how to write testimony essay

How to Write Your Testimony

Use this 5-step outline to share your personal story of salvation

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Skeptics may debate the validity of Scripture or argue the existence of God, but no one can deny your personal experiences with God. If you tell someone how God worked a miracle in your life, how he blessed you, transformed you, lifted and encouraged you, or perhaps even broke and then healed you, no one can argue or debate it. When you share your Christian testimony, you go beyond the field of knowledge into the realm of relationship with God .

Tips to Remember as You Write Your Testimony

• Stick to the point. Your conversion and new life in Christ should be the main points.
• Be specific. Include events, genuine feelings, and personal insights that clarify your main point. Make your testimony tangible and relevant so others can relate to it.
• Be current. Tell what's happening in your life with God right now, today.
• Be honest. Don't exaggerate or dramatize your story. The simple, straightforward truth of what God has done in your life is all the Holy Spirit needs to convict others and convince them of God's love and grace.

5 Steps to Writing Your Testimony

These steps explain how to write your testimony. They apply to both long and short, written and spoken testimonies. Whether you're planning to write down your full, detailed testimony or prepare a quick 2-minute version for a short-term mission trip , these steps will help you tell others with sincerity, impact, and clarity, what God has done in your life.

1 - Realize Your Testimony Is Powerful

First and foremost, remember, there is power in your testimony. The Bible says we overcome our enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony:

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. (Revelation 12:10–11, (NLT)

Many other Bible verses reveal the power of sharing your testimony. Spend a few minutes looking them up: Acts 4:33 ; Romans 10:17 ; John 4:39 .

2 - Study an Example in the Bible

Read Acts 26 . Here the Apostle Paul gives his personal testimony before King Agrippa. He tells about his life before his conversion on the road to Damascus when he persecuted the followers of the Way. Next, Paul describes in detail his miraculous encounter with Jesus and his calling to serve Christ as an apostle . Then he goes on to tell of his new life after turning to God.

3 - Spend Time in Preparation and Prayer

Here are a few things to consider before you start writing your testimony: Think about your life before you met the Lord. What was going on in your life leading up to your conversion? What problems or needs were you facing at the time? How did your life change after knowing Jesus Christ ? Pray and ask God to help you share what he wants you to include.

4 - Use a 3-Point Outline

A three-point approach is very effective in communicating your personal testimony. This outline focuses on before you trusted Christ, how you surrendered to him, and the changes in your life since you began walking with him.

• Before:  Simply tell what your life was like before you surrendered to Christ. What were you searching for before coming to know Christ? What was the chief problem, emotion, situation, or attitude you were dealing with? What motivated you to seek a change? What were your actions and thoughts at the time? How did you try to satisfy your inner needs? (Examples of inner needs are loneliness, fear of death, insecurity, etc. Possible ways to fill those needs include work, money, drugs, relationships, sports, sex.) Remember to use concrete, relatable examples.
• How: How did you come to salvation in Jesus? Simply tell the events and circumstances that caused you to consider Christ as the solution to your searching. Take time to identify the steps that brought you to the point of trusting Christ. Where were you? What was happening at the time? What people or problems influenced your decision?
• Since: How has your life in Christ made a difference? How has his forgiveness impacted you? How have your thoughts, attitudes, and emotions changed? Share how Christ is meeting your needs and what your relationship with him means to you now.

5 - Words to Avoid

Stay away from " Christianese " phrases. "Churchy" words can alienate listeners/readers and keep them from identifying with your life. People who are unfamiliar or even uncomfortable with church and Christianity might not understand what you are saying. They may mistake your meaning or even be turned off by your "foreign language." Here are some examples:

Avoid using the term " born again ." Instead, use these words:

• spiritual birth
• spiritual renewal
• spiritual awakening
• come alive spiritually
• given a new life
• my eyes opened

Avoid using "saved." Instead, use terms like:

• delivered from despair
• found hope for life

Avoid using "lost." Instead, say:

• heading in the wrong direction
• separated from God
• had no hope
• had no purpose

Avoid using "gospel." Instead, consider saying:

• God's message to man
• the good news about Christ's purpose on earth
• God's message of hope for the world

Avoid using "sin." Instead, try one of these expressions:

• rejecting God
• missing the mark
• falling away from the right path
• a crime against God's law
• disobedience to God
• going my own way with no thought of God

Avoid using "repent." Instead, say things like:

• admit I was wrong
• change one's mind, heart, or attitude
• decide to turn away
• turn around
• make a 180 degree turn from what you were doing
• follow God's Word
• The 7 Main Christian Denominations: What Are the Differences?
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How to Write Your Testimony + Free Printable Worksheets

Every Christian should be prepared to testify of the work God has done in his or her life. As Proverbs 31 women, we want to be ready to share how good He is! Today I’m sharing how to write your testimony in 3 easy steps – plus six free printable worksheets to help you write your own testimony!

Be sure to download the free printable worksheets at the bottom of the post!

Writing your testimony is a great way to get comfortable sharing your testimony. Once you write out your story you can review it and share it with people you meet or even share it when speaking to an audience.

I’ve shared my testimony to women’s groups before and it’s helpful to have an easy outline to follow.

related: God Redeems Our Mistakes

How to Write Your Testimony in 3 Easy Steps

Sharing your testimony is a great way to share the Good News and impact other people’s lives for the kingdom of Heaven. When Jesus healed the man possessed by demons, he told the man to go home and share his testimony!

“The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:38-39

So let’s talk about how to write your testimony. It’s easier than you might think!

#1 Believe your testimony needs to be shared.

Whether you were raised in church and always believed in Jesus or you came to the cross later in life after many years of trial, your testimony is important and should be used to further the gospel message. Ask God to give you opportunities to share your testimony.

“Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.” 1 John 5:10a

#2 Spend time praying before you prepare your testimony.

Ask God to show you what parts of your story should be shared in your testimony. Which parts of your story demonstrate His goodness? Which parts should be kept private or be only vaguely referenced in your story? What is the overarching theme of your testimony?

If you read Acts 26 you’ll find an example of Paul giving his testimony and sharing the story of his own conversion on the road to Damascus. He gives a good picture of his life before and his life after coming to Jesus.

“To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass:” Acts 26:22

#3 Use a simple outline.

Your testimony should answer these questions:

• What was my life like before?
• How did I come to know Jesus as my Savior?
• How is my life different now?

You should be able to give a short testimony just a few short sentences and be able to share your testimony in a longer format.

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.” Psalm 66:16

As you can see, writing your testimony isn’t hard and doesn’t have to be stressful! If you’re asked to share your testimony you’ll be prepared just like we’re instructed in the Bible!

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15 NIV

Action Steps to Take Today

• Pray and ask God to help you write your testimony so you can share the goodness of God with others.
• Download, and use my free printable “How to Write Your Testimony” Worksheets below, if desired. Or write your testimony out on a piece of paper.
• Pray before you begin writing. Remember to give details and examples from your life but be careful not to glorify sin with too much detail.
• Ask God to give you opportunities to share your testimony with others.

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The Navigators

How to Prepare Your Personal Testimony

Sharing how you came to know God personally is one of the most powerful ways you can help friends grasp how much God loves us. This resource outlines the power of your story and how you can share Christ with others in an authentic way.

Example of Personal Testimony in Scripture

When the apostle Paul stood before King Agrippa ( Acts 26 ), he spoke simply, logically, and clearly about his life before salvation, how he met Christ, and what his life was like after conversion. Paul’s testimony takes three or four minutes to read aloud in a conversational manner.

It is important for you to be able to write out your personal testimony—not for the purpose of memorizing and sharing it verbatim, but because it helps to put into words some of the important and interesting details of your relationship with Christ. Our individual stories are some of the most powerful discipleship and evangelism tools because they are so deeply unique to us. The choice of the right words, the flow of your story, and knowing how to begin and end are all important.

Preparing Your Personal Testimony

Sharing how you came to know God personally is one of the most powerful ways you can help friends grasp how much God loves us.

If someone asked you to share today, you might find it challenging to explain how you came to believe in God, or what he means to you?

If so, that’s okay! Try setting aside just 15 minutes to capture some key milestones in your journey with Christ below, and use this as a guide for sharing your story with others, whether in snippets over time or all at once over coffee. Remember, it’s your story, so the more authentic and personal it is, the better.

• Before you met Christ, what were some of your needs, what was lacking, or what was missing in your life?
• What methods for improving your life did you try that didn’t work?
• What were the circumstances that caused you to consider following Jesus?
• What has become your favorite Bible verse and why?
• Share about how you trusted Christ and give a brief explanation of the gospel. John 3:16 is a great verse to use.
• Give an example of how God has met your needs—either physical or emotional—since you accepted Jesus.
• Share about what part of your relationship with God you’re most grateful for today.

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” ( 1 Peter 3:15 , NIV)

Share this Navigator Discipleship Tool

Download a print friendly PDF of the Personal Testimony resource to pass along. Navigator Discipleship Tools are designed for sharing with your Bible study, church group, and those you are discipling.

Adapted from Deepening Your Roots In God’s Family, 2011. Used by permission of NavPress.

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How to Write a Personal Testimonial About Yourself

Last Updated: September 2, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 490,236 times.

A personal testimonial can really come in handy when you're applying to things, like colleges or jobs, but how do you write one that really shines? Don't worry—it's actually easier than you'd think. By brainstorming and asking yourself the right questions, you can come up with a testimonial that knocks everyone's socks off. Keep reading to learn how!

Sample Testimonials

Developing the Specifics

• If slightly different answers are needed, be sure to create different statements for each application, and make sure your answer fits the question being asked.
• You may not need to rewrite your entire statement for each organization or position, however. Start with small changes, such as changing your wording to echo the job advertisement.
• You may find that there are overlaps between the questions you need to answer for each statement. In this case, you can reuse sections that you have written for a previous testimony. Just make sure you change the name of the organization or company.

• Even if the company or organization does not ask specifically why you are interested in them, your writing should demonstrate your interest. You can do this by including examples and evidence that would be important to them and which are suggestive of what you can do for them in the future, if offered the position.
• Specify qualifications you have that would make you a good fit. For example, say you did Peace Corps after college and are applying for a political science master program focusing in international relations. Talk about what you learned about issues in other parts of the world during your service. [1] X Research source

• Think about what's unique about you. If you were to define yourself as a person, what experience would you draw upon to do so? Maybe your family has a long background in grassroots political action. You've done campaign work for every election since you were seven.
• This story could be a great start for a personal testimonial for a job in politics. You could start off writing something like, "I say, without exaggeration, that I've been involved in the Democratic process since elementary school." You can emphasize your lifelong commitment to politics, bringing up related education and work experiences as you go.

• What makes you a good candidate for a particular position? This is your chance to brag. Bring up past work experience and any awards or honors you've received. Talk about your publications, if you have them.
• Go into detail about your skill set. If you're applying for an administrative position, include your typing speed. If you're applying for a software company, list all the softwares and computer programs you're proficient in running.

• For instance, if you claim that one of your strong qualities is your leadership ability, give details about work where you have taken on a leadership role and state how your leadership was integral to the success of the team. If you won any awards for leadership, state them.
• If you have worked in a managerial position, state how many people worked under you, and give an example about an initiative that you lead. Emphasize the outcomes of that initiative and link it to work that you could do in the new position for which you are applying.
• Use current examples and data. For instance, if you are using a percentage of quarterly profit increases to demonstrate your business savvy, use the most recent data available to you rather than the profit increases from ten years ago. If you use dated data, your potential employers might wonder if you are avoiding a discussion of your current productivity because your numbers are low.
• If you are including testimonials as evidence, use ones from experts in your field. For example, say you're applying to a nonfiction graduate program. Mention that John D'agata reviewed your senior thesis and include any positive comments he made.

• Use jargon here that is relevant to the position. Make sure you use jargon correctly, so you look like you have in-depth understanding of a particular field. For example, say you're applying to a graduate program in English literature. Talk about what genres of literature you're most interested in studying, and the type of analysis that most interests you. Are you interested in post-colonial studies, feminist studies, postmodernism, for example?
• Highlight your most relevant work experience. If you are applying to work in a biology lab, don’t tell them about volunteering at the local animal shelter. Describe your work experience in a biology lab and emphasize an important discovery you made or skill you gained.

