How and when to ask for testimonials

The right request at the right moment can turn a happy customer into a glowing testimonial. This guide covers when to ask, what to say, and how to get more people to say yes.

When to ask

Ask while the good feeling is fresh: a few hours or a few days after your customer last had a win with you. The best moments include:

• After a customer hits a success milestone with your product

• When you get positive feedback by email or on social media

• Right after you finish a project or help them reach a goal

• After a great support interaction, where you went the extra mile

Timing ideas by business type

Course or info product

• Ask inside your course by adding your form to a lesson

• Automate a request 7 days after someone downloads your info product

• Share your form link by email or in a social post

Membership or community

• Automate a request at the 2-month membership milestone

• Combine it with a survey to gather feedback

• Add a link to your form in your community menu

E-commerce

• Automate a request 3 days after the product arrives

Freelance

• Share your form right after you deliver a project, while your client is still excited about the results

• Ask after a big client win, like hitting a milestone thanks to your work

SaaS

• Automate a request 24 hours after a customer upgrades

• Automate a request after a customer uses a new feature for the first time

• Ask after a support conversation that solved their problem

Newsletter

• Automate a request after a reader's third click from your newsletter

Coaching

• Send a request after the third call

• Or ask during the call and clip out your client's answer

What to say in your request

A good request includes:

• A personal greeting that mentions a specific result or milestone they reached

• Your why: tell them your business depends on testimonials. People are happy to help when they know it matters

• How long it takes: about 30 seconds, so they can do it right away without scheduling time

• Their choice of format: they can leave a video or a written testimonial, whichever they're comfortable with

Need help with the questions themselves? See our testimonial questions guide.

Get more people to say yes

Be a person, not a brand

Nobody wants to write a testimonial for a faceless company. Write your request like you'd write to a friend, and add a welcome video to your form so customers see there's a real person behind it. See How to set up questions and pages in Senja form.

Offer something in return

People often don't ignore your request because they don't want to help. They're just busy, and there's nothing in it for them. Give them a reason:

• A discount code or gift card

• Exclusive content

• Early access to a new product or service

• A donation to charity in their name

• A chance to win something

Senja's Spin the Wheel reward makes it a game, and we've seen users collect up to 2x more testimonials with it. See How to reward customers for testimonials.

Follow up

If you send your request through form invites, you can turn on up to 3 follow-up emails for customers who haven't responded, and track who opened, clicked, and submitted. See How do I use form invites?

Say thank you

Thank every customer who submits, and let them know where their testimonial will appear, like your website or Wall of Love. You can send a personal thank you, with a gift if you like, from Thank Yous.

Things to avoid

• Pushing too hard or sending too many reminders

• Asking brand new customers who haven't had a win yet

• Generic, copy-paste messages with no personal touch

• A long or complicated process

• Asking during your customer's busiest periods

Asking for video testimonials

When you ask for a video, reassure customers that:

• They don't need special equipment: their phone, tablet, or laptop camera is enough

• 30 to 60 seconds is plenty

• Retakes are totally fine

Giving them a few prompt questions helps them structure what they say. For more ideas, see How to collect more video testimonials.

Next steps

1. Set up your form, see Senja forms overview

2. Pick the right moment for your business from the list above

3. Write a short, personal request

4. Share your form or send invites, see How to share your form

5. Track what comes in on your Proof page