Side Quests · Small missions. Real progress.
Time: 15 minutes | Cost: $0 | You’ll need: Email or a notes app, and a list (even mental) of past clients or customers
Most side hustlers know testimonials help them close new business. Most side hustlers also have zero testimonials on file, because asking feels awkward and “I’ll get to it” never arrives. The fix isn’t a fancy review-request system — it’s one well-written email you can send to one real person today.
Your mission: Draft a specific, low-friction testimonial request email addressed to one actual past client or customer, and send it before you close this tab.
Steps
- Pick one specific person, not a group. Scroll your email, texts, or payment app and find one person you helped in the last year who seemed genuinely satisfied. Not “customers in general” — one name. Generic blasts to everyone get ignored; a message that feels personal gets answered. If nothing comes to mind immediately, check old invoices or order confirmations for a name and date to jog your memory.
- Write down what specifically went well for them. Before drafting the email, jot a quick note to yourself: what problem did you solve, what result did they get, or what did they say (even casually) that stuck with you? This isn’t for the email yet — it’s so your request references something real instead of a vague “hope you enjoyed working with me.” Specificity makes the ask easier for them to answer, too.
- Draft the email with a narrow, easy question. Open a new email draft. Keep it short: thank them, reference the specific detail from step 2, and ask one narrow question instead of “can you write me a testimonial?” Try something like: “Would you be willing to share a sentence or two about how [specific result] worked out for you? Even a couple lines is perfect — I’d love to include it on my site with your permission.” A narrow ask gets a faster yes than an open-ended one.
- Make replying effortless. Add one line offering an alternative to writing: “If it’s easier, I’m happy to hop on a 5-minute call, or you can just reply with a couple bullet points and I’ll tidy it into a quote for your approval before using it.” People with good intentions often stall because writing feels like homework — removing that barrier is often the difference between a reply and silence.
- Send it, then log the ask. Hit send on that one email now. Then open a notes app or spreadsheet and create a simple tracker with three columns: Name, Date Asked, Status. Add this person’s row. This tiny log turns “I should ask for testimonials sometime” into a repeatable habit — next week you can pick another name and repeat steps 1 through 4 in under ten minutes each time.
Quest complete when: you’ve sent one specific, low-friction testimonial request to a real past client or customer, and logged the ask in a simple tracker you can return to.
