How to request a testimonial from a client, with templates you can copy

The best moment is right after the client feels the result, not right after they pay. For a B2B project that is the week the deliverable goes live or the first report shows progress. For a clinic, salon or home service it is the same day as the visit, while the experience is fresh. For an online store it is two to five days after delivery, once the customer has opened the box and used the product.

Asking too early produces vague answers like "great service so far". Asking too late means the client has moved on and the details are gone. If your work has a clear finish line, tie the request to it. If it is ongoing, pick a milestone such as a renewal, a first quarter review or a project close.

TestimonialManager sends the request on these moments for you: after purchase, after delivery, after an appointment or after a project closes, triggered by your store, payment, booking or CRM tools. You can see the full route on how testimonial collection works.

A request that gets answers is short and specific. It has five parts, and each one has a job.

• A personal opening that names the project, order or visit, so the client knows this is not a mass mailing.
• One sentence on why you are asking, for example to help other teams decide whether you are the right fit.
• Two or three guided questions, because a blank box is hard to fill and guided questions produce concrete answers.
• One link to a page where the client can write, rate or record a short video, without creating an account.
• A clear note on where the words may appear and that the client can approve or withdraw at any time.

The last point matters more than most people think. A testimonial you cannot prove the client agreed to publish is a risk, not an asset. Our testimonial consent form records what the client agreed to, with a timestamp, next to every quote.

The subject line decides whether the email is read today or archived. Keep it under 50 characters, use the client's name or project, and say plainly what you want. Avoid anything that looks like a newsletter.

• Quick favor about [project name]
• [First name], two minutes on how it went?
• How did [product name] work out for you?
• Your visit at [business name] on [date]
• Would you share a few words about [project name]?
• One question about your order from [store name]

Test two subject lines against each other for a few weeks and keep the one with the higher answer rate, not the higher open rate. Opens without answers do not help you.

Use this after a project goes live, after onboarding ends or when the client reports a result. Send it from a real person the client knows, usually the account lead or founder.

Subject: Quick favor about [project name]

Hi [first name],

Now that [project or deliverable] is live, I wanted to say thank you for the way your team worked with us on it.

Would you share a few words about the experience? It helps other [industry] teams decide whether we are a good fit. It takes about two minutes, and you can type an answer or record a short video from your phone.

A few questions to get you started:

• What were you trying to fix before we started?
• What changed after [project or deliverable] went live?
• What would you tell a colleague who is considering working with us?

[Link to your request page]

You will see exactly where your words may appear before anything is published, and you can change or withdraw your approval at any time.

Thank you,

[Your name], [role]

For software companies the same structure works well after the first renewal or when usage passes a meaningful threshold. See testimonials for SaaS for the moments that work best in subscription businesses, and testimonials for agencies if you collect on behalf of client brands.

Local customers answer on their phone, often minutes after leaving. Keep the email short, name the visit and offer both options: a few words for your website and a review on Google.

Subject: Your visit at [business name] on [date]

Hi [first name],

Thank you for coming in to see [staff name or team] at our [location] office today.

If you have a minute, we would love to hear how it went. You can leave a few words for our website or post a review on Google, whichever you prefer.

[Link to your request page]

Your answer helps us improve and helps neighbors choose with confidence.

Thank you,

[Business name], [location]

Two rules keep this request clean. Every customer gets the same message and the same Google review link, whatever their experience. And you never offer a discount, gift or entry in a draw in exchange for a review. Our guide on how to get more google reviews explains why, and reputation management for small businesses shows how multi location teams run this per location.

For stores, the product is the subject. Name it, show it and ask about use, not about the purchase process.

Subject: How did [product name] work out for you?

Hi [first name],

Your [product name] arrived a few days ago, and we hope it is already in use.

Would you tell us how it is working for you? A sentence or two is plenty, and a photo or short video of the product in your hands helps other shoppers more than anything we could write.

[Link to your request page]

You choose whether your first name and photo are shown, and you can change your mind later.

Thanks for shopping with us,

[Store name]

If you run a store on Shopify or WooCommerce, the request can go out automatically after the delivery event. Details are on ecommerce review requests.

SMS works best for local services and quick purchases, where the customer is already on their phone. Keep it under 160 characters, identify your business in the first words and include one link. Only text customers who gave you their number for messages about their visit or order, and honor opt out replies.

• [Business name]: thanks for visiting today, [first name]. How did it go? Share a few words or a Google review here: [short link]
• [Store name]: your [product name] arrived. Tell us how it is working for you, it takes a minute: [short link]
• Hi [first name], it is [your name] from [company]. Would you share a quick note about [project name]? [short link]

SMS requests are part of the Growth plan and higher, with monthly limits listed on testimonial software pricing.

People miss emails. One reminder three to five days later recovers a good share of answers. A second or third reminder mostly annoys clients who decided not to answer, so stop after one.

Subject: Re: Quick favor about [project name]

Hi [first name],

Just bringing this back to the top of your inbox in case it got buried. If you have two minutes this week, here is the link again: [link to your request page]

If now is not a good time, no problem at all.

[Your name]

The follow up goes only to people who have not answered yet. Anyone who already replied, or who asked not to be contacted, should never receive it. TestimonialManager sends exactly one reminder per request and skips everyone who already answered.

• Asking everyone on the same day once a year, instead of right after each project or purchase.
• Writing the testimonial for the client and asking them to sign it. It reads as fake, and under the FTC rule it can be treated as a fake testimonial.
• Sending only to clients you expect to be happy, and only those clients get the Google review link.
• Publishing a quote without written consent, or with the client's full name and photo when they agreed only to initials.
• Editing a quote to say something stronger than the client said.

Our article on testimonial consent rules covers what the 2024 FTC rule says about these practices, and how to ask for testimonials from customers covers the questions themselves in more depth.

Reply with a short thank you the same day. Then tag the testimonial by product, service or location so your team can find it when they build a landing page or a sales deck. Pick the strongest sentence for a headline, but keep the full answer on file and link the quote to its consent record.

In TestimonialManager every answer lands in one library with tags, star rating and the consent attached. AI testimonial highlights suggest the strongest fragment and transcribe videos, and the original words are never changed without your approval. From there a testimonial widget puts approved quotes on your site.