Brainstorming Before Writing

• If you are applying for more than one position, you may notice some overlap in the job requirements. At this point, it may be helpful to create a list that organizes the positions according to key words or phrases. In other words, make a list of positions categorized according to job requirements (e.g., managerial experience, organizational skills, and so forth). This list can serve as a guide later as you revise your personal testimony to fit each particular position.

• If you have worked a lot during your university years or recent work experience, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth? What are your career goals?
• Make a list of the skills you possess (e.g. leadership, verbal communication, analytical) and think of an example for each of those skills. Alternately, identify one example that relates to all (or the majority) of the skills you listed.

• Be sure that you can clearly connect these personal attributes to a particular professional example. You’ll need to be able to demonstrate an instance when you were persistent or demonstrated compassion that connects to the job at hand.

• When did you become interested in this area and what has motivated your interest and reinforced your belief that you are suited to this field?
• How have you learned about this field? Was it through courses, journals, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with other professionals?

Polishing Your Personal Testimony

• Find ways to write with attitude. It's okay to be a little creative in a personal testimonial. People reading through testimonials likely sift through hundreds each day. A fun opening line can really set you apart. Let's return to the example of applying for a job in politics. You campaigned with your family when you were young. Try opening with something like, "Picture a 4 foot tall 8 year-old passionately handing out yard signs to middle-aged soccer moms in a typical Midwestern neighborhood. There you have my introduction to the political process in America."
• Address possible objections. This can set you apart. Imagine what hesitations a reader may have about you. For example, "I may come off as a bit young or a bit naive, but I believe my youth only reinforces my passion and energy for politics." [4] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

• Try for a fun and attention-grabbing opening line. Do not begin with something that sounds too generic. If you wrote something like, "I'm a 27 year-old content marketer looking for fresh experience," try to rewrite it in a more entertaining, energetic fashion. For example, "I've been in love with the world of marketing since finishing college 5 years ago, and I'm ready for some fantastic new challenges."
• Read through your opening paragraph several times to make sure there are no typos. If readers are shifting through hundreds of personal testimonies, a typo is a good reason to discard one. Make sure you whole statement, but especially your opening paragraph, is typo-free.

• It would be a good idea to return to the job advertisement as you read through your testimony to remind yourself of the key words and phrases you highlighted. Check that everything in your statement connects to the topics and requirements you noted earlier. Delete anything that does not relate.
• Delete any references to experiences or accomplishments from high school or before unless you have just graduated from high school.
• Look for anything that could be interpreted as possibly controversial—anything, for instance, that suggests a particular religious or political affiliation.
• In general, don't include personal information such as your age, marital status, or race, unless it is relevant to the job position.

• Alternately, pay a professional editor. Spending a little extra money on polishing your personal testimony might just land you your dream job!

Expert Q&A

• Focus on your core abilities and positive attributes. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Keep it clear, succinct, and to the point. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Focus on specific accomplishments. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-goal-setting/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/business-letters/
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-rikVnBGUk
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/literature-reviews/

About This Article

If you’re asked to write a personal testimonial about yourself, start by reading the prompt carefully and brainstorming what makes you unique. As you read the prompt, mark any key words or phrases that you’ll want to showcase, like organizational skills or managerial experience. Then, make a list of past work experiences or personal traits that demonstrate your abilities. When you’re ready to start writing, open with an attention-grabbing paragraph that gives a little background on why you’re applying for this particular position. Then, write about how your qualifications and experiences make you a perfect match. For example, go into detail about your skill set or use current examples of relevant work experience. To learn how to add a story to your testimonial, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Testimonial in 5 Steps + 5 Examples (Infographic)

No matter what kind of business you run, you’re always going to vouch for your own brand — but what is a prospective customer going to think about this? Probably something like: “Well, duh, of course you’re saying all of these marvelous things about your business. But how can I believe these claims you’re making are actually factual?”

Unfortunately, you’re not always going to gain new clients solely based on giving yourself a good word. Instead of giving potential customers a reason to roll their eyes at your website, give them the support needed to back up these claims. 

What kind of evidence can you provide that shows your company is indeed smart, reliable, compelling and efficient? A good testimonial from past clients, that’s what. This form of social proof is a simple way to gain trust at the beginning of your business relationship — but only if your writing is on point.

Here’s how to start writing testimonials that can improve credibility and turn 1 happy customer into even more happy customers!

How to Write a Testimonial

Customers have stories about your brand. To turn those stories into social proof, you need to roll up your sleeves, flex your writing muscles and break the process into 5 simple steps:

• Determine the challenge your client faced.
• Walk through what you did to solve the problem, including a quick product description where relevant.
• Explain how your solution was different from other options.
• Describe your customer’s experience from start to finish and highlight any compelling results.
• Conclude with your overall message, such as a call to action.

Remember, your goal is to show a potential client how your business delighted people just like them — so don’t just talk about yourself, your brand or your solutions. Instead, focus on the relationship you built with your happy customer.

Tips for Writing a Great Testimonial

Although those 5 steps will help you craft testimonials of all kinds, it’s important to keep in mind that you shouldn’t get too formulaic. After all, you want to show your audience that you treat every customer as an individual — which means a copy/paste format or cookie-cutter social proof isn’t going to cut it.

The key to writing a compelling testimonial every time is to think of the process as storytelling. You and your customer are the main characters, and the customer’s problem is the antagonist trying to get in your way. How do you work together to save the day and live happily ever after?

To start framing your story, you need a solid, confident approach to customer communication and research. Here are a few tips to help you get the information you need and frame it in ways that make your customer look like a hero:

Give customers an experience to remember. This one technically takes place before you start working on a testimonial, but it’s an important tip nonetheless. That’s because memorable experiences are more likely to create strong brand relationships, which, in turn, inspire customer testimonials that almost write themselves. For this reason, it’s smart to approach every interaction as a future testimonial — that way, you’re always thinking about how best to serve and delight your customers.

Reach out to your connections. Talk to clients with whom you’ve developed a strong business relationship over the years. These individuals will have great stories to tell and are likely to get excited about helping your company.

Set clear expectations. Your subject will want to know how the testimonial process works, what the end result will be and whether they can review your writing before you publish it on your website. Remind them that they’ll be the hero of this piece.

Get a lot of (specific) information. Gather details including your contact’s name, title and company. Adding the company’s logo is also effective. This information helps flesh out your “main character,” making the customer testimonial more personal for readers.

Ask good questions. Some customers are natural storytellers, while others are less comfortable in the spotlight. To help guide the conversation, be sure to brainstorm your questions ahead of time. Here are a few to get you started:

• What problem were you facing and how was it impacting your life?
• What prompted you to reach out to us?
• If you could choose one word to describe your experience with us, what would it be?
• What does your future look like with our product or service?

Keep things short and sweet. Even if you get enough information to write a whole novel, make sure you focus on only the most important details when writing your testimonial. A long testimonial that rambles on will likely be passed up by your website visitors, according to Orbit Media — so keep things concise.

Be authentic. Authenticity is the underlying factor of credibility. Don’t blow anything out of proportion in customer testimonials — be authentic and factual.

Be visually engaging. No matter the type of testimonial, use images, videos and social media embeds that help paint the picture of the story you’re trying to tell. This makes your content more visually appealing and engaging.

So What Is a Testimonial, Exactly?

Not to be confused with a success story or case study, a testimonial is a creative way to share a statement made by a happy customer who can provide assurance about the quality and value of your brand. It’s a written form of a “thumbs up” provided by someone who trusted your process, felt happy with the end product and is willing to share their experience in hopes of helping you gain more business.

Putting a testimonials page on your website is worth considering. In fact, according to a recent Local Consumer Review Survey by Bright Local , consumers read about 10 online reviews before they feel like they can trust a business. These star ratings can help your business, but an effective testimonial can take things a step further. On top of that, a B2B Content Marketing Trends Report shows that customer testimonials are the most effective form of content marketing to 89% of marketers.

Different Types of Testimonials

You know that testimonials are powerful tools, but which type will work best for sharing customer success? There are so many ways to tell a compelling story, and deciding which one works best will be based on the collateral you have to work with, as well as the unique way you want to share the success. 

Here are some of the common types of testimonials to consider:

1. Quote Testimonials

Perhaps the most beloved and common type, quote testimonials are direct words from a customer who was satisfied with the products or services they received.

2. Peer Testimonials

People tend to gravitate toward others who resemble themselves. This is referred to as implicit egotism, and it’s why peer testimonials work. Basically, the person giving the testimony is of similar status to the audience. This type usually includes a visual in the form of a portrait.

3. Social Testimonials

The greatest testimonials are the ones you don’t ask for. This is where social media testimonials come into play. It’s when customers volunteer to write about their experience with your company via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or another social media outlet. This type is ultra organic and can add another layer of credibility to your reputation as a brand — plus, it’s social proof of your successes.

4. Customer Video Testimonials

Letting your customer speak their truth in a video is one of the most authentic opportunities for a testimonial. This is something that’s very difficult to fake. Plus, a great video testimonial is visually stimulating, attention-grabbing and can keep potential customers on your page for a set amount of time.

5. Interview Testimonials

An interview with your client is another authentic route. It’s almost as if it’s a hidden testimonial – if everything goes smoothly, nothing will be forced and the interview will speak for itself. A text interview is one option, but a Q&A via video or audio is often more engaging.

6. Influencer Testimonial

Having a celebrity or social media influencer vouch for your brand is an influencer testimonial. It works because these individuals have a trusted name and can help encourage other people to make decisions, thus leveraging them to consider your products and services. Keep in mind that The Federal Trade Commission requires all formal, paid influencer marketing campaigns to be disclosed .

7. Employee Testimonials

Don’t forget one of your greatest resources: your employees. This type of testimonial gives your team the opportunity to talk about a day in their life, such as what the job looks like or their favorite parts of what they do.

Employee testimonials can be an especially powerful tool as they speak to two audiences at once: prospective customers and would-be applicants. For those seeking a job, an employee testimonial is a great way to show off your organization’s culture and what they can expect from working with you. On the other hand, potential customers can get a first-hand look at how your team interacts and how that collaborative environment will translate into a great experience for them.

Benefits of a Good Testimonial

A testimonial is basically an advertisement that sells your services for you, encouraging potential clients to work with you without beating a dead horse with your own sales pitch. Good testimonials are important because they:

Build trust and credibility. Let past customers share their experience with your company, sharing the answers to the questions potential clients may have. This can fill the void of skepticism and provide credibility for your brand.

Connect with your audience on an emotional level. Emotion-based decision making is common, and it makes sense, according to Psychology Today : “A great deal of your decisions are informed by your emotional responses because that is what emotions are designed to do: to appraise and summarize an experience and inform your actions.”

Boost your persuasiveness. Connecting with your clients on a deeper level also gives you better leverage when persuading them to work with you. Even if you’ve never met with them, you’ll have laid the groundwork for a future relationship by showing them how you’ve worked with others.

Give you a chance to tell a compelling story. There’s a difference between a story and a good story. If you know how to write a testimonial the right way, you can craft a tale your potential customers will remember — one that inspires them to start their own story by working with you.

Build your company’s personality. Although marketers work hard to avoid the pitfalls of impersonal sales language, it’s sometimes easy to forget there are real people behind every social media post, email and service. Customer testimonials pull back the curtain and allow your audience to see that your company is made up of strong, hard-working humans who give your business its reputation.

Increase conversions. Having a page of testimonials on your website is more powerful than you think. When keywords like “trustworthy,” “authority” and “credibility” are used in a testimonial, they become strong signals for search engines for prospective customers. According to VWO , testimonials can increase conversion on your sales pages by 34%.

Our Favorite Customer Testimonial Examples

Looking for some inspiration? Here are a few customer testimonial examples that are compelling and motivational:

Those dealing with acne, both teenagers and adults, understand just how frustrating it can be to find a skincare product that actually works. Proactiv knows how to get people interested in trying their brand: by showing how well it works for people dealing with similar issues. It’s a perfect example of peer testimonials.

