Easy-to-use templates to get the best testimonials from your coaching clients and grow your business

If you’re a coach or entrepreneur and you want to grow your business, client testimonials are your best friend.

That’s because 79% of people say they trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation!

Attracting new clients is always going to be an important part of your life coaching business. And testimonials from happy customers are some of the most powerful marketing tools you can use.

When your coaching clients share their experiences and results, you demonstrate to your potential customers that you can help them too. Even one powerful testimonial can build trust and help a new client move forward with confidence. It can make all the difference!

But how do you ask for a testimonial from a client? And how can you be professional and supportive while still ensuring you get a testimonial that’s honest and great?

In this post, I’m going to show you exactly how to master gathering testimonials!

Contents (click to navigate):
Why Testimonials are Important
Getting Testimonials From Clients
Powerful Testimonial Questions for Clients
Sample Email Template to Ask for Testimonials
Sample Testimonial Formats
Important Reminders

Why Testimonials Are Important

As a coach, testimonials are an essential part of your overall marketing strategy and key to growing your business. In fact, 97% of people read customer reviews before purchasing a product or service!

Positive testimonials from your clients help you:

• Establish your authority in the competitive coaching industry
• Build trust with prospective customers and assure them you can do what you promise
• Showcase the customer experience- what it’s like to work with you- from the perspective of people who’ve actually done it
• Build highly-effective social proof into your marketing with content your target audience can personally relate to
• Expand your audience of loyal customers and grow your business by emphasizing the transformations you help people achieve

Getting Testimonials From Clients

The first step to getting testimonials from your clients is… asking!

It would be great if clients automatically volunteered testimonials after having an amazing experience (and some will!), but the truth is, most won’t.

Even the most loyal existing customer won’t always think to offer a testimonial. So you’ll have to learn how to ask a client for a testimonial.

Here are four tips that will help you ask for a great testimonial from your existing clients.

1. Ask for testimonials at the right time

The best time to ask for a testimonial from one of your life coaching clients is when they begin seeing results.

If you ask for a testimonial BEFORE they experience any growth or expansion, they won’t have anything compelling to share. So wait until they experience a transformation that speaks to the pain points of your ideal client.

2. Use client testimonial questions

Instead of putting the burden of writing a great testimonial onto your clients, ask them to answer a few testimonial questions.

Send your questions in an email, or create a fillable form with Google Forms or other survey platform. Then, you can use their answers to craft a compelling testimonial that still uses their own words.

This helps draw out the details of their coaching experience that will most resonate with future clients.

Here are a few powerful testimonial questions for coaching clients:

1. What was going on in your life that made you decide you wanted the help of a life coach?

This question will give your client the opportunity to describe their pain points and struggles. It will also set the stage for showcasing the before-and-after of their amazing transformation.

2. How has life changed for you since we began working together?

This question is important because it’s about the ways your client’s life is different because of your work. These are the results your prospective clients will be looking and hoping for. Encourage your clients to be as specific as possible!

3. How would you describe your experience working with me? What was most impactful?

This question allows your current clients to pull back the curtain for the people who haven’t worked with you yet. Not only will it help them get a good idea of what it’s like to work with you, but it also helps weed out clients who might not be a good fit for your approach.

4. What would you say to someone who is considering working with me?

Remember that statistic from the very beginning of this post? People treat testimonials very much like they would a personal recommendation. So let your current clients speak directly to your future clients!

5. Was there anything about your experience with me that you would change or improve?

This question isn’t so much for the testimonial you will craft. But it is an incredibly important question to ensure you’re asking. Feedback from clients, even when it’s negative, is so important for your continued growth as a coach.

3. Keep it short and sweet

When you’re reaching out to a client to ask for a testimonial, keep it short and sweet!

Honor their time and allow them to fill in as much information as they would like. Remember, it isn’t about getting elaborate answers to every question, it’s about getting answers to the right questions. The questions that most resonate with your client and their experience.

