The Social Proof Machine: How to Get More Client Testimonials

How to Get 20 Client Testimonials in 7 Days (Even If You're Just Starting Out)

Let me tell you something that might sting a little bit. Your clients don't care about your certifications. They don't care about your fancy workout programs. They care about one thing: Can you actually get them results?

And the best way to prove that? Testimonials.

Here's a wild stat for you. 92% of people trust recommendations from real clients over any ad you could ever run. That means your testimonials page is probably the most important part of your entire website.

Think about it. When someone lands on your site, they're asking themselves one question: "Can this person really help me?" If all they see is you talking about how great you are, they're going to bounce. But if they see real people with real results, they stick around.

The Problem Most Trainers Face

You know testimonials are important. But you don't know how to get them. Or maybe you feel weird asking for them. Or you got one or two testimonials back when you started and never collected any more.

Here's what happens when you don't have testimonials. You end up competing on price because you have nothing else to show. Your sales calls turn into long debates where you're trying to prove yourself. People question whether you can actually deliver.

But when you have a stack of solid testimonials, everything changes. You close 50 to 70% of your sales calls instead of 10 to 20%. You spend less time convincing and more time training. You can charge premium prices because your results justify the cost.

What Actually Counts as Proof

Before we get into the system, let's talk about what makes a good testimonial. You don't need fancy video production. In fact, raw footage works better than polished stuff because people can spot a fake instantly.

Here's what you want to collect:

Short iPhone videos where clients are just talking from the heart. Selfie style. Nothing fancy. These are the best because they feel real.

Before and after photos taken the right way. Make sure your clients are cool with you sharing these. The training app we use takes pictures in a simple, ethical way.

Progress screenshots showing steps, personal records, weight measurements, lab results, anything like that. Charts showing progress over time work great.

Written wins from texts and DMs. Just screenshot them. If a client texts you saying how pumped they are about their progress, that's gold.

The key thing to remember is that raw beats polished every single time. A shaky iPhone video where someone is genuinely excited about their results will always perform better than some perfectly edited video that looks fake.

The 6 Question Script That Does All the Work

This is the secret sauce. Instead of just asking clients to "send me a testimonial," give them specific questions to answer. This makes it way easier for them and gets you way better content.

Here are the six questions:

1. What was rock bottom? What sucked about training, diet, or life before we started?

This establishes the pain point. People buy solutions to problems. You need to show what problem you solved.

2. What were your objective metrics? How much did you weigh? How many pushups could you do? What were your numbers?

This gives you concrete data. Real numbers that show real change.

3. What made you skeptical about working with me?

This is huge because it addresses objections. When prospects hear someone else had the same doubts they have and still moved forward, it helps them get past their own resistance. I had a client who would always tell people in the gym, "I thought it was going to be so expensive, but it's totally worth it." That sold more people than I ever could.

4. Why did you do it anyway?

This shows what tipped the scales. It reveals your unique value and what made you different from other trainers.

5. What are your objective metrics now?

The contrast between question two and question five shows the transformation with real proof.

6. What is the best moment since? What can you do now that you couldn't before?

This brings the emotional payoff. Numbers are great, but the real transformation is how their life changed. Now they can feel confident in their bathing suit. Now their knees don't hurt walking down the stairs. That's what really matters.

Pro tip: Start with a clear hook line. Something like "I lost 18 pounds in 12 weeks while working 60 hours a week." That hook is what gets people to actually watch the whole video.

Keep videos under five minutes. If someone talks for longer than that, nobody watches the whole thing.

When to Actually Ask for Testimonials

Timing matters. You want to catch people when they're feeling excited about their progress. Here are the best moments:

First weekend after they start. That initial excitement is real.

30 day check in. They've been with you long enough to see some results.

Personal record day. They just hit a new PR and they're pumped.

Photo day. When you take progress photos and they can see the difference.

Final weigh in. When they hit their goal.

The most important thing is to film emotional moments live. Don't wait. Waiting kills the moment. We all have a camera on us all the time. Pull out your phone, shoot a quick selfie video with your client right there, and get it done.

Raw footage where someone is stumbling over their words beats perfectly scripted stuff that you recorded three days later.

The Bonus Unlock Method

Here's a sneaky way to get more testimonials. Create a valuable bonus that clients can unlock by submitting a testimonial.

For example, let's say you have a nutrition course that normally sells for $199. Tell your clients they can get it completely free if they film a five minute video using the six question script.

You can also run a seven day contest. Give clear instructions, show your best example, set a deadline, and follow up personally with your top candidates. Award one big prize and some smaller runner up perks.

Everyone who enters gets entered to win something. Or you can have everyone vote on the best testimonial and give that person a prize.

