Writing a testimonial sounds simple — until you sit down to do it! Knowing how to write a testimonial that actually builds trust and drives sales isn’t as straightforward as we’d like to think.
Whether you’re tweaking client feedback for your own offer or writing a testimonial for a course you loved, it’s easy to feel unsure about what to say — or how to make it effective.
As a conversion copywriter with nearly a decade of experience (and sales pages under my belt that have generated hundreds of thousands in revenue), I know one thing for sure: even 7-figure entrepreneurs get testimonials wrong sometimes. Not because they don’t have happy clients and buyers — but because they don’t know how to present that social proof in a way that works.
In this post, I’ll show you how to write a testimonial using a simple, proven formula — and how to structure, edit, and place it so that it actually supports your sales. Whether you’re tweaking client feedback or writing a testimonial for a business, a company, a product, or a person, I’ll help you shape your message in a way that’s clear, specific, and effective.
What is a testimonial? (And why they matter more than ever)
A testimonial is a short, trust-building statement — usually written in your client or customer’s own words — that shares their experience with your product, service, or offer. In even simpler terms: it’s a personal review that shows others that your offer actually delivers results.
Testimonials are one of the most effective forms of social proof, which is just a fancy way of saying that someone else (“social”) can vouch for the fact that your solution is effective (“proof”).
In today’s online business world, there are literally thousands of offers for your audience to choose from — some good, some bad, some downright terrible. Because of this, buyers are more discerning than ever about what they’re willing to invest in. That’s why writing a testimonial that’s clear, specific, and strategically placed on your sales page or in your emails is more important than ever in 2025.
A strong testimonial can:
- Build near instant trust for your brand and offer
- Ease buyer objections
- Help establish authority through real client experiences
- Help potential clients or customers see themselves in your offer
You want them to read your testimonials and think, “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m looking for!”
What makes a testimonial actually effective? (And how to write one that works)
If you want to learn how to write a testimonial that actually drives sales, it has to go beyond simple praise. “She’s amazing!” or “Loved it!” isn’t going to be enough to convince someone your offer is worth trusting — especially if they’re newer to your world.
If you’re not careful, even the kindest words can fall flat — especially if they get lost in a wall of text or are buried among other common sales page mistakes.
Whether you’re crafting a testimonial from client feedback or writing one for a product or service you’ve loved, here are four simple guidelines to make sure it actually works.
1. It should be specific
The most persuasive and effective testimonials zoom in on details — not just how great you or your offer are, but what exactly helped them, surprised them, or stood out about the experience.
Not specific:
“This template saved me so much time!”
Specific:
“I used the About Page template and had my draft finished in under 30 minutes — and it actually sounds like me. I’ve spent days writing pages in the past!”
The second version paints a much more detailed picture of how someone used the product and how it benefited them. That extra detail makes it more believable (and more trust-building) and more useful to someone considering your offer.
2. It should show a transformation
A strong client testimonial highlights a clear before-and-after. What were they struggling with before investing in your offer? What changed once they used your solution?
These details are what help a potential buyer think, “This might work for me too.”
No transformation:
“This sales page course was amazing.”
With transformation:
“Before this course, I didn’t know how to explain what made my offer valuable. Now I have a full sales page that feels aligned and written in my own voice — and it only took me a couple of days! I already brought in two new clients!”
“Transformation” gets thrown around a lot in the online business world, but don’t overthink it — it doesn’t have to be dramatic. We don’t want to exaggerate or make bold, unsupported statements. A simple shift from confusion to clarity, or inaction to momentum, is more than enough to make a testimonial powerful.
3. It should be relatable
Your best testimonials are the ones that reflect your ideal client’s doubts, problems, or goals right back at them. If someone can read a testimonial and see themselves in the story being told, they’re more likely to trust your offer — and more likely to buy.
Not relatable:
“This was a helpful refresh of copywriting basics.”
Relatable (for most buyers):
“I knew my services were great, but I had no idea how to explain them in a way that actually made people want to book. This process helped me feel clear, confident, and like my website actually sounds like me.”
See the difference in that second version? We’ve intentionally included a familiar pain point and an emotional payoff that helps potential buyers feel seen. It tells a mini-story your next buyer might already be living — and that’s where the trust starts.
Contributing a testimonial for someone else? Writing a testimonial about a person — like a coach, consultant, or creative — works best when you focus on what made the experience feel personal, supported, or transformative.
4. It should be easy to skim
Even if the content of your testimonial is great — it tells a story, it’s relatable, and it’s specific — long paragraphs or cluttered formatting can bury all that goodness.
A strong testimonial is also one that is broken up visually and has a clear hook for your skim-readers — something scannable that catches attention fast and delivers the main takeaway quickly.
We’ll go deeper on how to achieve this in the next section, but for now just know that even a powerful testimonial won’t work if it gets lost in a wall of text and nobody reads it.
The biggest testimonial mistake (and how to fix it)
After reviewing and improving hundreds of sales pages as a conversion copywriter, I’ve noticed one overwhelming common problem: testimonials are often presented as giant walls of unedited praise.
You’ve seen them yourself as a buyer — long paragraphs packed with kind words that are buried so deep in the formatting that no one actually reads them. Even if the content is great, it won’t do its job if it’s visually overwhelming or too hard to skim.
If you actually want to write a testimonial that builds trust and sells your offer, you need to format it strategically. Here’s how to fix the most common mistake:
How to format a testimonial that actually works
1. Start with a pull quote as a headline.
Don’t make someone read the whole testimonial to get the main takeaway. Instead, identify the most compelling, results-focused line and pull that out as a headline, ideally in a larger font.
This helps catch your reader’s attention and ensures that even the skim-readers walk away with the key transformation or benefit.
For example: “I booked 3 new clients within 48 hours of updating my website!”