Here’s a sample email template (feel free to edit as needed!):

Hi [first-name],

I wanted to drop a short note to let you know how grateful I am for the opportunity to work together.

I’m so proud of you and all of the amazing progress you’ve made! I know you’ll continue to accomplish more than you ever thought possible, and I’m so honored to be a part of your journey.

In the meantime, I wanted to ask if you would be willing to [fill out my testimonial form / help me write a testimonial about your experience].

I put all the relevant questions in this [form / email] so you don’t have to try and think of what to write.

When I have your answers, I’ll put something together and send it over for your approval!

[Insert Link to Form or Testimonial Questions]

So grateful for you!

[Your Name]

4. Format Your Client Testimonials for Clarity

Once you have your client’s answers, your job is to use their input to create a compelling testimonial. But how?

Use these client testimonial templates to help you turn your clients’ answers into impactful social proof.

Testimonials About the Coaching Experience

[A sentence about how / why they loved working with you.]

[A sentence about how they felt during the coaching experience.]

[A sentence about how your coaching style / personality / approach helped them most.]

“I absolutely loved working with Jennifer! I was nervous about working with a coach, but her warmth and kindness totally put me at ease. Her constant encouragement helped me stretch way beyond my comfort zone. She was the cheerleader I didn’t know I needed!”

Testimonials About the Results

[A sentence about their life or experience before working with you.]

[A sentence about their goal and any other things they may have tried before working with you.]

[A sentence about how you helped them achieve their goal.]

[A sentence about how their life or experience is tangibly different as a result of your work together.]

“Before working with Mat, I was struggling to make a full time income with my coaching business. I knew I wanted to be a coach, but no matter how many other courses I signed up for, I just couldn’t get my business off the ground. Mat showed me exactly how to structure my coaching business to set it up for success. Now, getting clients is easy, and I’m making more than I ever made at my old job!”

Testimonials About Overcoming an Obstacle

[A sentence about their challenge or obstacle and how it impacted their life.]

[A sentence about how coaching helped them overcome their specific challenge or obstacle.]

[A sentence about how their life is different as a result.]

“I’ve tried everything to get over my fear of visibility and finally put myself out there. With Rich’s help, I was able to get to the root of this fear and learn how to let go of my need for anyone’s approval but my own. Now, I know being visible as 100% myself is a gift, and I have new skills I can use anytime I start to feel afraid.”

Testimonials About a Specific Course, Product, or Experience

[A sentence about why they signed up or purchased.]

[A sentence about how the product or experience was valuable or helpful.]

[A sentence about a tangible result the product or experience helped them achieve.]

“I signed up for the Master Your Message 5 Day Challenge because I wanted to feel confident telling people what I do as a coach. Let me say, this experience far exceeded my expectations! Not only did I come out of it with the confidence I was looking for, but it helped me figure out exactly what to say on social media, on my website, and at events!”

Once you have a testimonial and it’s approved by your client, you can put it on your website testimonials page, social media, or anywhere where you desire to inspire people to sign up with you!

A Few Important Reminders

1. When you send a testimonial to your client for approval, ask them how they would like their name to appear. Never assume they’re comfortable with their full name. I recommend giving them the option of: Fullname, first name and last initial, or initials only.
   
2. Always make sure you get the client’s permission to share their testimonial. Only include information they’re comfortable with sharing.
   
3. Prioritize your clients’ confidence first. Never share their story or information without their consent.
   

Even if You Only Have a Few Clients, You Can Still Get Great Testimonials

Whether you’ve worked with one person, two, three or more…

If you’ve helped someone achieve results, you can request a testimonial from them.

I think you’ll find that most (if not all) of the clients you ask will jump at the chance to share the joy of their transformation!

The testimonials you gather will inspire others to want to sign up to work with you, so you can continue making a difference in other people’s lives!

Want to see Success Stories from coaches trained by Brave Thinking Institute?

See them here and get inspired!