Testimonial examples
How to write, ask for, and show testimonials people believe: formats that work, the details that make a quote credible, and what makes one look made up.
TLDR
- People believe testimonials that are specific, from a named person with a face, and sound like someone talking.
- The best ones mention the before, the after, and one concrete detail.
- Ask for them right after a customer wins, with a specific question, and offer to draft it for their approval.
What makes one believable
Compare:
“Great product, highly recommend!” (J.)
“We used to rebuild the monthly report by hand, about six hours every first Monday. Now it’s done before my coffee. I didn’t believe the onboarding call either.” (Priya Raman, Head of Ops at Lumen)
Both are made up for this post (Lumen isn’t real either). The second one works because it’s specific (six hours, the first Monday, coffee), it has a before and an after, and it sounds like a person.
The checklist:
- Full name and photo. Initials and a grey avatar read as invented.
- Job title and company. It tells the reader whether this person is like them.
- A specific detail. A number, a feature, a moment.
- Before and after. What they did before, what changed.
- Their words. Not polished into marketing copy.
Formats that work
The pull quote. One sentence, big, with a face. Put it right under your hero or next to the feature it’s about.
The wall. Dozens of short quotes in a grid. Volume is the proof. Works when you have lots.
The highlighted line. A longer quote with the key phrase highlighted, so skimmers get the point.
The video clip. Fifteen seconds of a real customer saying one thing. Hard to fake, which is why it works.
The case study. When one quote isn’t enough. See B2B case study examples.
How to ask
- Ask after a win. They just hit a milestone, renewed, or emailed to say thanks. That’s the moment.
- Ask a real question. “What were you using before, and what changed?” gets a story. “Can you write us a testimonial?” gets “Great product!”.
- Offer to draft it. Write it from their answer, send it for approval. Most people are happy to say yes to something already written.
- Ask for the photo. Or permission to use their LinkedIn one.
What makes them look fake
- Every quote is the same length and tone.
- Nobody has a last name.
- They all praise “the team” and “the support” and nothing specific.
- Stock photos. People reverse image search.
Collect them
Save testimonial sections you like from other sites, and save every nice thing a customer says to you, as a screenshot, the day they say it. A year later, searching “hours a week” in Savepad finds every customer who said it, because the text inside screenshots is searchable. More copy patterns in landing page examples and about page examples.
FAQ
What makes a testimonial believable?
A real name, a photo, a job title and company, and a specific detail only a real customer would mention. 'Saved us 6 hours a week on reporting' beats 'Great product!'.
How do I ask customers for a testimonial?
Ask right after a win, ask a specific question like 'what were you using before, and what changed?', and offer to write it up from their answer for them to approve.
Can I edit a customer's testimonial?
You can trim it and fix typos, and you should get their approval on the final version. Don't change what they meant or add claims they didn't make.