2. Trim the rest to 1-3 support sentences.
More isn’t always more. If a client sends you a long, glowing email that’s amazing — but your job is to curate the most powerful points into a well-written testimonial, not copy-paste the whole thing onto your sales page.
Ask yourself:
- What’s the clearest before-and-after moment?
- What benefit or emotional shift stands out?
- Does this testimonial meet the criteria of specific, transformation-focused, and relatable?
3. Use formatting to highlight key takeaways.
Make it easy to skim by adding line breaks between sentences and bolding key phrases that speak directly to your reader’s goals or hesitations. If someone only reads the headline and the bolded lines, they should still walk away convinced.
See a good testimonial in action
Here’s a “before” testimonial (well-meaning but ineffective):
“I just wanted to say thank you again! I’ve used a few templates before but this one was SO easy to follow. I had no idea what to write on my Services page, but now I have something that actually sounds like me and clearly explains what I do. It took me about two hours total and I’ve already had one inquiry come in. I really appreciate all the guidance and structure — I’m recommending this to everyone.”
It’s kind and enthusiastic — but most readers will glaze over it.
Instead, here’s the reformatted, high-impact version:
Heading: “I had no idea what to write — now I have a page that sounds like me and sells.”
“I finished my Services page in two hours and already had an inquiry come in. This template gave me the clarity and structure I was missing.”
This version is shorter, easier to skim, and zeroes in on what matters most to future buyers: the result.
When it comes to social proof, don’t let great feedback go to waste. Structure matters just as much as content, and a well-formatted testimonial can do more heavy lifting on your sales page than a paragraph of generic praise ever will.
Want more help placing testimonials strategically throughout your sales copy? Check out my Sales Page Bootcamp — it has an entire day dedicated to showing you exactly where and how to weave in social proof for sales pages that convert.
Or, if you’re stuck on what to say in your sales page in the first place, grab my free ChatGPT prompts for sales pages. They’ll help you brainstorm and shape messaging that’s compelling, clear, and conversion-ready.
How to turn client feedback into a great testimonial
The best testimonials come straight from the words of your happy clients and customers — but as previously mentioned, that doesn’t mean you should copy and paste their feedback directly onto your sales page or into your promo emails.
This approach works whether you’re writing about a specific offer or about your (or your client’s) overall experience working with a company or brand.
If you want to write a testimonial that builds trust and drives conversions, it’s important to take what your clients say and shape it into something clear, specific, and strategic. Here’s how to turn raw client feedback into a high-impact testimonial.
Step 1: Scan for the gold
Before anything else, make sure you’re actively collecting client feedback — ideally as part of your process. This could be through formal methods like offboarding forms, customer satisfaction surveys, or embedded review requests in your course or digital product delivery.
But don’t overlook informal sources either:
- Screenshots from social media DMs
- Comments in your Facebook group
- Feedback via email or Voxer
- Client wins shared during check-ins
Once you’ve gathered that feedback, read through it carefully. You’re looking for short, specific phrases that demonstrate:
- A clear transformation (“I finally launched my website after months of procrastinating.”)
- An emotional shift (“I went from confused and stuck to feeling completely confident.”)
- A moment of clarity or relief (“This helped me finally understand how to talk about my offer.”)
Skip over vague praise like “You’re awesome!” or “This was my favorite course!” These may feel flattering, but they won’t move the needle for someone on the fence.
Step 2: Curate, don’t fabricate
Once you’ve pulled out the golden nuggets, your job is to shape them into a great testimonial — without rewriting your client’s experience or putting words in their mouth.
You’re not fabricating anything. You’re:
- Highlighting the most compelling points
- Trimming what’s repetitive
- Adding structure and formatting so it’s easier to skim and understand
Think of it like editing a quote for clarity — the goal is to keep the heart of their message intact while making it more effective for your audience.
A simple formula for writing a testimonial
If you’re looking for a repeatable structure, here’s a simple testimonial formula you can use again and again.
"[Pull quote headline]"
“[What they were struggling with or unsure about], but after [using your product/service], they [experienced this result or transformation].
They especially loved [something unique or unexpected].”
For example:
“I launched with confidence for the first time ever.”
“I used to second-guess everything I wrote, but after using the Sales Page Template, I had a finished page that sounded like me — and it worked. I signed 3 clients within a week and didn’t feel overwhelmed once.”
You can also use this structure to write a testimonial for a business you’ve worked with, a product you’ve purchased, or a service you’ve invested in — the format stays the same.
By using this process to shape your client feedback, you’ll end up with customer testimonials that are specific, strategic, and conversion-focused — not just kind words that look good but fall flat. Whether you’re writing testimonials for a service, a digital product, or an evergreen offer, this method helps your social proof do what it’s supposed to do: build trust and drive action.
Want to see how to place testimonials strategically on your page? Sales Page Slumber Party shows you exactly where to use them for maximum impact.
Quick recap: Strong testimonials in 3 steps
To write a testimonial that actually works — whether it’s for your own offer or someone else’s — here’s what to remember:
- Start with strong feedback. Look for transformation, emotion, or clarity in what your client or customer said. The best testimonials often come from what’s already in your inbox or DMs — they just need a little shaping.
- Curate with intention. Don’t copy-paste long paragraphs. Pull out the most compelling sentence as a headline, trim the rest to 1–3 support sentences, and format it for easy skimming.
- Make it work for your copy. Place testimonials strategically — near CTAs, pricing sections, or wherever objections tend to come up.
If you want more help with this, Buzzworthy Case Studies walks you through the full process of collecting and crafting powerful social proof, and Sales Page Slumber Party shows you exactly how to weave testimonials into every corner of your sales page.
Because the kind words you’ve already earned? They should be doing more than sitting pretty — they should be working.
