How to Collect More Testimonials From Agency Clients

What makes a testimonial persuasive?

Proof raises the trust a buyer has in your service. You can add it to your content, sales videos, nurture sequences and follow up sequences. Think of how you check reviews before you try a new restaurant or buy something online.

Think of proof as a scale. At the weak end is an anonymous review from years ago with a vague recommendation. At the strong end is a recent, personal review from someone in the same position as your prospect, who had the same problem solved.

There are three ways to move towards the strong end. Get more testimonials. Get more recent ones, for example from the past three months. Get more personal ones, such as interviews with clients, in person or online.

Why do most agencies collect testimonials badly?

Most agencies do one of two things. They ask for a review during an exit call, when the client is already leaving. Or they collect one testimonial and stop, even if the client stays for years.

Both approaches give you fewer testimonials, older testimonials and weaker ones. A client who is leaving has a reason to leave, so that is rarely the moment they are your biggest supporter.

When is the right time to ask for a testimonial?

Ask when your client is your biggest supporter. Picture a champion who has just won a title belt. Fans want a photo that night, not three years later after a defeat. Clients work the same way.

Look for the wins in your client journey. For a marketing agency selling out stock for an ecommerce client, the journey could run like this: onboard the client, record and edit ads, build campaigns, launch the ads, get a first sale, reach a positive return on ad spend, sell out the stock. That journey gives four wins: launching the ads, the first sale, the return on ad spend and selling out.

Wins do not need to be big. A first sale may mean little to a large company, but it still shows progress towards the goal. Try to give clients a tangible win early, such as launching ads within the first seven days. If your service only delivers value at the very end, you can still create smaller moments in the journey and tell the client when they are reached.

1. Sketch your client journey from onboarding to the end goal. A rough drawing is enough.
2. Mark every point where the client gets a win, large or small.
3. Act as soon as a win happens, while the client is happy.
4. Do not ask too often. Space requests out so you do not overwhelm clients.

Which types of testimonial should you collect?

You are not limited to one testimonial per client. Collect different types at different points:

• Long video interviews, which can run to around 15 minutes and sit on a results page.
• Short video testimonials, where a client records a quick one or two minute shout out about their experience.
• Written testimonials, which you can also display on your site.
• Updated reviews from the same client over time. If a client keeps getting value, you can ask again. Offering an incentive such as a discount or a gift can make a repeat request worthwhile.

How do you set up a testimonial tracker?

A Google Sheet is enough. List each client with their start date, then track how many video, UGC (short video) and written testimonials you have from them. Add tags for pain points, results or niches.

The tracker does two jobs. It shows which clients you still need to ask. It also lets sales and marketing find proof that fits a prospect. If a lead came from cold email, filter by that tag and share a testimonial from a client with a similar situation.

Teams that use an internal platform can build the tracker there and link it to client projects, but a spreadsheet works as a starting point.

Which three automations help collect testimonials?

These examples use Make.com. They are simple, and you do not need to automate every step. Collecting a testimonial is often better done on a call, where you can judge how the client feels.

1. Add clients on onboarding: at the end of your onboarding automation, add a Google Sheets row with the client name, project ID and start date. This makes sure every client appears in the tracker.
2. Alert the account manager at a win: choose a trigger that matches a win. One example is a Calendly event for a client's first booked meeting. Search the sheet for that client, then send a Slack message to the customer success manager so they can congratulate the client and ask for a testimonial. Add a filter so it only runs when no testimonial link exists yet.
3. Monthly check: on the first of each month, read every row in the tracker, find the matching project in your project tool, filter for clients where video, UGC and written testimonials are all false, find the assigned customer success manager and send them a Slack direct message naming the client.

What should you do first?

Start with the client journey, not the automation. Map the wins, add some if there are none, and ask when they happen. Tell your team to do the same as soon as they notice a client is happy with delivery.

Do not push for a testimonial every time a client is pleased, because they pay for your service. Used well, testimonials make your content and sales process stronger, and a testimonial from someone with the same problem as a lead is especially useful.