12. How to get testimonials that don't suck

If asking for testimonials makes you feel awkward, self-conscious, or like you’re begging for praise — you’re not alone. And if you’ve ever sat on a pile of glowing testimonials that you don’t quite know how to share… this episode is for you.

Listen to hear more about:

• Why you don’t actually need testimonials to validate your work (and why people still buy without them)
• The real purpose of testimonials (it's not what you think)
• How to ask for testimonials in a way that’s easeful, respectful, and gets powerful responses
• A step-by-step guide to collecting, editing, and sharing testimonials that feel true and aligned

You’ll walk away with a whole new relationship to testimonials — not as proof of your worth, but as part of how you serve. 

Transcript

Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Liberatory Business. I'm your host, Simone Seol. Thank you so much for listening today.

Let's talk about testimonials. There's so much I want to tell you about them because a lot of the ideas people have around testimonials are just... not it. It can feel really vulnerable, weird, and even icky to ask for them. And then people feel all kinds of weirdness about sharing them once they have the testimonials.

I can't tell you how many people I've spoken to who say, “Oh, I have all these amazing testimonials about me and my work, and they're stashed away in a little secret box where no one can ever see them.” And I'm like, share them. Please, for the love of God, share them! And people say, “Oh, no…” You know?

But I get it. And I think you're going to feel better after listening to this episode because I'm going to reframe some big assumptions we have about testimonials.

So here we go.

First things first: you don't need testimonials.
I know this goes against a lot of conventional marketing wisdom, but seriously—you don’t need them.

Tons and tons of people bought from me, even way back when my business was tiny, and I was just offering one-on-one work at a modest price. From then to now, when thousands of people are enrolling in my courses, many of them have bought without reading a single testimonial.

There's a lot of pressure in online business culture to collect testimonials like Pokémon cards—like you need them to show social proof, to make people feel safe buying from you. And yeah, okay, there's some truth to that. The human brain does like herd behavior. We want to do what others are doing—it makes us feel safer.

But there's also such a thing as overreliance on social proof, and that gets funky.

What I mean is: if you’re using testimonials to compensate for shaky belief in your own work, or to patch up your confidence… if it feels like the strength of your voice, your work, your communication isn’t enough and you need other people to speak for you—that shakiness is going to come through. People can feel it.

Testimonials should be the icing on your marketing cake, not the whole cake.
They’re not supposed to do the heavy lifting of communicating the value of your work. Your work does that. The way you speak to people, your clarity, your beliefs, your skill, the trust you build—that’s what does the heavy lifting.

Testimonials don’t validate you as a creative business owner.
 And the lack of testimonials doesn’t invalidate you, either.
 You validate your work.

If you struggle with this, I want you to write it down:
 “What validates the value of my work is me—my beliefs and the way I show up.”

Because again, if you're feeling shaky about that, no amount of glowing praise is going to truly cover up the fact that you don't feel solid inside.

Here’s the truth: people don’t hire you because others said nice things. They hire you when they can see themselves in the story you're telling. Once they feel that—testimonials are just a cherry on top. A little spark. A final nudge.

Now that said—am I saying you shouldn't have testimonials?
No, I think you should have them. I know I just said you don’t need them—but if you have them, amazing! They can be a beautiful bonus for people’s brains.

Here’s the thing: when you want someone to read a testimonial, you want them to already be thinking, “Oh my god, I want to work with this person.” But then they might start doubting themselves. “Is this dumb? Am I making a bad judgment? Do I deserve this?”

They’ll have drama about trusting themselves. So when they read a testimonial, it helps them feel safer. Like, “Oh, I’m not dumb. Other people have done this. I can trust myself.”

When testimonials work, it’s not to convince—it’s to comfort. To say, “Hey, this possibility exists. It’s achievable for you.”

Here’s the reframe that changes everything:
 A testimonial isn’t about bragging.
It’s not, “Look how awesome I am.”
It’s, “Look what’s possible for you.”

It’s a window into transformation—not yours, theirs.
 Good testimonials don’t center you. They center the client.

So if someone says, “Simone is the best!”—that’s not a great testimonial. That’s not what it’s about. A better testimonial is, “Before I worked with Simone, I didn’t believe in myself. Now I know I’m the best.” The client is always the main character.