On its testimonials page, Proactiv introduces multiple customers who share their journey with acne before and during their experience with the skin care products.

“Whether you’re just starting out on Proactiv or have been using it for years, it never hurts to remember where you started. Real Proactiv users share their untouched before photos as well as their afters to show you just how far they’ve come on their clear-skin journey.”

The brand goes on to share photos, with specific customer details attached, as well as direct quotes.

Why it works: Proactiv evokes an emotional response from readers who want to know how well the products worked for other people who struggled with acne. This makes them relatable and encourages readers to believe the brand is authentic and trustworthy.

Brafton for Family Reach

Here’s an example of one of our own customer testimonials. Family Reach, a financial lifeline for families fighting cancer, reached out to us for content that would help explain what they do and reach a broader audience. Their goals were to sympathize with families in need and help remove the stigma that comes with the financial burden of cancer. With these goals in mind, the Brafton team has created various graphic designs, animations and videos for Family Reach.

In this video testimonial, you learn that Brafton and Family Reach have developed a strong professional partnership.

“What I love most about the Brafton is I feel like I’m working with someone from Team Family Reach,” said Rose Cunningham, Director of Partnerships and Marketing at Family Reach.

Why it works: Getting direct quotes from satisfied clients is valuable, but recording these customers via video breaks down the barriers that would normally eliminate the emotion and passion behind the success. This video clearly shows what the partnership means to Family Reach.

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that helps entrepreneurs start, maintain and grow their businesses . If you browse through their testimonials , you’ll notice they use the interview tactic, which gives their clients a chance to share their personal business stories. By the end of each interview, the customer gives a detailed description of how Shopify helped them launch their businesses, offering other readers a first-hand look at exactly how helpful this launching pad can be.

At the bottom of the page, there’s also a smart tactic for encouraging small businesses to get their feet wet and learn more about what Shopify has to offer. It’s a subscription sign-up that’s cleverly titled, “Be the next Shopify success story.”

Why it works: Interviews give us an enriching, personal dive into a customer’s experience. Plus, the subscription sign up gets an A+. Talk about an inspirational jolt for entrepreneurs.

ChowNow, an online food ordering platform that helps local restaurants connect with hungry customers, has a flawless testimonials page . There’s a quote from a manager, PR manager or owner of each featured restaurant, as well as a video that gives us a first-hand look at the successes these businesses have had with ChowNow.

Why it works: ChowNow’s testimonials page has a beautiful design, but its format is what really matters — all vital information is readily available. For those who are quickly browsing the testimonials as a whole, you get the name of the client, the type of food they serve and a quote from an employee. For those who want more in-depth information on each experience, there’s a video on standby.

The Testimonial Takeaway

Remember: Your No. 1 goal with each customer testimonial should be to improve your reputation on the internet, and your No. 2 goal should be to increase your conversion rates. The more positive feedback you get from past clients who are willing to share their stories on your website, the more likely potential clients will be interested in taking action.

Developing a positive customer testimonial may take some planning, but the review will write itself if you give your clients a memorable experience with your company. Keeping your bottom line goals in mind, remember the importance of building relationships and serving as a trustworthy provider of attractive products or services. This will help your readers — who likely have an interest in your business — keep your company top of mind when thinking of a brand that’s top-notch, successful, respectful and dependable.

Of course, customer testimonials are just one tool in your marketing arsenal. To brush up on all the other ways to communicate with clients and tell crazy-good stories, subscribe to our newsletter today.

Editor’s Note: Updated June 2022.

Amanda Ciarci

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Amanda Ciarci is a senior writer and editor at Brafton. When she isn’t busy overusing the em dash, she can be found playing with her cat, drinking pots of coffee at a time or finding her next concert to attend.

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How to Write a Testimonial

Last Updated: August 16, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Jennifer Mueller is a wikiHow Content Creator. She specializes in reviewing, fact-checking, and evaluating wikiHow's content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 94,496 times.

Testimonials can be a powerful marketing tool for any business. If you've been approached to write a testimonial, or if you've volunteered to write one, you want it to be as helpful and persuasive as possible. To write a powerful testimonial, start by describing the problem you faced. Then explain how the product or service you're writing about solved your problem. Conclude by recommending the product or service to others. [1] X Research source

Describing Your Problem

• How much, and what type, of detail about yourself you include will depend on the product or service for which you're writing your testimonial. Your testimonial should be relatively short, so don't include anything that wouldn't add weight or value to your testimony.
• For example, if you're writing a testimonial about a new herbal dog shampoo, the fact that you're a licensed dog groomer would be important. However, if you were writing a testimonial for a personal trainer, the fact that you are a dog groomer would probably be irrelevant.

• Facts allow people reading your testimonial to compare your situation before and after you used the product or service. Showing this evidence yourself makes the testimonial more helpful to people.
• Since you still want your testimonial to be brief, only include facts that were directly affected by the product or service. For example, if your business had a problem managing its social media accounts, you might say "My business's Facebook page only had 10 followers and averaged less than one view a day."

• Listing alternatives can be especially beneficial if you tried a direct competitor and they were unable to solve your problem. To continue with the social media example, you might say "We hired Social Media X to manage our accounts, but after 30 days they failed to bring in any additional page views or followers."
• Include a personal note regarding how it made you feel to try different alternatives and have them all fail. Readers will empathize with you and be drawn into your story.

• Cost typically is one potential obstacle. For example, you might say, "We were reluctant to use Social Media Z because they charged twice as much as Social Media X. But after X failed to deliver, we decided to give Z a shot – and that was the best decision we could have made."

Demonstrating the Benefit

• Take a moment to introduce the product or service and talk a little about what it is or what it does. Then state specifically what it did for you and how it helped you.
• For example, you might say "Social Media Z focuses on increasing social media reach through entertaining and informative social media posts. Since hiring Social Media Z, we've gained 237 new followers and our sales have increased by nearly a third."
• Highlight a unique or creative approach. If there's something about the business or product that sets it apart from competitors, talk about that thing specifically. Mention if custom solutions were offered that were tailored specifically to your problem. [7] X Research source
• It can help to describe your expectations, if they help put the creativity of the business you're talking about into perspective. For example, you might write "I didn't expect Social Media Z to get us more than 20 or 30 followers, but they found a way to bring in ten times as many people."

• Personal notes also mean something to the people you name, and can help employers identify and reward their best employees. If someone specific impressed you, talk about them in your testimonial.
• For example, you might write "While the whole team went above and beyond, Sally spent a lot of time getting to know our company and our needs. We would not have achieved the success we did without Sally's hard work and attentiveness."

• For example, if you're hiring a social media management company for your business, and you focused on the low numbers of people following your social media accounts, state specifically how many followers you had after the company you hired went to work.

• For example, if you were skeptical about using the product or service because of its cost, you might say "I was concerned Social Media Z's fees were too high, but after such overwhelming success, I'm now convinced they are worth every penny!"

Closing Your Testimonial

• For example, if the company providing the product or service asked you for a testimonial, you might say "When Sally from Social Media Z asked if I would be willing to write a testimonial about their work for my company, I didn't hesitate. They increased our social media following by 300 percent and really put our company on the map here in our community."

• Depending on the product or service you're writing about, you may want to directly target specific people. For example, you might write "I highly recommend Social Media Z, particularly to small businesses looking to establish a foothold in their community."

• For example, you might say "If you are a small business owner struggling with your social media presence, call Social Media Z today! They offer a free initial consultation, so you have nothing to lose."

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• ↑ https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/how-to-write-a-testimonial/
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• ↑ https://vimm.com/six-steps-to-writing-a-meaningful-testimonial/

About this article

To write a testimonial, open by describing the problem you faced, as well as a little relevant information about yourself. For instance, if you’re writing a testimonial about dog shampoo, you might mention that your dog had really matted fur and you couldn’t find any product that worked to detangle it. You could include some of the specific products or techniques you tried, as well. Then, explain how the product or service solved your problem. Be specific about the results you got, and finish with a short summary. For tips on including a personal note if someone helped you directly, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Preparing Your Personal Testimony

Gary DeLashmutt

One of the most helpful things a Christian can do is write out his personal testimony. This exercise will help you think through in your own mind what God has done in your life and will prepare you to share your story simply and clearly with others. Sharing how you became a Christian is one of the best ways of witnessing. It is particularly helpful in presenting Jesus Christ to relatives and close friends, usually the most difficult people to whom to witness.

In sharing the story of your experience:

1. Make it personal  —Don't preach. Tell what Christ has done for you. Use the pronouns "I", "me", and "mine".

2. Make it short  —Three or four minutes should be enough time to deal with the essential facts.

3. Keep Christ central  —Always highlight what He has done for you.

4. Use the Word of God  —A verse or two of Scripture will add power to your story. Remember that the word of God has a keen cutting edge (Ephesians 6:17 ).

Please note: If your testimony includes a previous negative church experience, do not mention the name of that church or denomination because it creates needless antagonism in those who are listening to your story.

Try writing down your personal testimony just the way you'd tell it to a non-Christian. Make the story of your conversion so clear that another person hearing it would know how to receive Christ. Tell a little about your life before you trusted Jesus Christ; then tell about your conversion, how you came to trust Him, and something of what it has meant to know Him—the blessing of sins forgiven, assurance of eternal life, and other ways your life or outlook has changed. If you have been a Christian for some time, be sure that your testimony includes some current information about the continuing effect of Jesus Christ in your life.

As you prepare your story, ask the Lord to give you opportunities to share it. Pray for two or three people whom you would particularly like to tell about Jesus Christ in your neighborhood, at work, or at school. Then take the first opportunity to share your testimony with them.

Follow a format similar to this:

In conclusion, remember that you do not have the power in yourself to convince anyone of spiritual truth. The Holy Spirit convicts non-Christians of their need to know Christ (John 16:8). As you pray for those with whom you desire to share your personal testimony, be sure to ask God to honor the proclamation of His word, to convince people of their need, and to strengthen you as you share the gospel.

God has summoned each Christian to be a witness of what he has "seen and heard" (1 John 1:3). Witnessing is a style of living—you are a witness at all times. Loving others and showing your genuine concern for them are practical ways to communicate the Love of Christ. You also witness by your life. Actions are often more revealing than words. Your actions, however, are not sufficient to communicate to another the message of the gospel of Christ. You need to witness by your words—to identify openly with Jesus Christ and to tell others how they can be reconciled to God. One of the most effective means of communicating this to another person is the story of how God has worked in your life—your personal testimony.

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Advocate's Guide to Written and Oral Testimony

​​Public hearings give you an opportunity to express your opinion on an issue in a formal way to the deciding committee or governing body. Offering oral testimony is the most powerful way to present testimony. Even if you plan to speak at the hearing, you should submit written testimony in case time runs out for speakers at the hearing. ​

Download the Advocate's Guide to Written and Oral Testimony handout. ​

Step 1: Research the Issue.​​​​

• How did this issue come before the committee and why is this issue relevant?
• How is this issue currently addressed by law?
• What stage is the issue in the legislative process and what is the next step in the process?
• Does CAI have any public policies on the issue? Is the issue a CAI Federal or State priority?
• Who are the committee members that will decide the issue? Visit the legislative chamber to understand the environment.
• What is opposition's point of view? Could you compromise on some parts with them?​

​Step 2: Develop 2-3 key points that you want to convey to the committee.​

• Use layperson's terms. Avoid jargon and too many statistics.
• Personalize your testimony . What does it mean to you? Use anecdotes from your community. ​

Step 3: Prepare W​ritten Testimony

Written testimony should be no longer than one page and limited to one bill or issue. Always be polite and positive and do not attack or threaten a government official. ​

​Step 4: Prepare Oral Testimony (optional)​

• ​Oral testimonies generally have a time limit of 2-3 minutes at the legislative hearing.
• Speaking at the hearing allows you to really emphasize the personal impact of the issue on you and your community. Facts and figures are great, but personalized testimony is the most effective.
• ​P ractice. Time yourself delivering your testimony to a friend or spouse. Aim to make your testimony shorter than the time allowed.
• Think about potential questions the committee might ask you and prepare concise answers.​

Step 5: Attend the Legislative Hearing​​

• ​Wear conservative/business attire and arrive early.
• Before the committee hearing starts review written testimony of other parties and meet other witnesses on your panel or other panels. 
• This is a great time to connect with people who share your views. Sit with people that share your views and support those that give oral testimony. ​​

Step 6: Deliver Oral Testimony (optional)​

1.    Fill out a speaker's request form.  Submit it to the committee clerk before the hearing starts.

2.    Pay close attention to the hearing .  It is common for legislators to enter and leave during hearings, but you should pay attention so that you can modify your testimony.

