Here’s a mistake most businesses make when it comes to testimonials. They ask whoever they can get. They go to the most recent client, or the one they have the best relationship with, or whoever happens to pick up the phone.
And sometimes that works. But what if you could improve your odds of a Yes, and also getting a really effective testimonial even before you ask?
In reality, not every happy client makes a great testimonial subject. Identifying the right ones before you ask is the difference between a testimonial that converts and one that just sits on your website looking nice.
The difference between a happy client and a great testimonial subject
Here’s something that took me years to fully appreciate. A happy client and a great testimonial subject are not always the same person.
A happy client is someone who loved working with you. They’d recommend you to a friend. They might even leave you a glowing Google review.
A great testimonial subject is someone who can tell a story. Their story has a clear before, the problem they had before they found you. A turning point, the moment things started to change. And an after, the outcome they’re now living.
Without that arc, a testimonial is just someone saying nice things about you on camera. And nice things are… nice. But they don’t convert.
The good news is that there are patterns. And once you know what to look for, the right clients become easier to spot.
The four types of clients most likely to say Yes and mean it
Over 26 years of producing video testimonials, I’ve noticed that the clients who give the best testimonials tend to fall into one or more of four profiles. And yes, I said one or more because these aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, the more boxes a client ticks, the stronger their testimonial is likely to be, and the more likely they will be happy to give you the testimonial.
Here’s what to look for:
The Outcome Client
This is the client who came to you with a specific problem and left with a measurable result. Their story has a natural arc, before, during, and after. They can point to something concrete: more leads, a faster sales cycle, a product that finally launched, a team that’s now aligned.
These clients make great testimonial subjects because their story is easy to follow. A viewer watching their testimonial can see themselves in the before, and want the after.
Sometimes the specific problem may not be relevant to your target customers, which is where we will come in and use the story but shape it to make it more relevant to what the target customers might be looking out for.
The Skeptic Converted
This is the client who wasn’t sure about you at first. Maybe they’d been burned by a previous supplier. Maybe they questioned whether your services or products were worth the investment. Maybe they just took a long time to commit.
And then something changed.
These are often the most powerful testimonials because they mirror the exact mindset of your most hesitant prospects. When a skeptic says “I wasn’t sure, but…”, every other skeptic watching leans in.
After all, the reason they are probably watching your testimonials, or doing a deep dive on your website is because they are skeptical about you and want to make sure that they can trust you in the first place.
The Long-term Client
This is the client who keeps coming back. They’ve worked with you across multiple projects, or, in my case, they’ve been using a video we’ve made for them for years. Their longevity is itself proof.
You don’t need to ask them to say you’re good. The fact that they’ve stuck with you says something. What you want to draw out in their testimonial is why they stayed, and what that ongoing relationship has meant for their business.
There is also something quietly powerful about a long-term client testimonial. It tells your prospects that you are not just good at winning new business. You are good at keeping it.
One very important thing to steer clear of is that sometimes because of the long working relationship, the testimonial may sound like a friend saying nice things because you are friends.
Make sure the story focuses on why they stayed with you, not just because you’ve become great friends.
The Ideal Persona Match
This is the client whose profile mirrors your target persona almost exactly. Same role, same industry, same challenges, same goals.
When a prospect watches this testimonial, they don’t just see a happy customer. They see themselves. And that recognition is what moves someone from “this looks interesting” to “I need to call these people.”
This is why it’s worth thinking about who makes the purchase decision before you think about who to ask. The best testimonial isn’t always from your happiest client. It’s from the client your next client will relate to most.
A practical way to think about it: before you pick up the phone to ask for a testimonial, ask yourself one question first. If my target persona watched this person speak, would they say “that’s me”? If the answer is yes, you’ve found your testimonial subject.
The difference between an okay testimonial and one that actually works
Any testimonial is better than no testimonial. Let’s get that out of the way first.
But there is a meaningful difference between a testimonial that sits on your website and gets politely ignored, and one that makes your ideal prospect stop scrolling and think “I need to call these people.”
The difference usually comes down to two things: who is telling the story, and how the story is told.
