Internal SOP · AI audit clients

How to get the testimonial — and the right one

The proven frameworks for getting a happy audit client on a call and steering it so you walk away with usable, numbers-driven proof. Adapted to our offer and our clients.

First — timing beats copy

Ask 2–3 days after a clear win

Every source agrees the window matters more than the wording. The best moment with our clients is 2–3 days after we’ve delivered the first quick win from the priority matrix — the moment the automation goes live and starts giving them hours back. Satisfaction peaks and they feel a small reciprocity debt.

Triggers to watch for

  • A quick-win build just shipped and is visibly saving them time
  • They sent an unprompted “this is amazing” / “this has changed everything” message
  • You just delivered the priority matrix and they saw the size of the waste
  • A milestone in the audit portal just populated and they reacted well
Part 1 — getting them on the call

Pre-empt the three fears in the ask itself

Clients say no for three unspoken reasons. Answer all three inside the invitation and conversion jumps.

“How long?”
30 minutes, one call.
“Will I be put on the spot?”
You get the questions 48 hrs ahead.
“What if I say something dumb?”
Nothing publishes without your sign-off.

Incentives that work for our clients

Skip gift cards and discounts — they read as cheap to SME owners and don’t move the needle. What lands for our buyers:

  • Featured case study + a link back to their site. Genuine business asset, costs us nothing. Strongest for the ones with SEO value — agencies, real estate, distributors, professional services.
  • A free extra strategy/audit hour, or a small quick-win build thrown in. High perceived value, fits exactly what we already do.
  • Early access to anything new we’re building — positions them as an insider.
  • Co-marketing — the case study gets shared to our audience too, giving them reach.
  • For owners who don’t care about backlinks (NDIS, youth sports, trades): lead with helping peers drowning in the same admin, plus the goodwill — not the SEO angle.

One rule

Never offer anything in exchange for a Google review specifically — that breaks their policy. A video/written testimonial for our own site and case studies is completely fine.

Template A — direct, right after a win

Subject: Quick favour, [Name] — we’d feature [Company] (with a link back) Hey [Name], Now that [the quick win is live — e.g. the automated intake is running and giving you back ~[X] hours a week], would you be open to a 30-minute video call to share how it’s gone? We’re putting together case studies for other [industry] businesses weighing up an AI audit, and your story would land hard. Three things to make it easy: • 30 minutes on Zoom, recorded • I’ll send you the 6 questions 48 hours before, so nothing catches you off guard • Nothing goes live until you’ve reviewed and signed off the final cut In return we’ll feature you in the case study with a link back to [Company], and you’ll be the name other [industry] operators see when they research this. Worth a 30-minute slot next week? [Olly]
Swap the bracketed bits per client. Lead the win with hours, not dollars — it’s the number you’ll reuse everywhere.

Template B — softer, for the camera-shy

Hey [Name], Quick one — would you be up for sharing a few thoughts on the audit and what we built for [Company]? Whatever’s easiest for you: • 30-min Zoom (recorded, you get final approval) • Async — I send 5 questions, you record on your phone whenever, send back • Written quotes if neither works Either way we’ll feature you in a case study with a link to [Company], and I’ll send the questions ahead so it’s not a cold ask. Which works best?
The async option (record on phone, or a tool like Vouch/Vocal Video) rescues the ones who’d otherwise ghost a Zoom. Keep it as the fallback.

Follow-up rule

No reply in 5–7 days → one nudge with a softer angle (“totally get it if timing’s off — happy to keep it to 15 minutes”). After that, drop it and try a different client.

Part 2 — structuring the call

The 6 questions that build a usable testimonial

Run these as a conversation, not a checklist. They’re Sean D’Souza’s 6 Questions, tuned for the AI audit. Together they tell the “hero’s journey” — the client is the hero, we’re the guide.

  1. What nearly stopped you from doing the audit?The most important question. Their answer becomes a “reverse testimonial” that kills the same objection in the next prospect’s head. Pre-load it with the objection you most want destroyed (see below).
  2. What did the audit actually uncover — and what have we built since?Gets the before/after and the concrete work on tape.
  3. What part of the audit or the work did you value most?Surfaces the emotional high point in their words.
  4. What are three other benefits you’ve got?This is where you push for numbers — see the next block.
  5. Who would you recommend this to, and why?Ask it verbatim (below). You want the “for someone who…” line on tape.
  6. Anything else you’d add?The strongest soundbite often lives here. Then sit silent 2–3 seconds.

Pre-load Question 1 with the objection you want gone

Before the call, pick the one objection you most want destroyed for the next prospect, and steer Q1 toward it. Our prospects’ real objections:

  • “Will they actually deliver, or just hand me a report and disappear?”
  • “Isn’t AI just hype?”
  • “Is it worth the spend — will it actually pay off?”
  • “Will we get locked into a retainer we don’t use?”
  • “We’re too manual / not techy enough for this.”

You’re fishing for a line like: “I thought it’d be another agency that vanishes after the report — but they were still building with us months later.”

The non-negotiable: get numbers — and make them HOURS

“Great service” is worthless. “Gave me back 15 hours a week” is gold. Push every vague answer for a specific. And lead them toward hours and time, not just dollars — hours are what we reuse in cold email (dollar figures trip spam filters), and they’re easier for a client to say out loud.

  • “Roughly how many hours a week has that given you back?”
  • “How much faster is [that process] now versus before?”
  • “How many [tasks] does it now handle without anyone touching it?”
  • “What were you doing manually that you’ve completely stopped doing?”

Ask the recommendation question word-for-word

“For someone in [their industry] who’s considering an AI audit but isn’t sure it’s worth it — what would you say to them?”
That “for someone who…” phrasing is the exact line that converts the next prospect watching. Get it on tape.

Call logistics

Before

Send the 6 questions 48 hrs ahead. Confirm the slot the day before. Check their audio/video works.

During (~30 min)

First 5 min off-record to warm up + remind them they get approval. Then record. Have them say name/role/company first. Follow threads. After each answer, stay silent 2–3 sec — the best line often comes then.

After

Send the rough cut within 5–7 days while energy’s fresh. Get written sign-off before publishing. Real thank-you. Ask for a referral while top of mind.

Don’t skip this

Get the name-release in writing

Our biggest bottleneck isn’t the call — it’s getting owners to sign off on using their name. Bake it into the process so it’s not a separate ask later.

  • Mention sign-off up front (it’s also one of the three fears you’re answering) — so approval is expected, not a surprise
  • When you send the rough cut, send the one-line written release with it: “Happy for us to use this (name, company, quotes, video) on our site and in case studies?” — a “yes” reply is enough to start
  • Until a release is signed, the client stays anonymised by industry — same rule as the cold-email findings library

Bottom line

Ask 2–3 days after a quick win. Lead the invite with the case-study + backlink (not a discount), and answer the three fears inside the ask. On the call, run the 6 questions, pre-load Q1 with the objection you want killed, push relentlessly for hours saved, and get the recommendation line verbatim. Send the cut fast, get the release signed, ask for a referral.