• Listen to the questions the legislators pose to other witnesses. Were the witnesses able to answer the question? Did they answer the question accurately?
• Answer the questions that were not able to be answered by previous advocates. Personal anecdotes are a great way to put a fresh spin on your key points.​

3.    Deliver Your Oral Testimony.  The clerk will call you to testify. At the podium, there might be a system of lights to help you stay within the time limit (Green, good; yellow, 1-minute left; red, stop). It is always best end on time. ​​

Step 7: Next Steps

• Follow up with any information you promised to the committee. This is the opportunity for you to become an advisor on community association issues so that the legislator calls you when issues arise in the future.
• Let your partners in advocacy know what you gleaned from the hearing.
• Identify next steps. What happened following the hearing? Who supported or opposed the bill?

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Enchanting Marketing

Writing advice for small business

How to Write Powerful Testimonials: 2 Templates + 9 Examples

by Henneke | 42 enchanting opinions, add yours? :)

T estimonials are powerful marketing tools. They add credibility and boost your persuasiveness. They help sell your products and services—but only if they’re not overly sugary.

This article discusses:

Testimonials are a powerful selling tool

You should always include testimonials in your copy. The reader finds it easier to believe the endorsement of a fellow consumer than the puffery of an anonymous copywriter.

Ogilvy wrote those words in his book Confessions of an Advertising Man , originally published in 1963.

Yet, over 5 decades later, testimonials are still one of the most underused sales tactics online.

That’s because most testimonials are overly sugary so they’re ineffective.

Plus, testimonials are often hidden away on a website; they’re not placed where they matter most and where web visitors will see them.

This article provides a mini-course on using testimonials to add credibility and boost your persuasiveness so you can sell more.

What makes testimonials ineffective?

I’m sure you’ve read ineffective testimonials like this:

• Johnny is a wonderful teacher.
• I’ve learned so much from Jennifer!
• Joanne’s workshop was amazing.

These testimonials are far too sugary to be believable. They don’t help to sell because they don’t give readers a specific reason why a service or product was so good.

Powerful testimonial are more like miniature stories , sharing the experience of a service or product and giving reasons why other should consider buying, too.

4 requirements of good testimonials

A testimonial is a statement from a customer explaining how much they enjoyed a product or service.

To make a testimonial effective, pay attention to these 4 elements:

• Specificity: The testimonial gives a specific reason why a service or product was good. This specificity boosts credibility, and it makes the testimonial feel more authentic—readers know the writer of the testimonial actually experienced a good service.
• Authenticity: The testimonial doesn’t feel hyped up. It uses natural language to describe what was good about a service.
• Explanation of a benefit: A good testimonial demonstrates what impact a product or service had on the client; it shows how their lives have improved. This is what makes others interested in buying, too.
• Objection busting (optional): Objections stop people from buying and a good testimonial can help take away objections so people feel more eager to buy.

A good testimonial explains how specifically a product or service improved someone’s life. It does so in an authentic way.

Shall I show you how?

Examples of powerful testimonials

Here’s an example of how Blazen Web Marketing transformed a business:

Their work on our website and Internet marketing has made a significant different to our business. We’ve seen a 425% increase in quote requests from the website which has been pretty remarkable – but I’d always like to see more!

Why does this testimonial work?

• It demonstrates a key benefit—getting more quote requests from a website is a benefit many website owners are interested in.
• It is specific—the testimonial mentions a 425% increase in quote requests.
• It feels authentic—the testimonial writer even admits they’d like to do even better.

The following example is a testimonial for Case Study Buddy :

Writing case studies was a daunting task for us. We didn’t know where to begin or what questions to ask, and clients never seemed to follow through when we asked. Case Study Buddy did everything – with almost no time or effort for me! The best part was that I could completely trust their team to represent our company professionally with our clients.

• It demonstrates a key benefit—the testimonial shows the transformation from a daunting task to something that required almost no time or effort; most business owners would love it if they can hire a company who just gets on with a task.
• It is specific—the testimonial mentions specific reasons why writing case studies was a daunting task: they didn’t know what questions to ask and clients never seemed to follow through.
• It feels authentic—the writing feels real; there are no hypey words.

The following example is a testimonial for sales email experts Salesfolk :

As a sales gamification company, we were skeptical to work with a consultant to optimize our sales emails, but Salesfolk was highly recommended by many other Y-Combinator startups we knew. Salesfolk helped us run a ~6 week email campaign that brought us more leads than we had ever seen for a single effort.

• It demonstrates a key benefit and takes away an objection—many other companies may feel skeptical about hiring a consultant for optimizing sales emails, too; but this testimonial demonstrates it’s worth it.
• It is specific—the testimonial mentions who recommended Salesfolk (other Y-Combinator startups) and what Salesfolk did: help run a 6-week email campaign; the result (more leads) could have been more specific by mentioning a percentage increase.
• It feels authentic—the testimonial mentions the skepticism before hiring a consultant.

A good testimonial always feels real and authentic. It gives specific details, and either demonstrates a benefit or takes away an objection.

Two testimonial templates

Below follow two simple templates to help you write a testimonial faster:

• The first template demonstrates how a service (or product) helped improve a life—this is the most common template.
• The second template explains the hesitation to hire someone or buy something, and why that hesitation was misplaced. Click here to jump to this second template >>

Testimonial Template #1: The transformation explained

The reason this testimonial template works so well is that people don’t buy a product. They buy a better life. And this type of testimonial demonstrates how someone’s life was improved.

The template follows a 3-part structure :

• Part 1: Explain what the situation was before a product or service was purchased
• Part 2: Give specific reasons why you liked the product or service
• Part 3: Describe using specific details how your life was improved

Here’s an example—a testimonial for the Enchanting Copywriting course :

I bought this course because I have struggled to make my own website for my solo language coaching business for 8 years. I got stuck on the copy every single time. I wanted to learn how to persuade potential clients to get in touch with me because selling my service in a foreign language market is extremely difficult. Henneke’s course saved me. I loved the recipes that teach you, step by step, how to organize your sales page and what to say in each section. Each section has an objective. Plus, the example layouts for different kinds of businesses were invaluable. I sailed through the course in about 10 days because it’s sectioned into digestible modules that kept me curious to learn more. My copywriting skills have improved drastically and I’ve taken up a new interest in the world of copywriting. Thank you, Henneke! ~ Alanna Beach, online language coach

You can see the 3-part structure in action:

• The testimonial first describes the situation before the course: Alanna was struggling to write copy for her website. Note the specific details that make the testimonial feel more real: She wanted to write copy for a solo language coaching business (that’s specific) and she’s been stuck for 8 years—numbers are always specific, and they boost credibility; if you can include a number in your writing , do so.
• The second part of the testimonial describes specifically why Alanna liked the course: The recipes that teach, step by step, how to organize your sales page and what to say in each section. Plus, the example layouts for different kinds of businesses.
• The last part describes the situation after the course is completed: Alanna’s copywriting skills have improved and she’s taken up a new interest in copywriting. This part could have been more specific, for instance by mentioning that she finally got her website live and what the reaction has been (it’s great!).

Below follows another example using the same testimonial template. This testimonial is for the Enchanting Blog Writing course :

I’ve done a couple of writing courses in the past and I have loads of ideas. But I get overwhelmed and I’m not good at structuring my writing. So I still felt stuck. After reading Henneke’s blog for a few months, I purchased the Enchanting Blog Writing course because I like the way her blog posts read and because I hoped the course would give me some direction and motivation to sort out my blog. Henneke’s teaching is simple, yet detailed, and I love the huge number of examples in this course. I had not realized how powerful examples are. The examples help teach what Henneke calls X-ray reading so I can now see how others write their blog posts, and I’m starting to create my own blogging voice. Many courses promise to give step-by-step guidance but still leave you wondering what to do next. Henneke’s course is different. At the end of the course, I knew what to do. I’ve just created my first post of over 3,000 words, and it didn’t feel like a daunting task. I know what to write in the opening. I know what to write in the closing paragraph, and I know what to put in the sections in between. Thank you, Henneke. I’m super-grateful for this course. ~ Dylan Ball, Vocal Coach

The 3-part structure is a little expanded in this version:

• The testimonial first describes the situation before the course: Dylan had done a couple of writing courses in the past but still felt overwhelmed and stuck. He specifically mentions that he wasn’t good at structuring his writing
• The next part is extra: Dylan describes why he purchased the course, how he’d followed my blog for a few months, liked my blog posts and hoped that my course would give him direction and motivation to sort out his blog.
• The next part of the testimonial describes specifically why Dylan liked the course: The teaching is simple, yet detailed. Plus the huge number of examples.
• The last part describes the situation after the course is completed: Dylan is starting to find his voice and he has just created his first post of 3,000 words.

Have you noticed how real these testimonials feel?

They’re like miniature stories that give an impression of someone’s transformation—from being stuck to writing with ease.

If you need to write a testimonial, you can do the same. Describe the situation before you purchased, explain your experience of a service, and then share what the result has been.

No need to be overly positive. Share specific details. And keep it real.

Testimonial Template #2: The objection busted

This second template explains a hesitation to buy or to hire someone, and why this hesitation was misplaced.

This template works well as a selling tool because if you’ve hesitated to buy, there’ll be others who hesitated for the same reason. By showing why you went ahead and why you’re glad you did, you help take away that same objection with others.

The template works as follows:

• Part 1: Explain why you hesitated to purchase
• Part 2: Describe why you decided to go ahead anyway (as you can see in the second example below, this part is optional)
• Part 3: Provide details of your experience with the product or service
• Part 4: Show how your life was improved

I was unsure if the Enchanting Copywriting course would apply to my small e-commerce store; I thought it might be more suitable for higher-priced offerings like an e-course or coaching sessions. I also own both of Henneke’s copywriting books and was afraid there would be some overlap. But my product descriptions were sprawling all over the place and I needed a better understanding of the structure of persuasive sales copy, so I took the leap and I’m glad I did. Henneke doesn’t only teach you how to write a sales page, you learn so much more. For example, the psychology behind why your customer buys your product and methods of how to guide them if they’re hesitating. This course is incredibly well structured and to the point. Henneke teaches complicated concepts in a simple way and helps you sail through the course pain-free. The watch-listen-write “triple punch” format of the Enchanting Copywriting course doesn’t only work for different learning styles but together they’re a powerful means to make you actually learn. I could feel my brain growing while doing the activities. I would gladly buy this course again just for the teaching style alone. I’ve taken many online courses but I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much in an online course as in this one. Many of the techniques I’ve learned I now use in other writing as well, like my blog articles and in my emails. My writing is much clearer and I have a system to follow so my sales copy is more concise and straightforward. ~ Susanna Tham

You can see the 4-part structure in action:

• Susanna first describes two reasons why she hesitated to purchase the course: (1) she wasn’t sure whether it was applicable to her situation (this is a common objection!) and (2) she worried that there’d be too much overlap with my books (another common objection for courses!).
• The second part of the testimonial describes why she purchased anyway: Her product descriptions were sprawling all over, so she needed to take the leap.
• The third part describes why she was happy taking the leap—she liked the structure and the watch-listen-write format of the course.
• The last part describes how her life had improved: Her writing is now clearer and more concise; she even uses the techniques in different types of writing like blog pots and emails.