Who is telling the story
A testimonial from someone who closely matches your target persona will always outperform one from someone who doesn’t, even if the words are almost identical.
Your target persona isn’t just watching the testimonial. They’re asking themselves one question the entire time: “Is this person like me?”
If the answer is yes, everything the interviewee says carries more weight. If the answer is no, even a genuinely compelling story loses some of its power because the viewer can’t fully see themselves in it.
There are ways to make a story more compelling generally, but it takes some skill to get it right.
How the story is told
A serviceable testimonial is one where someone says genuinely nice things about you. The words are warm. The sentiment is real. But the story doesn’t give the viewer enough context to understand why the interviewee is happy, or what specifically changed for them.
“Francis was great to work with and I’d recommend him to anyone” is lovely. But it doesn’t convert.
An effective testimonial follows a clear arc. You might know it as the Problem, Solution, Outcome framework. Or the Hero’s Journey. Either way, the structure is the same: here’s the problem I had, here’s what changed when I found the right solution, and here’s what my life or business looks like now.
Without that arc, a testimonial is just praise. With it, it becomes a story your prospect can see themselves in.
What a great testimonial actually looks like
For example, the owner of Whitehorse Plumbing gave a testimonial for SheCounts, his BAS Agent. He didn’t just say they were great at their job. He talked about the specific things that had changed since working with them.
The clarity in his books and finances. The relief of not having to worry about logging receipts or keeping tax requirements up to date. And then the moment that really brought it home: when he needed a loan for a new work vehicle, his books were so well maintained that his mortgage broker was able to provide approval almost on the same day.
That last detail is what separates a good testimonial from a great one. It’s specific. It’s unexpected. And it speaks directly to the kind of outcome a small business owner worries about — cashflow, approvals, financial clarity. Any tradie or small business owner watching that testimonial immediately understands the value of having their books in order.
That’s the power of a story that follows the arc. It doesn’t just tell people you’re good. It shows them exactly what good looks like in their world.
Once you’ve identified the right client, the next step is knowing how to make the ask. We’ve written a comprehensive guide on exactly how to do that. READ: How to Get a Yes from Your Clients When Asking For A Video Testimonial
FAQs
Q1: How do I know if a client will make a good testimonial subject?
Look for clients who fit one or more of the four profiles outlined in this post. The Outcome Client has a clear before and after story. The Skeptic Converted mirrors the mindset of your most hesitant prospects. The Long-Term Client proves you’re good at keeping business, not just winning it. And the Ideal Persona Match reflects the profile of the person most likely to make the next purchase decision. The more profiles a client fits, the stronger their testimonial is likely to be.
Q2: Should I ask my newest clients or my longest-standing ones for testimonials?
Both can work well — but for different reasons. A newer client has a fresh, vivid story and high enthusiasm. A long-term client brings longevity as its own proof point. The more important question is whether their profile matches your target persona and whether their story follows a clear arc. A long-standing client whose story doesn’t resonate with your ideal buyer will be less effective than a newer client whose experience mirrors exactly what your prospects are going through.
Q3: What if my best clients don’t match my target persona?
This is more common than you’d think — and it doesn’t mean you can’t use them. It means being thoughtful about where and how you use that testimonial. A story that doesn’t perfectly match your target persona can still be shaped around outcomes and emotions that your ideal buyer relates to. The key is in the questions you ask during the shoot. A good production team can draw out the elements of the story that are most relevant to your target audience, even when the client’s profile isn’t an exact match.
Q4: Can one client fit more than one of the four profiles?
Absolutely — and in fact, the more profiles a client fits, the stronger their testimonial is likely to be. A long-term client who was also initially skeptical and whose profile closely matches your target persona is about as good as it gets. Don’t think of the four profiles as separate boxes to tick — think of them as signals to look for. The more signals a client shows, the more confident you can be that they’ll give you a testimonial that converts.
Ready to find your best testimonial subjects?
If this post has got you thinking about which of your clients might be the right fit, that’s a great place to start. Sometimes talking it through with someone who has produced hundreds of testimonials makes the shortlisting process a lot faster.
Book a free discovery call and let’s work out together who your best testimonial subjects might be, and what their stories could do for your business.
