust and convert leads faster. 

Why Client Testimonials are Such A Powerful Marketing Tool

Client testimonials might seem simple, but they’re doing A LOT behind the scenes. 

When used properly, a good testimonial doesn’t just make you look good. They use buyer psychology to help move your audience from “Sure, this sounds interesting” to “Yes! I’m ready to buy!”

Here are 3 reasons why client testimonials do wonders for marketing your business.

They Help Leads Trust You. 

At the end of the day, every buying decision comes down to trust.

When someone lands on your website or finds you on Instagram, they’re trying to figure out one thing: 

Can I trust this person selling to me?

Here’s the tricky part: 

No matter how many times you, as the seller, say, “Yes, this is going to work for you and here’s why…” you’re the one selling it. You have skin in the game, and you benefit most from persuading someone to buy your product or service. 

But your past clients don’t. That’s exactly why testimonials work so well.

When the same information is coming from someone who has nothing to gain, your leads are a lot more likely to believe it (and a lot more likely to buy!)

They Help Buyers See Themselves Succeeding

While building trust in your marketing is important, sometimes, that trust alone isn’t enough. 

People need the assurance and confidence that they’ll be able to succeed in your offer, too. 

Because even when someone trusts you, there’s still one big question running through their mind:

“Will this work for ME, specifically?”

When potential buyers read a client testimonial, they’re not just hearing that your offer works. They’re looking for someone who they can relate to. 

For example, I once mentioned in an email that an acting coach had joined Magic Marketing Machine and gotten great results. Shortly after, another acting coach enrolled and told me exactly why she signed up:

“When you talked about that other acting coach joining, I was like, great! Now I know this will work for me.”

Knowing that Magic Marketing Machine worked for someone else in her niche was the emotional push this new lead needed to hit the “Enroll Now!” button. 

She was able to see herself getting the same results, which made deciding to buy that much easier.

They Help Overcome An Objection

Think about the objections you hear most often – the things that specifically keep people from working with you.

Maybe they think it will be too time-consuming or it won’t be worth the money.

Instead of trying to convince them yourself, let your testimonials do the talking. Find ones that speak directly to that fear or worry and post those. 

When a past client says, “I was scared it would take too much time, but it was so worth it,” that’s a thousand times more convincing coming from them than it ever would be coming from you.

The risk feels smaller, and your potential client feels a lot safer handing over their credit card.

Psst…Using testimonials to tackle objections head-on makes for a killer sales post on Instagram. And if you’re not sure how sales content fits into your overall Instagram strategy, go check out this post on the 3 types of Instagram posts you need to sign more clients →

Why Sharing Client Testimonials Isn’t Bragging

Before we get into the tactical tips around sharing and collecting client testimonials, there’s a good chance you’re thinking:

“Ugh, sharing testimonials always feels so lowkey braggy.” I get it. Like you’re saying, “Look how cool I am! All these people had a GREAT time working with me!”

BLECH 🤮

But here’s the reframe: stop thinking about yourself for a second and put yourself in your lead’s shoes instead.

What are they thinking about? What are their fears, needs, and worries? And how can you set their mind at ease about them so they feel more comfortable working with you?

If a lead comes to you and you know in your heart of hearts they’re going to be a perfect client, you should have no reason NOT to sell to them.

In fact, not selling to them would be a disservice – because you already know your offer is going to change their life.

Showing them the social proof they need isn’t bragging. It’s giving them the information they need to finally feel safe enough to say “yes!”

The Problem With How Most Business Owners Use Testimonials

Now, one of the biggest problems business owners have with client testimonials is that they post them… but they don’t convert.

Most have poor text hierarchy, some don’t show real results, and the majority just get scrolled right past.

So, let’s break down two of the most common mistakes I’ve seen that keep client testimonials from converting. 

Mistake #1: Relying Too Heavily On Canva Templates.

Listen, I love Canva. You love Canva. Most of us entrepreneurs love Canva. 

But let’s be honest, Canva’s client testimonial templates suuuuuck. 

They all say “Client Love” in huge bold letters. And you know what happens when someone is scrolling Instagram and the first thing that catches their eye is “Client Love”?

Nothing. They don’t read what comes next. They just keep scrolling.

When “Client Love” gets the topmost place in the hierarchy of words on your graphic, the reader’s brain instantly decides: “Oh, okay. This post is only about Suzy Seller. It’s not for me.”

