Video summary

How to Get Great Testimonials for Your Book

Main summary

Key takeaways

Business

What to ask for (definition of a “good” testimonial)

A testimonial is a 1–2 line review that serves as endorsement / social proof.

Weak testimonials (usually ineffective for sales)

  • “This book is great/wonderful”
  • “Joe is a nice guy”

Strong testimonials (most effective)

Strong testimonials typically:

  • Refer back to specific value readers got from the book (advice, framework, results)
  • Mention a concrete outcome tied to the book (e.g., confidence, applied idea → sales result)

Examples of strong testimonials from the video

  • “I read Dan’s book and now I have the confidence to write my book in a flash…”
  • “I read Joe’s book and I used one of his ideas and I sold a client a $5,000 coaching program…”
  • “I read Jill’s book and now I have the confidence to do what I need to do to make an impact…”

Why testimonials work (core marketing mechanism)

Testimonials reduce skepticism by letting buyers see verification from “people like them.”

They also counter the assumption that you’re just self-promoting (“beating your chest” about your book).

The goal is confirmation/verification, not ego.

How to get testimonials (step-by-step playbook)

  1. Identify who to ask

    • People in your network: friends, colleagues, peers, clients
    • Anyone positioned to help and who already knows you

  2. Reach out in a non-spammy way

    • Use a personal hook: remind them how you know each other
    • Example from the case study: “reconnecting” after attending the NSA and C-suite conferences

  3. Make the request easy

    • Provide links so they can evaluate quickly:
      • Book cover
      • Table of contents
      • Optional: offer PDFs if attachments aren’t supported
    • Provide multiple consumption paths:
      • Some will read
      • Some only want TOC for a quick sense of fit

  4. Remove friction about what to write

    • People often don’t respond because they lack:
      • clarity on what you want
      • confidence on length / wording
      • knowledge of the mechanics
    • Solution from the case study: send copy-and-paste endorsement options
      • “Feel free to use any of them or modify them…”
    • This lets them choose quickly instead of writing from scratch.

  5. Use declarative, factual endorsement templates

    • The provided testimonial examples are framed as what the book contains, not hype:
      • “The title delivers the message that… there is hope…”
      • “This book provides a model for transforming your organization…”
      • “This book presents a comprehensive… approach…”
      • “How to effectively measure what is going on inside a company is fully addressed…”
      • “Diagrams… are particularly insightful and provide clarity…”

  6. Close with a simple confirmation ask + incentive

    • Ask them to reply to confirm they’ll do the endorsement
    • Offer a thank-you: a signed copy of the book

Case study (what the requester did)

  • The presenter’s story: a former connection emailed with a “reconnecting” subject line.
  • The email included:
    • Personal history (met at major conferences; exchanged cards; follow-ups)
    • A clear, small favor request: endorse the book
    • Links to cover + TOC (and an option to send PDFs)
    • A shortcut for endorsements: pre-written endorsement text they could copy/edit

Actionable takeaway

Don’t just ask for testimonials—design the testimonial path (access + guidance + examples).

Actionable recommendations distilled

  • Target “specificity”: encourage testimonials that state:
    • what readers learned
    • what frameworks/models they used
    • what results/confidence they gained
  • Use “declarative” phrasing to avoid over-promotional tone:
    • describe what’s in the book rather than declaring universal praise
  • Provide plug-and-play materials:
    • endorsement options
    • short links for quick review
    • optional PDFs
  • Make response simple:
    • ask for a reply confirmation
    • include a clear thanks/incentive (signed copy)

Key metrics / KPIs / targets mentioned

  • None explicitly stated (no revenue, CAC, conversion rate, target timelines, etc.).
  • One concrete numeric example used to illustrate a strong testimonial:
    • $5,000 coaching program sold after applying an idea from a book

Presenters / sources

  • Dan Janelli (author; ghostwriter/book coach/developmental editor)

Original video