How to get testimonials from clients when you are just starting

To get testimonials from clients, ask at the moment they tell you something worked, give them a few specific questions instead of a blank box, and publish only what they approve under their name. Early on, five honest, specific quotes do more than fifty generic ones.

Most founders wait until they "have enough customers". You already have enough if one person got a real result.

When to ask for a testimonial

Timing matters more than wording. Ask within a day of a visible win, while the result is fresh and the person is already pleased:

• They thank you in an email, a chat, or a support ticket.
• They hit a milestone in the product, such as their first sent invoice or their hundredth booking.
• They renew or upgrade, which is a decision they have just justified to themselves.
• A project ends well, for service businesses and agencies.

If someone praises you in a message, reply with thanks and one line: "Would you be happy for me to share that on our site, with your name?" Often the testimonial is already written.

How to collect testimonials that say something

"Could you write us a testimonial?" produces "Great product, highly recommend." Specific questions produce quotes a stranger believes:

1. 1What were you doing before? This sets up the problem in their words.
2. 2What changed after you started? Ask for a number or a concrete example if there is one.
3. 3Who would you recommend it to? This tells future buyers whether it is for them.

Keep it to two or three questions and say how long it takes. A short form or a reply to your email is enough. For busy clients, offer a 10-minute call, then draft the quote from what they said and send it for approval. Their words, edited only for length, with their sign-off.

How to get testimonials on LinkedIn

LinkedIn recommendations are public, attributed testimonials that already sit next to a real profile. You can request one from 1st-degree connections you work with or have worked with. When someone writes one, you can accept it, dismiss it, or ask for a revision before it appears on your profile.

This works best for founders who sell services or sell to businesses. Ask with a personal note that reminds them of the specific project, not the default request message. Once it is public, you can quote it on your site with a link to the original, which adds credibility.

What the FTC rules say about testimonials

In the US, the FTC’s rule on consumer reviews and testimonials took effect on October 21, 2024 and allows courts to impose civil penalties for knowing violations. Even if you are not in the US, it is a clear guide to what honest practice looks like. Among other things, it prohibits:

• Fake testimonials, including ones by people who do not exist, such as AI-generated reviews, or by people with no real experience of the product.
• Incentives tied to a positive review. You can offer something for an honest review, but not on the condition that it is positive, stated or implied.
• Undisclosed insider testimonials from staff or managers without a clear disclosure of their connection.
• Suppressing negative reviews with groundless legal threats or intimidation.

The FTC also notes that a testimonial on your own website is advertising you are responsible for. Do not write the text for someone without a reasonable basis that it matches their experience, and if you gave an incentive, disclose it. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Where to show your testimonials

• Next to the claim it proves. A quote about saving time belongs beside the feature that saves time.
• Near the price and the signup button, where people hesitate.
• On launch pages and listings, where strangers decide in seconds.
• In onboarding emails, to show new users what success looks like.

Keep a simple record of each testimonial: who gave it, when, the original wording, and their permission. If a client asks to remove it later, take it down. A good support and feedback loop makes these requests a natural part of talking to customers rather than a separate chore.

Have happy early users? Let them see you launch.

Launch on DanielLaunches and get a permanent product page with real visitor and click numbers, and votes from people who mean it.