You can see the same structure in action in this testimonial for the same copywriting course :

I’ve bought so many digital courses and had to practice sheer discipline to finish them, and even so I end up dropping the ball and the course lands in an unknown digital drawer. This course is different. Henneke has broken down the teaching in a logical way to help you stay on track. After each module, I am wondering what she’ll be tackling in the next and want to step on the gas pedal! This course teaches you much more than writing persuasive sales pages. Right from module one I started to incorporate Henneke’s teachings into everything I wrote. Without much effort my communication (so not only what I wrote, but also how I brought ideas forward) became clearer, more to the point and hence a lot more effective. Even if you do not write a page but you outsource it, this course will give you everything you need to write a draft, brief the copywriter and assess the work. ~ Claudia Schalkx

How this testimonial works:

• Claudia first describes her hesitation with digital courses—she struggles to finish them (that’s another common objection to buying courses).
• Next, Claudia skips why she decided to purchase this course; she jumps into describing why this course is different: The teaching is logical and helped her stay on track. She finds herself eager to find out what the next module teaches.
• The last part describes how her life has improved: Without much effort, her writing is clearer, more to the point, and hence more effective.

A good testimonial is like a miniature story, describing how one person’s life improved after taken a course, hiring a coach or consultant, taking part in a workshop, etc.

Others who can recognize themselves in these stories. They may be hesitating to purchase for the same reasons. Or they find themselves in the same situation—such as feeling stuck writing—and dream of a similar transformation taking place—such as making their writing clearer and the process of writing easier.

But if you’re a service provider, course seller, consultant, or coach, how do you get such powerful testimonials?

How to ask for a testimonial

If you simply ask clients for a testimonial, it’s unlikely the testimonial will be as effective as the examples discussed in this article.

To get a powerful testimonial, ask your client for input and write the testimonial yourself. To get the right input, ask your client:

• What was their situation was before they hired you or purchased from you?
• Optional: Did they hesitate to purchase from you? If so why?
• What was their experience with your product or service? What did they appreciate most?
• What difference has your product or service made to their lives?

Below follows an example of a testimonial request for my blog writing course. In this case, someone had already mentioned they’d be happy to write a testimonial:

Are you still happy to help with a testimonial for the course?

If you like, please answer the questions below, and I’ll compose the testimonial based on your answers. Of course, I’ll send it to you for approval:

• Why did you purchase the course? What did you hope to learn?
• Did you hesitate to buy the course? If so, why? If not, what gave you the confidence to buy?
• How did the course meet or exceed your expectations? Were there any surprises?
• Which modules or writing techniques were most useful to you?
• What difference has the course made to your writing skills? Have you already noticed any impact?

Of course, no hurry. But it’d be lovely to get my first review from you 🙂

Cheers, Henneke

As you can see, question #1 relates to the before-situation. I asked question #2 because it gave me the option to write a testimonial based on the objection-busting template (template #2 above). Question #3 and #4 are about the experience of the course. By asking two questions about the experience, I increase the chance of getting some specific input. And the last question is to get an idea of what the post-course experience is like.

You may find that a client gives brief answers without any specifics. If that happens, go back and ask them whether they can explain what exactly they meant or whether they can give an example of how exactly their writing skills improved.

I adapt the email to request a testimonial almost every time. If I have a specific reason to ask a review, then I’ll mention that in the email. For instance: I’d love to get a review from you because you work in the charity sector, and I don’t have a review from this sector yet.

And if I know that someone hesitated for a specific reason, I’ll mention that in the email, too. For instance: I remember you were hesitant to buy the course because you thought the price was high. I’d love to hear what your experience has been.

Lastly, if it feels too awkward to ask for a testimonial, I may simply phrase the email (with similar questions) as a request for feedback.

How to write up a testimonial on behalf of a client:

• Put their answers in a logical order (following the templates mentioned above)
• Use the words of the client as much as possible
• Cut any excessive wordiness but don’t edit too ruthlessly—make the testimonial feel natural
• If the wording sounds over-the-top positive, tone it a little down—but try to keep the enthusiastic tone

Of course, when you’ve written the testimonial, be sure to check your client is happy with how it turned out before publishing it.

To get good testimonials, make it easy for your client. And do most of the work yourself.

Where to display testimonials on your website

Too many websites hide their testimonials on a dedicated page that rarely gets visited.

But testimonials have more power, if you use them as proof that your product or service is good. Use them as a selling tool wherever you sell your products or services:

• On your home page
• On your about page
• On your service and product pages
• In sales emails and quotations
• On LinkedIn

Testimonials have most power if they confirm what’s written in your copy.

For instance, on the sales page for the Write It, Don’t Fight It course, I explain that the course teaches the principles of joyful productivity so you can crush writer’s block, and I follow it with a testimonial of David Holmzer confirming this point.

David explains how he’s struggled for decades with writing but since taking the course, he feels finally excited to write:

And later on on the same sales page, the text mentions how the course helps you to hit your writing goals even if you’re busy, and a testimonial from Deborah Reidy follows to confirm this point.

Deborah explains how the course helped her boost productivity by 300%:

Testimonials look more persuasive if you add a picture of the person who’s given the testimonial. I often download a photo from a social media profile but always ask permission whether it’s okay to do that.

The more work you put into getting the right testimonials, the harder the testimonials will work for you and the more you will sell.

Don’t be afraid to ask

Asking for testimonials seems hard.

I’ve been there, too. Why bother a client with such a request?

But I was wrong.

Most clients are delighted to help you with a testimonial.

So, next time you finish a project, ask your client whether they’re happy with your services and whether they’d recommend you to other people.

Do they say “yes?”

Ka-ching! This is your opportunity to get a persuasive testimonial. And win more clients.

Recommended reading on writing persuasive copy:

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Reader Interactions

Leave a comment and join the conversation cancel reply.

December 16, 2020 at 1:48 pm

How do you add authority/trust to your product landing page without testimonials, especially when you are launching your first product? As a first product, the buyer will also be a first. What do you do in such a scenario to be persuasive?

December 16, 2020 at 2:12 pm

It depends on the product. For software, companies often use beta testers. You can also try to get endorsements from people your audience respects (it may require sending out free products). Using video, high-quality photos, detailed product descriptions, any test results, and a clear and easy return process can help, too. You can build trust in many different ways.

August 31, 2019 at 5:48 pm

Hi Henneke, I have been asked to write a testimonial for myself as a freelance technical interviewer for the consultancy that I am freelancing for. Can you please help me with this ?

September 2, 2019 at 3:39 pm

Why not ask the consultancy what the aim of the testimonial is and what they’d like you to mention?

May 30, 2019 at 7:07 am

This is the best article I have read about how to structure a testimonial. With your examples, I got so inspired to write and publish the story of my business. Also, the way you explain things is very easy to be understood. 3 acts! Let’s do this! Thank you for such a great article. Have a great week!

May 30, 2019 at 7:30 pm

Thank you, Leonardo. I’m glad you found it useful. Happy writing!

April 14, 2019 at 4:12 pm

Thanks, you gave me a great idea for my testimonials ?

April 15, 2019 at 10:06 am

January 8, 2019 at 1:13 am

Great tips. I recently requested a testimonial and was asked to write it myself and they would sign off on it. As uncomfortable as that is for me (I feel like I’m tooting my own horn or putting words in my client’s mouth (I *am* kind of doing that!)), this article will help me to get it done with finesse!

January 8, 2019 at 11:28 am

Good luck with writing your testimonial! If you get stuck, you can always ask your client a few questions in a phone call, so you can write it in their words.

March 9, 2018 at 12:09 am

Thank you for your testimonial guidance. Reminding me of he importance, efficiency, and effectiveness of testimonials has reminded and inspired me to focus on securing such for my services.

March 9, 2018 at 6:28 pm

Great! Good testimonials can make a big difference in sales.

July 5, 2016 at 9:50 am

Getting a good review is itself an art. Probably, many of the company lacks that. Many of the shoddy company write their own testimonial which is clearly visible from the testimonial itself.

July 5, 2016 at 11:11 am

Yes, writing your own testimonials is not really ethical and as you say, it almost always shows. A bad idea!

May 18, 2016 at 7:31 pm

Dear Henneke, you played a big role in improving my writing style. I am starting to get it and keep improving. Thank you for writing such good articles and demonstrating them with real examples. I find them very helpful.

May 18, 2016 at 7:35 pm

What a lovely comment. Thank you, Teri!

May 18, 2016 at 3:51 am

Henneke, people write me lovely compliments a lot. When I ask them if I can use their words as testimonials, how do I go about it? Should I ask them to rewrite it just for me, asking the questions you’ve mentioned above? Or should I simply take what they’ve said from the heart? And if I rewrite it, should I okay it with them before I publish it? Thanks! 🙂

May 18, 2016 at 11:02 am

Yes, when they send you a lovely compliment, ask them whether they’re happy to write a testimonial for your site, and suggest that they include perhaps more details of what the experience with you was like and what impact it has had on their website or on what else you’ve done for them. (Check out potential questions here: http://www.copyblogger.com/testimonials-part-2/ You don’t have to ask them all, and you probably want to re-phrase them to suit your situation).

You can see the testimonial as an expansion of the original compliment – you can still include those words that they’ve said from the heart.

If you edit a testimonial (other than correcting a typo), then I would always okay it with them before publishing it.

May 18, 2016 at 3:38 am

Good actionable advice in your article Henneke. I agree that it’s a most underused piece of sales content, but difficult to ask for. I see a number of sites relying on logo’s for the companies they’ve done work for.

As a side note, just love your Ka-ching! (a well placed exclamation mark btw). I use the term but I’ve never seen it written before. I have a friend in KL that has a water dispenser machine and I call it her ka-ching machine – it chews up coins and drips out water.

Enjoy the week Mark

May 18, 2016 at 10:54 am

The logos can be a good alternative. You can even put that in a contract, so the client agrees upfront that you can use their name and logo on your site.

I don’t even know where I read Ka-ching first. I wonder whether it originates from comic books?

May 17, 2016 at 7:49 pm

The testimonial for Valuable Content makes me want to hire them. It’s great. I now know what to say when asked. Those six questions are also a great way to get to know your audience better. Thanks as always.

I read all your posts but sometimes my comments don’t make it through.

May 18, 2016 at 10:47 am

I know Sonja and Sharon, and they’re a great team!

Do you mean your comments get stuck in the moderation queue? (I’d like to know if that’s the case) Or do you mean that you don’t always have time to comment? (Don’t worry about that. I’m grateful when you do make the time to stop by!)

May 17, 2016 at 4:14 pm

Love the way you introduced this topic…the #1 most neglected piece of copy! And you are right. I’ve started creating guidelines for my clients to ask *their* clients for testimonials. I edit testimonials when I write copy for websites and sales letters, but you need to start with something more than, “He is such a nice guy” or “The course was interesting.”

I’ve found that some people are reluctant to offer testimonials, even when they acknowledge they’ve gained a benefit. I attribute that to feeling insecure: they had to acknowledge they sought help for something they felt they should be able to do.

May 17, 2016 at 7:16 pm

Yes, so true. Editing a poorly written testimonial is so frustrating. If there’s no specific information, it’s impossible to turn it into a persuasive testimonial.

It’s a real pity when people are reluctant to give testimonials. We can make it as easy as possible for them by doing a short interview and writing the notes, but we can force people to provide a testimonial.

May 17, 2016 at 4:13 pm

Thank you! I’ve used testimonials with success, but I can see now how I can improve them even more.

May 17, 2016 at 7:11 pm

Great! I’m glad you’re already on the right track, Saleem.

May 17, 2016 at 3:22 pm

Yes, Henneke !

My testimonial to you is you are gifted with word power and sketch power 🙂 I mean the drawings.

Thank you for yet another super article for us to practice in our tasks.

May 17, 2016 at 7:10 pm

Thank you for your testimonial! 🙂

May 17, 2016 at 2:16 pm

This is really helpful. I’ve had people offer to write testimonials and when they asked for guidance I had no idea what to say. I’ve taken notes…I have a testimonials I want to write. ?

Let me guess …. is it for a blogging course? 😉

May 17, 2016 at 1:46 pm

Hi Henneke, great point about not hiding testimonials on a low traffic page. I’ve just baked in asking for testimonials in my off-boarding process and am having my clients do the same.