A testimonial should highlight what changed for the client.
What opened up? What shifted? What transformation happened?
That’s what makes someone reading it say, “Could that be possible for me too?”

That’s the whole point: connecting people to new possibilities for themselves.
 It’s not about you. It’s not about how great you are.

So I hope that reframe took some of the weirdness out of asking for or sharing testimonials. When you know it’s not about making people praise you—but about showing what’s possible for others—it becomes part of your service. You're helping people connect with their own transformation.

Okay, so let’s break down how to get testimonials that actually work.

Most people just ask, “Hey, can you write me a testimonial?”
 And this is super common, but honestly? Not the best idea.

What usually happens:
 They say yes, but then procrastinate forever. The request sits in their inbox, making them feel guilty. Writing feels like homework—even if they really want to do it. Perfectionism kicks in. They overthink every word. They try to sound “professional” instead of just being real.

Also, writing just flattens things. Spoken words are often way more powerful—the rawness, the enthusiasm, the tone, the pauses—none of that comes through in writing unless someone is a really skilled writer.

So instead of asking someone to write a testimonial, here’s what works way better:

Send them a message saying something like:
 “Hey, I’m putting together some testimonials to help more people connect with what’s possible through this work. Would you be open to a super quick 10-minute chat about your experience? I’ll record it (with your permission) and pull a few quotes to share if it feels aligned.”

If you're already on a call with them, you can ask at the end:
 “Would you be open to staying an extra 5–10 minutes so I can hear about your experience? I might use some of what you share as a testimonial—if that’s cool with you.”

Nine times out of ten—if they like your work—they'll say yes. People are usually honored and happy to support you.

Just make sure you’re clear about consent and how you’ll use their words. Ask things like:

• “Would you be okay if I shared this as a video or just audio?”
• “Would you prefer I use written quotes only?”
• “Can I send you the edited version for your approval?”

When you do this, you build trust—and you show that you care about their experience. No one should ever come across a testimonial and think, “Wait, I didn’t say that.”

Now, let’s talk about what makes an effective testimonial and what to ask during that 10-minute chat:

1. Focus on the client’s before and after. Ask:

• What made you want to work with me or buy this?
• What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed since then?
• What can you do now that you couldn’t before?
• What’s possible now that wasn’t before?

2. Ask for specific details, not vague praise. Ask:

• What specific part of this work had the biggest impact?
• Can you give me a real-life example of how that showed up?
• What surprised you the most about the process?

3. Address common fears or doubts. Ask:

• Were you skeptical or worried about anything before starting?
• What made you hesitate?
• What would you say to someone on the fence?

And if someone says something vague like, “This changed everything for me,” don’t just transcribe it as-is. Ask follow-up questions:
 “What do you mean by that?”
 “What changed in your day-to-day life?”

All of this might sound like a lot, but trust me—you can get everything you need in 10 minutes. And now we have tools that transcribe recordings for you, so it’s easier than ever.

Once you have the transcript, here’s how to edit:

• Trim filler words like “um,” “like,” and “you know.”
• Pull out the most emotionally resonant, interesting parts.
• You don’t need to use the whole thing—just the sentences that pack a punch.
• Keep it short and compelling. Every sentence should pull its weight.

After editing, send it to them and say: “Hey, I cleaned this up a bit for clarity. Just want to make sure it still rings true for you—let me know if you’d like any changes.”

And don’t forget to thank them.
Let them know how much you appreciate them helping others connect with this work.

Once you have their okay—share it far and wide. Share it proudly.

Hopefully this episode gave you some helpful tools and reframes—from seeing testimonials not as self-promotion, but as celebrations of transformation.

Even if someone never buys from you—just reading someone else’s story might open up something in them. Maybe they’ll start believing in themselves a bit more. Maybe it’ll spark something. That’s how testimonials can be a kind of sacred service.

Yes, you want people to buy your work. But even beyond that, testimonials are about honoring what’s possible.

So that’s it for today. Go collect those testimonials—and share them far and wide.
 I’ll talk to you next time. Bye.

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