Rule #1 of writing copy: Your leads are always looking for what’s in it for them.

So, your client testimonials need to be designed in a way that pulls the eye to the most important message. Even someone skimming should immediately understand the result your client experienced.

Because the faster someone sees the value in working with you, the faster they start believing it’s possible for them too.

Mistake #2: Not Giving Your Clients a Clear Structure

Next, when you’re requesting a testimonial, you don’t want vague answers in response. 

If you simply ask, “Hey, can you send me a testimonial?” all you’re going to get in return is something like: 

“Jenna is so fun and so great to work with.”

“I love Jenna. She got me results.”

Sure, these compliments are great for the ego – save them for a rainy day when you need a pick-me-up. But from a marketing perspective, they’re not doing much for your business.

They don’t explain what the “results” actually are, and they don’t give any quantifiable or relatable  social proof.  

Did their revenue increase? Were they able to book more clients? Did they stop wanting to throw their phone into the ocean every time they opened Instagram?

If all they write is “She got me results,” the world will never know.

How to Collect Client Testimonials That Convert 

Some #toughlove though – if you’re getting vague testimonials, that’s on you. Not your clients, you. 

When you just ask, “hey, can you send me a testimonial?” you’re basically handing them a blank piece of paper and hoping for the best. And then wondering why what comes back is borderline unusable. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Your clients aren’t marketers. They don’t know what makes a good testimonial. That’s your job. And it comes down to two things: asking the right questions and having a good system to collect them.

Ask the right questions.

You need to be asking the right questions, so you get the right answers.

For example, asking “Did you get the results you expected from our services?” will probably get you a simple yes or no response.

But asking, “What was your favourite part about working with us?” or “What stood out about our service?” will get you specifics. These questions ask your client to think back and really contemplate their answer before writing something flippant or vague.

You’ll also want to ask questions that keep your clients from going full corporate robot on you. 😅

Asking, “How was your experience?” might get a response like:

“After working with Jenna, I can now confidently scale my business using effective marketing communications and strategies.”

For someone cruising through your website or casually scrolling Instagram, that heavy corporate jargon isn’t going to land.

However, asking “What surprised you the most about working with us?” will get you the answers people really want to know:

“I got likes!”

“I got followers!”

“I got clients!”

“I made money!”

Instead of leaving it up to chance, guide your clients’ testimonials with an easy-to-send form filled with very specific questions.

That way, every testimonial you collect is working hard to bring in your next client.

Streamline your testimonial system.

Finally, you 100% NEED to have a streamlined testimonial system. 

You already have a system for onboarding that welcomes new clients. So why not build testimonial collection right into your offboarding so it happens every single time?

For example, if you typically work with clients for three months, draft an email with a testimonial form questionnaire and schedule it to send at the end of your working relationship. 

This eliminates the stress of needing to ask for a testimonial and eliminates that icky feeling of asking for something else after you’ve already been paid. 

It just becomes a normal part of your offboarding system.

Side note: Once you start collecting testimonials, make sure you keep them all together. Personally, I have hundreds of testimonials so we use an Airtable base so I can sort them by topic, but you can also store them on a simple spreadsheet or just a Google folder. 

❌ No more screenshots scattered through your camera roll so they take 10 minutes to find when you need them.

Then, when you’re successful, and hundreds of client testimonials start pouring in, future you will be so grateful that they’re organized. (#manifesting ✨) You’ll be able to easily just find and pull the perfect one for a quick Instagram post. 

Oh, and if you’re having a hard day in business, it’s always SO rewarding to read through them for some motivation!

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At the end of the day, people trust people. And when a potential client lands on your page and sees real humans raving about real results, that’s the nudge they need to finally say yes.

But that only happens when your testimonials are specific, strategic, and tell the story your leads need to hear. 

Get that right, and your past clients become your best salespeople …without you having to say a word.

And if you want help getting there, that’s exactly why I created the Testimonials That Sell mini course.

In less than an hour, I walk you through how to:

• Get more testimonials without making it weird (I even wrote the ask email for you)
• Ask the right questions so you get usable content, 
• Organize & store testimonials in just a few clicks,
• Use them to create amazing posts that convert leads.

You’ll also get sample questions, email templates, and marketing psychology-infused tactics to transform feedback into valuable social proof. 

As a bonus, you’ll also get the Posts That Sell Caption Template when you enroll! 

Ready to start posting client testimonials that convert ASAP?

Click here to start the Testimonials that Sell mini course!