Another great post. Thanks, Wayne

May 17, 2016 at 7:09 pm

Great to hear you’re asking for testimonials as standard!

Thank you for stopping by, Wayne. I appreciate it.

May 17, 2016 at 1:42 pm

You’re right! Starting out, we need and greatly value those testimonials but I sometimes feel awkward asking. Your post gave tips on how to ask and what to include in an effective testimonial. And it goes both ways: now I know how to give an effective testimonial for coaches or freelancers I hire.

Thank you! Vanessa

May 17, 2016 at 7:02 pm

Yes, so true – it works both ways. Write good testimonials for people you hire, and ask the right questions to get good testimonials for your own work.

Thank you for stopping by, Vanessa!

May 17, 2016 at 1:18 pm

Thanks for this article,

I always think it’s a good idea to try and get your customer to answer common sales objections with their testimonials. You have to be very specific with your testimonial questions but, it makes the responses that much more useful.

I agree with Andrew M. Warner, using pics and video is even more powerful.

– Oliver

May 17, 2016 at 7:01 pm

I agree that video testimonials can be a great addition to written testimonials.

A lot of suggestions in this article are applicable to persuasive video testimonials, too. But I’m not a video expert, so prefer to write about written testimonials. 🙂

Thank you for stopping by and adding your thoughts, Oliver. I appreciate it.

May 17, 2016 at 12:40 pm

Yes, that’s fine Henneke, but it’s the customers that must write the testimonials, not us.

May 17, 2016 at 12:42 pm

You can help clients write the testimonial. Send them a list of questions (or interview them over the phone). Then use their answers to write the testimonial in their words. Get their approval for the testimonial before publishing it.

Here’s a useful list of example questions: http://www.copyblogger.com/testimonials-part-2/

This is a little more work for you, but the testimonial will be more persuasive – especially if your client isn’t a confident writer or doesn’t understand what makes a testimonial compelling. When you simply ask for a testimonial, most clients will provide a sugary testimonial that’s less effective.

May 17, 2016 at 2:15 pm

“When you simply ask for a testimonial, most clients will provide a sugary testimonial that’s less effective.” Yes, that’s exactly what I got, ones asked some clients for their testimonials. And yes, most of the them didn’t know how to write them. And I didn’t’ really know how to help them. Until now. Thanks a lot, Henneke. Both for the article and the useful link here.

May 17, 2016 at 7:20 pm

Great! I’m glad you found this useful, Irina. Asking specific questions or giving people detailed guidance on how to write a testimonial can make a huge difference. The testimonials become like mini-case studies. Far more persuasive than those sugary testimonials 🙂

May 17, 2016 at 12:30 pm

Superb stuff here Henneke,

You’re absolutely right about testimonials. They’re much more powerful when they share something specific. There are times when the generic ones work too, but you would want each testimonial to be super specific if you charge a high price for a product or service.

What’s your position on using pictures and their full name? Or even video testimonials?

I think those would help convert a lot more people and get more clients.

Great stuff here as usual.

– Andrew

Generic testimonials can work – especially when they’re from well-known people. They’re like endorsements. They have a similar effect as displaying logos of well-known companies that have hired you.

And yes, a full name plus photos are useful. Also, include their role and company name. These are also specifics that can boost your credibility.

There’s no doubt many people love video testimonials. They certainly feel authentic.

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How to write an effective testimonial (9 steps + examples)

Learning how to write a testimonial can help you elicit better testimonials from your customers. After all, if you don’t know what a great testimonial looks like, how can you know whether yours are effective?

Great testimonials can elevate sales pages and make landing pages stand out. They’re ideal for bringing new Knowledge Commerce customers on board.

Many businesses post hundreds (or even thousands) of lackluster testimonials on their websites. These testimonials often read like the review section of a product page on Amazon:

• Fantastic product!
• Couldn’t live without it!
• I can’t recommend [product] enough!
• Get one! You won’t be sorry!

Exclamation points aside, you might not see much wrong with these testimonials. After all, they’re enthusiastic and complimentary, right?

But they’re not specific or personalized. They don’t really say anything about the product.

Compare the review-style examples above to this fictional testimonial:

“I’ve gone through XYZ course three times now, and each time I pick up something new that I didn’t see before. I’ve used the course to 10x my performance in [goal]. At first, I wasn’t sure that an online course would answer all my questions, but [course creator] really knows her stuff! The video tutorials and printable checklists were instrumental in making sure I stayed the course and achieved my goals of [specifics]”

You see the difference, right? The testimonial above offers details, overcomes objections, uses statistical data, and praises specific parts of the course .

That’s what you want your testimonials to look like.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, we’re going to answer a few questions.

What is a testimonial? How do you write a good testimonial? Why are they effective? And what do the best testimonials look like on business websites?

What is a Testimonial? 

A testimonial is a personal statement that highlights a product’s, service’s, or individual’s key qualities and abilities. It’s a way to advocate for a business and its products or services in a specific, detailed way.

Think of a testimonial as the most detailed review you can write. However, it’s focused on positive characteristics rather than a balanced review.

This doesn’t mean that a testimonial can’t include drawbacks or caveats. For instance, a customer might say that your online courses are better suited for certain types of people than others.

That’s fine. But you want your testimonials page to include as much praise as possible.

More importantly, you want diverse voices. If everyone says the same thing over and over again, each subsequent testimonial becomes less effective.

The best testimonials help prospective customers put themselves in current customers’ shoes. They see themselves in the testimony of other people and therefore find themselves wanting to explore what makes your digital products so wonderful.

The keyword you’re looking for here is resonance . Does the testimonial make your prospects want to know more about you? Does it excite, energize, and inspire them?

If not, you might have a review on your hands instead of a testimonial.

<p">That’s a key distinction, as we noted above. Reviews have their place, but testimonials are far more powerful.

Why Are Testimonials So Effective?

Speaking of powerful, why do marketers talk about testimonials all the time? What’s the big deal? 

There aren’t a ton of statistics related to testimonials, but one 2013 study revealed that nearly 90 percent of B2B marketer responders certified them as the single most effective content marketing tactic (alongside case studies).

It’s easy to see why when you study consumer behavior .

Think about the last time you considered buying a product online. You probably visited the company’s website, and you might even have read testimonials.

Maybe you searched the product name on Google and visited review pages. You might have even asked your pals on social media whether they recommended it or not.

Why? Because you want to know what other people think. Consumers are social animals. We don’t like to be outliers — we want to be part of the tribe.

If we know that other people vouch for a product, we’re more willing to risk our money on it ourselves.

When it comes to generating leads , you need as many tools in your toolbox as possible. Testimonials can add more gravitas to your landing pages and help you drum up more leads and customers. Social proof matters more than the best copywriting in the world.

“Testimonials are also effective because they create balanced voices. Instead of filling your website exclusively with your own writing, you add other people’s voices, too.” #Kajabi — Tweet this!

Of course, consumers will also consider the source. If you have a testimonial from a household name, it will be given more credence than a testimonial from someone the prospect doesn’t know.

That’s why incorporating testimonials with influencer marketing has become so popular. As you work on corporate and personal branding , try to connect with people who have large audiences in your industry. Their recommendations of your product can skyrocket your sales.

Text Versus Video Testimonials

Most testimonials come in the form of text. They sometimes have photographs of the writer attached, but they’re written rather than spoken.

In some cases, video testimonials can be even more impactful. There are a few reasons for this:

• Video engages more of the senses than text.
• Prospects can relate more strongly to the speaker.
• It takes more time and effort to put together a video than to type a quick email.

If your customers are willing to create video testimonials, don’t discourage them. You can add both text and video to your website so prospects can choose what types of testimonials they want to consume.

How to Write a Testimonial 

Understanding the value behind a testimonial is important, but how do you write a great one? If you practice writing your own testimonials, you’ll learn how to get them from your customers.

Make a list of three to five products or services you’ve used in the last six months. Make them as varied as possible — a household appliance, an online course, a maid service, etc.

After you’ve chosen the products and services, write testimonials for each. Take your time (and follow the steps below) to craft engaging, inspiring narratives for people who might want to use those products and services for themselves.

Don’t stop there, either. Send those testimonials to the brands.

With this experience under your belt, you’ll develop a more critical eye when reviewing testimonials for your own website. You only want to showcase the best for your prospects — lukewarm sentiment won’t get you far.

Let’s take a look at the nine steps required to write an effective testimonial.

1. Describe a Problem to Solve or Goal to Hit

At the beginning of the testimonial, the writer should describe his or her position or situation before using the product. It’s all about conflict.

Think of a testimonial as a story. Without a goal to hit or a problem to solve, the narrative has no tension. Heroes need conflict to engage the reader

The same is true for testimonials.

For instance, maybe your customer wanted to lose weight, so he or she bought your fitness online course to shed a few pounds. That’s a common problem to solve, so it’s likely to resonate with your target audience.

It’s also great if the customer mentions trying competitors: “X, Y, and Z didn’t work, but this course fit the bill!” It shows your superiority over the competition and helps tip the scales in your favor.

Just remember that the pain point should relate specifically to your industry or niche. It could be generating more traffic for a website (marketing), improving photography skills (creative), or making money (business).

2. Provide Background Information

At this point in the testimonial, the writer needs to come across as human. What has he or she tried that didn’t work? Why did the writer want or need the product to begin with?

An aspiring shutterbug, for instance, might describe a lifelong interest in photography. Your course was what pushed him or her over the line between an admirer of the art form and a practicer of the hobby.

It’s kind of like human-interest stories in newspapers and magazines. People are naturally curious about others’ experiences, so incorporating personal details will make your testimonials more resonant and intriguing.

This doesn’t mean your customers need to bare their souls. This isn’t the time or place for a 3,000-word memoir. Instead, you want the writer to create a brief, engaging narrative that incorporates personal details as well as facts and figures.

3. Illustrate the Benefits of the Product or Service

This is perhaps the most important part of the testimonial. The writer needs to pinpoint specific benefits the product provided.

We’ll go back to the photography course example. The writer could extol the following benefits of the course:

• I got over my fear of picking up the camera and shooting.
• The course helped me choose inexpensive, but high-quality photography equipment.
• I got to avoid making common beginner mistakes with my first photographs.
• After taking the course, I entered a photography contest and came in second place.

All of these benefits show cause and effect. The writer took the course and enjoyed those benefits as a direct result.

Sure, other factors might have come into play — additional resources, natural talent, a lineage that traces to Ansel Adams — but the reader won’t consider those.

We’d like to break down features and benefits, though. They’re two different things.

The feature is an asset of the product itself. For instance, a vacuum cleaner’s features might include 2X suction compared to other brands, six accessories, and a HEPA filter.

Sure, features are nice, but they typically don’t tip the scales for consumers.

Benefits turn features into visceral experiences. In the vacuum cleaner example, we can easily change those three features into benefits:

• Get a deeper clean with less effort with 2X suction.
• Clean more things with the six attachments that work well on stairs, furniture, and vehicles, as well as allow you to get into smaller places.
• Avoid allergy symptoms and unhealthy bacteria thanks to the HEPA filter.

Can you see how turning features into benefits makes a product more appealing?

The same thing goes for testimonials. You don’t want your customers to talk about the 10 videos included in the course or the bonus printable materials without talking about how they directly benefited from those features.

4. Show How You Overcame Objections

An objection is an excuse for a consumer to decline to buy a product. There are lots of different types of objections your target audience might consider when evaluating your digital products .

Price is one of the most common objections. It can happen at any price point.

The customer thinks, “I can do something else with the $100 I’d spend on this online course.”

It’s your job to convince the customer that your course is not only worth the $100, but is actually better than anything else they could do with that money.

Testimonials are extremely useful for overcoming objections. When consumers see that other people have looked past them, they feel more comfortable doing so themselves.

For instance, related to the pricing objection, a testimonial writer might say something like this:

“At first, I wasn’t sure about spending $100 for this course, but now that I’ve taken it, I’ve saved more than twice that amount on mistakes I might have made otherwise.”

Do you see how the writer can turn an objection into a benefit? Sure, the customer shelled out $100, but they saved twice that amount.