Skip the contest until you have at least 10 active clients. Until then, just offer the bonus unlock individually at milestones. Make it personal. Say something like, "Hey, you just lost 10 pounds. If you film a quick video about your experience, I'll give you my nutrition program completely free."

How to Store Everything So You Never Lose It

This is where most trainers mess up. You might collect testimonials, but then you don't know where they are or how to use them.

Create a specific email address just for results. Something like [email protected]. Have clients send everything there. That way all your testimonials come into one spot and nothing else clutters it up.

You can also have clients upload directly to your community if you have one. That way it lives in one place forever, it's raw, and you know exactly where to find everything.

Have clients name their files if possible. First name, last name, underscore, result, underscore, the date. Not everyone will do this, but it makes finding stuff later way easier.

Inside your file storage, create a folder called Proof Folder. Inside that, create four subfolders: Video, Screenshots, Before and After, Written. Drop everything into the right folder as soon as you get it.

Build a running wins reel and results wall that you can reuse everywhere. One testimonial can work in 10 different ways across different platforms.

Set this whole system up today before you even have one piece of proof to put in it. Having the structure ready makes it automatic. This prevents you from losing valuable content because you weren't organized.

The 7 Day Sprint

Alright, here's your action plan to get 20 testimonials in the next seven days.

Day 1: Draft your bonus. What course or program are you going to give away? Write down the six questions and modify them for your brand. Set up your proof email. Create your release form.

Day 2: Announce a contest across all your channels. Share a model video showing what you want. Pick what result you're looking for in the contest.

Day 3 through 6: Execute. Pull people aside after sessions and record on the spot. Send daily reminders. Post early winners to build momentum.

Day 7: Close the contest. Pick your winners. Compile a 60 second montage if you have multiple videos.

If You're Brand New

What if you don't have 20 clients yet? What if you only have two clients? Or none?

Here's what you do. Film your own transformation story. Answer those six questions about your own fitness journey. This becomes your first piece of proof while you wait for client results.

You are allowed to be your first testimonial. Even one good personal story is better than zero proof.

If you have two clients, get three to four pieces of proof from each of them. Your goal is six to eight total pieces by day seven. And remember, a piece of proof can just be a text message screenshot. It doesn't have to be a full video.

Set up all your systems first. Proof email, proof folder, your own video, your client welcome packet including the testimonial process. Then when you sign your first client, you're ready to capture everything from day one.

By the time you have 10 clients, you should have 15 to 20 pieces of proof. And you should be posting proof all over the place.

Basic Video Editing That Takes 5 Minutes

You don't need to be a video editor to make your testimonials look good. Here's the simple process.

Use a tool like Veed. Upload your video. Remove the silences so everything moves faster. Find the most exciting thing your client said and cut it out. Put that at the very beginning as your hook.

Add subtitles so people can watch without sound. Make the subtitles your brand colors and your brand font.

That's it. You're done. Very basic. Very simple.

Do all your testimonials the exact same way. Same fonts, same style. Then post them as stories on Instagram. Save them in your highlights under a Testimonials button so people can watch them all.

The Legal Stuff You Need to Know

Get a written release to use your client's name, image, and story. You can put this right in your contract when people sign up with you.

Here's a cool trick. In the little checkbox where clients consent to messaging, add another line that says "I also consent to having my name, image, and story used in testimonials when I reach my goals." This implies they're going to get results, which is pretty powerful.

Disclose if you give a perk for testimonials. Legally, you need to let people know if someone got a free course for giving you a testimonial. Just put it at the bottom of your testimonials page somewhere.

Don't exaggerate or imply typical results. Show honest experiences. Add "results may vary" when needed.

Follow platform policies. Most platforms restrict weight loss before and after photos in paid ads. You can post them on your page, but when you try to put money behind them as ads, they'll often get shut down. So use them on your website and organic posts, just not in paid advertising.

Why This Actually Matters

Anyone can make claims. But real proof from real people can't be copied. When you stack up undeniable evidence, selling becomes simple and easy.

When you have a big testimonials page, people will come looking for you. And here's the cool part. It sets the expectation for your current clients that they're going to get results too.

You need this system to get to 20 clients, not after. Starting from client one makes everything easier.

Proof compounds. Your first testimonial gets you client two. Five testimonials help you close 50 to 70% of calls instead of 10 to 20%. The difference between struggling and thriving is proof.

Proof that you are who you say you are. Proof that you can do what you say you can do.

So stop waiting. Set up your systems today. Create your bonus offer. Send the six question script to your current clients. Film your own story if you need to. Start capturing wins.

Your lack of testimonials right now should not stop you from building the machine that will collect them. Pick your action plan and get going.

What's the biggest thing stopping you from collecting testimonials right now? Is it not knowing what to ask? Feeling weird about it? Not having a system set up? Let me know and we can figure it out together.