Prompt: Generate Testimonial Requests

Happy customers want to help you. They just do not know what to say. "Can you write us a testimonial?" gets you "Great company, highly recommend" which is useless as social proof.

This prompt generates testimonial requests that guide customers toward specific, compelling responses. Use it to prompt generate testimonial requests that produce quotes you can actually use in marketing.

The Prompt

Write 3 versions of a testimonial request email for the following scenario:

BUSINESS: [What you do]
CUSTOMER: [Who they are, what they bought, how long they have been a customer]
KEY RESULT: [The specific outcome they achieved with your help]
RELATIONSHIP: [How well you know them - formal business, friendly, close partnership]
FORMAT NEEDED: [Written quote, video testimonial, case study interview]

Each email version should:
1. Open by acknowledging their specific success (not generic flattery)
2. Explain why their story matters (who it would help)
3. Make the ask simple and specific
4. Include 3-5 guiding questions they can answer to form their testimonial
5. Offer to draft it for their approval if they prefer (remove the writing burden)
6. Give a timeline (not urgent, but not open-ended)

Guiding questions should target:
- The specific problem before working with you
- What made them choose you over alternatives
- The measurable result or transformation
- Who they would recommend you to (this becomes targeting intel)

Version 1: Casual, for customers you have a friendly relationship with
Version 2: Professional, for formal business relationships
Version 3: High-value, for customers who achieved exceptional results (ask for video or case study)

Rules:
- Keep each email under 150 words
- Do not use the word "testimonial" in the subject line (it triggers resistance)
- Frame it as sharing their story, not doing you a favor
- Make it possible to respond in 5 minutes
- Include an easy out ("No pressure at all if the timing is not right")

Why Guiding Questions Work

An open-ended "tell us about your experience" gets vague responses. Guiding questions get specific ones.

"What was your biggest challenge before working with us?" produces "We were spending $12K/month on ads with no idea which ones worked." That is a testimonial that resonates with prospects in the same situation.

The Draft-For-Approval Approach

Offering to write a draft based on their results and have them approve it gets you testimonials from busy executives who would never write one themselves. Most people will gladly approve (and often improve) a draft you prepare.

Timing the Ask

Ask at the peak of satisfaction. Right after a win, a milestone, or a positive result. Not during onboarding (too early), not during renewal negotiations (feels transactional). The moment they tell you they are happy is the moment to ask.

Build These Systems

Ready to implement? These step-by-step tutorials show you exactly how:

• How to Create AI-Generated Testimonial Graphics - Generate professional testimonial graphics from review text using AI.
• How to Create Automated Review Request Campaigns - Ask happy customers for reviews automatically at the right moment.
• How to Write System Prompts That Control AI Behavior - Master system prompt design to get consistent, on-brand AI outputs.