Other objections might include the following:

• Availability of free resources on the Internet or elsewhere
• Time required to devote to the course
• Difficulty of learning the platform
• Competitors’ products

In a testimonial, your customer needs only address a single objection. Of course, if they cover more, you’ll be even better off.

5. Provide Specific Details and Data

Any part of a testimonial that includes specific details and data becomes stronger for it. Specific numbers or details make the testimonial more compelling.

To illustrate this fact, let’s look at two statements:

• Thanks to your course, I saved a lot of money on household expenses.
• After taking your course, I saved $200 on household expenses in the first month alone.

Which one would be likely to get you to overcome objections? The second one, right?

It’s far more specific. The customer didn’t just “save money” — he saved $200. Not too shabby.

Furthermore, he didn’t just “save $200” — he saved all that money in just one month. That’s even better!

Some results are harder to quantify than others. Let’s go back to our photography example. 

A customer can’t very well say, “I’m 30 percent better at photography than I would have been without this course.” That’s disingenuous because there’s no way to know for certain.

However, a testimonial writer can make up for those abstractions by providing specific details in other ways:

• I feel more comfortable behind the camera thanks to [creator’s] detailed instructions.
• My Flickr account has gained 200 followers since taking this course and posting new images.
• After seeing my portfolio, I’ve received 20 requests to photograph weddings and other events.

6. Mention the Creator’s Name

This might seem obvious, but many testimonials leave out specifics like the creator’s or business’s name. While it’s not a huge deal, including the name makes the testimonial more personal.

More importantly, it’s great for SEO and brand awareness.

You might post testimonials in other places besides your website or blog. Without your name mentioned in the text, the testimonial loses context.

Readers don’t know who the author is talking about and might therefore simply skim over it.

However, when your name is included, people start to recognize it. They become more brand-aware and therefore more likely to purchase your digital products.

Additionally, you want your name and brand to rank in Google. That’s essential for brand awareness and gaining organic search traffic. 

What if the author posts the testimonial on his or her own website and links to your site? That link passes SEO juice to your website, which helps your rankings. And, if your name is included, it provides context for Google.

7. Include a Photograph or Video

We mentioned above that video testimonials can often be more powerful than text-based testimonials. If your customers are willing to create videos, encourage them.

You can also humanize a testimonial through a still image. It shows that the writer is willing to stand behind the review with an image, a full name, and perhaps a link to his or her website or social media profile.

8. Link to the Testimonial Creator’s Website 

Speaking of links, always ask if you can include them. There’s a good reason for this.

If you have a testimonial with a person’s name and no link, there’s no way to verify the review. In other words, you could have written it yourself and posted it on your website. There’s no way to prove it didn’t happen that way.

Consumers are more savvy than ever before. They’re skeptical of any marketing strategy because they know marketers want to sell their products.

If you can take away those nagging doubts in the backs of your prospects’ minds, you get much closer to a sale.

9. Ask for Testimonials

Let’s face it: People are lazy. We don’t like to put forth extra effort, so we don’t look for ways to take up more of our time.

That’s why it’s critical to ask for testimonials.

Your customers might do it on their own if they’re so blown away by your course content that they can’t not say something. You might develop rabid fans who take it upon themselves to become ambassadors and advocates for your brand.

That’s rare, though, especially when you’re first starting out.

You can ask for testimonials in several ways. The easiest (and most generic) is to include a call to action at the end of your online course or other digital product. You might say something like this:

“If you enjoyed this product, please let me know! I love to hear from my customers about what they loved and how they think I can improve.”

This tells your customers that you’re open to feedback, but it sets the stage for positive engagement. Starting with “If you enjoyed this product…” sends a subtle signal to the customer’s psyche.

You can post similar entreaties on your website and social media. Engage with your followers and invite them to review your products.

Another option is to get in touch directly. Yes, email outreach takes more time, but it’s worth the extra effort.

Why? Because people love to be singled out and appreciated. It shows that you’re willing to go the extra mile for your customers and to solicit their feedback.

An email might look something like this:

“Dear John,

Thank you so much for buying my online course, “How to Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.” Your support means a lot to me.

I’d love to know what you thought about the course. I’m asking my favorite customers to write testimonials for my website. Taking a few minutes to provide your feedback can help me grow my business. I’ll also include a link to any website you like, which can help boost your SEO.

If you’re uncomfortable with this, please don’t worry about it. However, if you’d like to add your feedback to my site, just reply to this email with your thoughts. I’ll be forever in your debt.

Thanks again, John!

<p">Grilled Cheese Courses”

It’s that simple. You can personalize your email however you want, but make sure it doesn’t seem like a mass email.

Examples of Awesome Testimonial Pages

Now that we’ve covered the steps required to write a testimonial, let’s look at a few examples of testimonial pages done right.

First, check out the testimonials page for DesignCuts . The company offers graphic assets and bundles for businesses that don’t have internal resources to create their own.

The testimonials page looks like this:

We like that the heading and subheading reflect the page’s purpose. They show that they value their customers and their feedback.

You’ll notice that each testimonial includes a photograph of the writer and the author’s URL. We’d like to see those URLs links, but otherwise, it’s a great example.

Then we have mHelpDesk , which incorporates text- and video-based testimonials in a visually pleasing layout: 

The home-video strategy looks great for prospective customers, and the text helps with SEO and with prospects who might not want to watch videos.

We also like the diversity here. Each testimonial highlights different features, goals, problems, and solutions related to the brand.

Then we have productivity platform Slack . Its testimonials page — labeled “Customer Stories” — does a great job of marrying different types of media to keep prospects engaged:

The headings for each testimonial are great. They immediately highlight a way in which Slack has helped the customer in a specific way.

Use Kajabi To Turn Your Knowledge And Content Into Products You Can Sell

When it comes to Knowledge Commerce, we know our stuff. That’s why we created Kajabi. It’s the ideal platform for anyone who wants to become an entrepreneur and create digital products like online courses and a membership site .

If you don’t believe us, sign up for our 14-day free trial . You can experiment and play with all of Kajabi’s features without a commitment. Plus, you can start creating your very own online course the minute you sign up.

We’re confident you’ll find everything you need within the Kajabi platform, from course-creation tools to marketing assets. Plus, we add new features all the time to make selling easier for our customers.

Using Testimonials to Boost Your Business

Testimonials are personal stories your customers share about your products. They help prospects decide to buy your digital products by illustrating social proof. 

There are lots of advantages to getting people to submit testimonials. First, though, you need to learn how to write a testimonial yourself.

Start by describing a problem to solve or a goal to hit. This is what you wanted to achieve when you first bought the product.

Next, delve into some background information. Why were you interested in the product? What compelled you to search for it.

The rest of the testimonial should be devoted to illustrating the product’s benefits, demonstrating how you overcame objections, providing specific details, and adding extras like the creator’s name and the author’s personal information.

You can use the examples we showcased to help you create your own testimonials page. Plus, once you’ve practiced writing your own, you’ll know how to spot a great testimonial when one of your customers submits it.

Just remember - your customers won’t always review your products on their own. You need to ask them. Email outreach is the most effective strategy, but you can also send out requests on social media or your blog.

Have you gotten testimonials from your own customers? What’s your best strategy?

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How do I cite one person’s testimony in a congressional hearing?

Your source for congressional testimony may be a transcript, audio recording, or video recording of all or part of a hearing. Style each source using the MLA format template . Note that, depending on your source, the person whose testimony you are citing may or may not be listed in the Author element of your entry.

Hearing Transcript Miriam Nisbet, director of the Office of Government Information Services, testified to a “strong interest in updating regulations” to use “plainer” language (United States, Senate 11). Work Cited United States, Senate, Committee on the Judiciary. We the People: Fulfilling the Promise of Open Government Five Years after the Open Government Act . U.S. Government Printing Office, 2013, www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/CHRG-113shrg90863.pdf. 113th Congress, 1st session, 90-863 PDF.

Transcript of One Person’s Testimony The general counsel for the Associated Press testified in favor of the proposed portal for FOIA requests (Kaiser 7).  Work Cited Kaiser, Karen. Testimony of Karen Kaiser, General Counsel, the Associated Press, on behalf of the Sunshine in Government Initiative before the Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate on “Ensuring an Informed Citizenry: Examining the Administration’s Efforts to Improve Open Government.” 6 May 2015, www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/05-06-15%20Kaiser%20Testimony.pdf.

Video Excerpt Jeanne H. Schmedlen’s testimony about federal partnerships with state humanities councils highlighted the activities of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Speakers Bureau (“NEA Hearing” 02:30–03:45). Work Cited “NEA Hearing: Jeanne H. Schmedlen.” YouTube , uploaded by Committee on Education and the Workforce Democrats, 9 May 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBV_NuQMfgM.

For further guidance on citing government sources, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

How to Write an Essay

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Essay Writing Fundamentals

How to prepare to write an essay, how to edit an essay, how to share and publish your essays, how to get essay writing help, how to find essay writing inspiration, resources for teaching essay writing.

Essays, short prose compositions on a particular theme or topic, are the bread and butter of academic life. You write them in class, for homework, and on standardized tests to show what you know. Unlike other kinds of academic writing (like the research paper) and creative writing (like short stories and poems), essays allow you to develop your original thoughts on a prompt or question. Essays come in many varieties: they can be expository (fleshing out an idea or claim), descriptive, (explaining a person, place, or thing), narrative (relating a personal experience), or persuasive (attempting to win over a reader). This guide is a collection of dozens of links about academic essay writing that we have researched, categorized, and annotated in order to help you improve your essay writing. 

Essays are different from other forms of writing; in turn, there are different kinds of essays. This section contains general resources for getting to know the essay and its variants. These resources introduce and define the essay as a genre, and will teach you what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab

One of the most trusted academic writing sites, Purdue OWL provides a concise introduction to the four most common types of academic essays.

"The Essay: History and Definition" (ThoughtCo)

This snappy article from ThoughtCo talks about the origins of the essay and different kinds of essays you might be asked to write. 

"What Is An Essay?" Video Lecture (Coursera)

The University of California at Irvine's free video lecture, available on Coursera, tells  you everything you need to know about the essay.

Wikipedia Article on the "Essay"

Wikipedia's article on the essay is comprehensive, providing both English-language and global perspectives on the essay form. Learn about the essay's history, forms, and styles.

"Understanding College and Academic Writing" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This list of common academic writing assignments (including types of essay prompts) will help you know what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Before you start writing your essay, you need to figure out who you're writing for (audience), what you're writing about (topic/theme), and what you're going to say (argument and thesis). This section contains links to handouts, chapters, videos and more to help you prepare to write an essay.

How to Identify Your Audience

"Audience" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This handout provides questions you can ask yourself to determine the audience for an academic writing assignment. It also suggests strategies for fitting your paper to your intended audience.

"Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

This extensive book chapter from Writing for Success , available online through Minnesota Libraries Publishing, is followed by exercises to try out your new pre-writing skills.

"Determining Audience" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This guide from a community college's writing center shows you how to know your audience, and how to incorporate that knowledge in your thesis statement.

"Know Your Audience" ( Paper Rater Blog)

This short blog post uses examples to show how implied audiences for essays differ. It reminds you to think of your instructor as an observer, who will know only the information you pass along.

How to Choose a Theme or Topic

"Research Tutorial: Developing Your Topic" (YouTube)

Take a look at this short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to understand the basics of developing a writing topic.

"How to Choose a Paper Topic" (WikiHow)

This simple, step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through choosing a paper topic. It starts with a detailed description of brainstorming and ends with strategies to refine your broad topic.

"How to Read an Assignment: Moving From Assignment to Topic" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Did your teacher give you a prompt or other instructions? This guide helps you understand the relationship between an essay assignment and your essay's topic.

"Guidelines for Choosing a Topic" (CliffsNotes)

This study guide from CliffsNotes both discusses how to choose a topic and makes a useful distinction between "topic" and "thesis."

How to Come Up with an Argument

"Argument" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

Not sure what "argument" means in the context of academic writing? This page from the University of North Carolina is a good place to start.

"The Essay Guide: Finding an Argument" (Study Hub)

This handout explains why it's important to have an argument when beginning your essay, and provides tools to help you choose a viable argument.

"Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument" (University of Iowa)

This page from the University of Iowa's Writing Center contains exercises through which you can develop and refine your argument and thesis statement.

"Developing a Thesis" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page from Harvard's Writing Center collates some helpful dos and don'ts of argumentative writing, from steps in constructing a thesis to avoiding vague and confrontational thesis statements.

"Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

This page offers concrete suggestions for each stage of the essay writing process, from topic selection to drafting and editing. 

How to Outline your Essay

"Outlines" (Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill via YouTube)

This short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows how to group your ideas into paragraphs or sections to begin the outlining process.

"Essay Outline" (Univ. of Washington Tacoma)

This two-page handout by a university professor simply defines the parts of an essay and then organizes them into an example outline.

"Types of Outlines and Samples" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL gives examples of diverse outline strategies on this page, including the alphanumeric, full sentence, and decimal styles. 

"Outlining" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Once you have an argument, according to this handout, there are only three steps in the outline process: generalizing, ordering, and putting it all together. Then you're ready to write!

"Writing Essays" (Plymouth Univ.)

This packet, part of Plymouth University's Learning Development series, contains descriptions and diagrams relating to the outlining process.

"How to Write A Good Argumentative Essay: Logical Structure" (Criticalthinkingtutorials.com via YouTube)

This longer video tutorial gives an overview of how to structure your essay in order to support your argument or thesis. It is part of a longer course on academic writing hosted on Udemy.

Now that you've chosen and refined your topic and created an outline, use these resources to complete the writing process. Most essays contain introductions (which articulate your thesis statement), body paragraphs, and conclusions. Transitions facilitate the flow from one paragraph to the next so that support for your thesis builds throughout the essay. Sources and citations show where you got the evidence to support your thesis, which ensures that you avoid plagiarism. 

How to Write an Introduction

"Introductions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page identifies the role of the introduction in any successful paper, suggests strategies for writing introductions, and warns against less effective introductions.

"How to Write A Good Introduction" (Michigan State Writing Center)

Beginning with the most common missteps in writing introductions, this guide condenses the essentials of introduction composition into seven points.

"The Introductory Paragraph" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming focuses on ways to grab your reader's attention at the beginning of your essay.

"Introductions and Conclusions" (Univ. of Toronto)

This guide from the University of Toronto gives advice that applies to writing both introductions and conclusions, including dos and don'ts.

"How to Write Better Essays: No One Does Introductions Properly" ( The Guardian )

This news article interviews UK professors on student essay writing; they point to introductions as the area that needs the most improvement.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

"Writing an Effective Thesis Statement" (YouTube)

This short, simple video tutorial from a college composition instructor at Tulsa Community College explains what a thesis statement is and what it does. 

"Thesis Statement: Four Steps to a Great Essay" (YouTube)

This fantastic tutorial walks you through drafting a thesis, using an essay prompt on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as an example.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through coming up with, writing, and editing a thesis statement. It invites you think of your statement as a "working thesis" that can change.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (Univ. of Indiana Bloomington)

Ask yourself the questions on this page, part of Indiana Bloomington's Writing Tutorial Services, when you're writing and refining your thesis statement.

"Writing Tips: Thesis Statements" (Univ. of Illinois Center for Writing Studies)

This page gives plentiful examples of good to great thesis statements, and offers questions to ask yourself when formulating a thesis statement.

How to Write Body Paragraphs

"Body Paragraph" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course introduces you to the components of a body paragraph. These include the topic sentence, information, evidence, and analysis.

"Strong Body Paragraphs" (Washington Univ.)

This handout from Washington's Writing and Research Center offers in-depth descriptions of the parts of a successful body paragraph.

"Guide to Paragraph Structure" (Deakin Univ.)

This handout is notable for color-coding example body paragraphs to help you identify the functions various sentences perform.

"Writing Body Paragraphs" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

The exercises in this section of Writing for Success  will help you practice writing good body paragraphs. It includes guidance on selecting primary support for your thesis.

"The Writing Process—Body Paragraphs" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

The information and exercises on this page will familiarize you with outlining and writing body paragraphs, and includes links to more information on topic sentences and transitions.

"The Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post discusses body paragraphs in the context of one of the most common academic essay types in secondary schools.

How to Use Transitions

"Transitions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explains what a transition is, and how to know if you need to improve your transitions.

"Using Transitions Effectively" (Washington Univ.)

This handout defines transitions, offers tips for using them, and contains a useful list of common transitional words and phrases grouped by function.

"Transitions" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This page compares paragraphs without transitions to paragraphs with transitions, and in doing so shows how important these connective words and phrases are.

"Transitions in Academic Essays" (Scribbr)

This page lists four techniques that will help you make sure your reader follows your train of thought, including grouping similar information and using transition words.

"Transitions" (El Paso Community College)

This handout shows example transitions within paragraphs for context, and explains how transitions improve your essay's flow and voice.

"Make Your Paragraphs Flow to Improve Writing" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post, another from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming, talks about transitions and other strategies to improve your essay's overall flow.

"Transition Words" (smartwords.org)

This handy word bank will help you find transition words when you're feeling stuck. It's grouped by the transition's function, whether that is to show agreement, opposition, condition, or consequence.

How to Write a Conclusion

"Parts of An Essay: Conclusions" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course explains how to conclude an academic essay. It suggests thinking about the "3Rs": return to hook, restate your thesis, and relate to the reader.

"Essay Conclusions" (Univ. of Maryland University College)

This overview of the academic essay conclusion contains helpful examples and links to further resources for writing good conclusions.

"How to End An Essay" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) by an English Ph.D. walks you through writing a conclusion, from brainstorming to ending with a flourish.

"Ending the Essay: Conclusions" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page collates useful strategies for writing an effective conclusion, and reminds you to "close the discussion without closing it off" to further conversation.

How to Include Sources and Citations

"Research and Citation Resources" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL streamlines information about the three most common referencing styles (MLA, Chicago, and APA) and provides examples of how to cite different resources in each system.

EasyBib: Free Bibliography Generator

This online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style. Be sure to select your resource type before clicking the "cite it" button.

CitationMachine

Like EasyBib, this online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style. 

Modern Language Association Handbook (MLA)

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of MLA referencing rules. Order through the link above, or check to see if your library has a copy.

Chicago Manual of Style

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of Chicago referencing rules. You can take a look at the table of contents, then choose to subscribe or start a free trial.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

"What is Plagiarism?" (plagiarism.org)

This nonprofit website contains numerous resources for identifying and avoiding plagiarism, and reminds you that even common activities like copying images from another website to your own site may constitute plagiarism.

"Plagiarism" (University of Oxford)

This interactive page from the University of Oxford helps you check for plagiarism in your work, making it clear how to avoid citing another person's work without full acknowledgement.

"Avoiding Plagiarism" (MIT Comparative Media Studies)

This quick guide explains what plagiarism is, what its consequences are, and how to avoid it. It starts by defining three words—quotation, paraphrase, and summary—that all constitute citation.

"Harvard Guide to Using Sources" (Harvard Extension School)

This comprehensive website from Harvard brings together articles, videos, and handouts about referencing, citation, and plagiarism. 

Grammarly contains tons of helpful grammar and writing resources, including a free tool to automatically scan your essay to check for close affinities to published work. 

Noplag is another popular online tool that automatically scans your essay to check for signs of plagiarism. Simply copy and paste your essay into the box and click "start checking."

Once you've written your essay, you'll want to edit (improve content), proofread (check for spelling and grammar mistakes), and finalize your work until you're ready to hand it in. This section brings together tips and resources for navigating the editing process. 

"Writing a First Draft" (Academic Help)

This is an introduction to the drafting process from the site Academic Help, with tips for getting your ideas on paper before editing begins.

"Editing and Proofreading" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page provides general strategies for revising your writing. They've intentionally left seven errors in the handout, to give you practice in spotting them.

"How to Proofread Effectively" (ThoughtCo)

This article from ThoughtCo, along with those linked at the bottom, help describe common mistakes to check for when proofreading.

"7 Simple Edits That Make Your Writing 100% More Powerful" (SmartBlogger)

This blog post emphasizes the importance of powerful, concise language, and reminds you that even your personal writing heroes create clunky first drafts.

"Editing Tips for Effective Writing" (Univ. of Pennsylvania)

On this page from Penn's International Relations department, you'll find tips for effective prose, errors to watch out for, and reminders about formatting.

"Editing the Essay" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This article, the first of two parts, gives you applicable strategies for the editing process. It suggests reading your essay aloud, removing any jargon, and being unafraid to remove even "dazzling" sentences that don't belong.

"Guide to Editing and Proofreading" (Oxford Learning Institute)

This handout from Oxford covers the basics of editing and proofreading, and reminds you that neither task should be rushed. 

In addition to plagiarism-checkers, Grammarly has a plug-in for your web browser that checks your writing for common mistakes.

After you've prepared, written, and edited your essay, you might want to share it outside the classroom. This section alerts you to print and web opportunities to share your essays with the wider world, from online writing communities and blogs to published journals geared toward young writers.

Sharing Your Essays Online

Go Teen Writers

Go Teen Writers is an online community for writers aged 13 - 19. It was founded by Stephanie Morrill, an author of contemporary young adult novels. 

Tumblr is a blogging website where you can share your writing and interact with other writers online. It's easy to add photos, links, audio, and video components.

Writersky provides an online platform for publishing and reading other youth writers' work. Its current content is mostly devoted to fiction.

Publishing Your Essays Online

This teen literary journal publishes in print, on the web, and (more frequently), on a blog. It is committed to ensuring that "teens see their authentic experience reflected on its pages."

The Matador Review

This youth writing platform celebrates "alternative," unconventional writing. The link above will take you directly to the site's "submissions" page.

Teen Ink has a website, monthly newsprint magazine, and quarterly poetry magazine promoting the work of young writers.

The largest online reading platform, Wattpad enables you to publish your work and read others' work. Its inline commenting feature allows you to share thoughts as you read along.

Publishing Your Essays in Print

Canvas Teen Literary Journal

This quarterly literary magazine is published for young writers by young writers. They accept many kinds of writing, including essays.

The Claremont Review

This biannual international magazine, first published in 1992, publishes poetry, essays, and short stories from writers aged 13 - 19.

Skipping Stones

This young writers magazine, founded in 1988, celebrates themes relating to ecological and cultural diversity. It publishes poems, photos, articles, and stories.

The Telling Room

This nonprofit writing center based in Maine publishes children's work on their website and in book form. The link above directs you to the site's submissions page.

Essay Contests

Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards

This prestigious international writing contest for students in grades 7 - 12 has been committed to "supporting the future of creativity since 1923."

Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest

An annual essay contest on the theme of journalism and media, the Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest awards scholarships up to $1,000.

National YoungArts Foundation

Here, you'll find information on a government-sponsored writing competition for writers aged 15 - 18. The foundation welcomes submissions of creative nonfiction, novels, scripts, poetry, short story and spoken word.

Signet Classics Student Scholarship Essay Contest

With prompts on a different literary work each year, this competition from Signet Classics awards college scholarships up to $1,000.

"The Ultimate Guide to High School Essay Contests" (CollegeVine)

See this handy guide from CollegeVine for a list of more competitions you can enter with your academic essay, from the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards to the National High School Essay Contest by the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Whether you're struggling to write academic essays or you think you're a pro, there are workshops and online tools that can help you become an even better writer. Even the most seasoned writers encounter writer's block, so be proactive and look through our curated list of resources to combat this common frustration.

Online Essay-writing Classes and Workshops

"Getting Started with Essay Writing" (Coursera)

Coursera offers lots of free, high-quality online classes taught by college professors. Here's one example, taught by instructors from the University of California Irvine.

"Writing and English" (Brightstorm)

Brightstorm's free video lectures are easy to navigate by topic. This unit on the parts of an essay features content on the essay hook, thesis, supporting evidence, and more.

"How to Write an Essay" (EdX)

EdX is another open online university course website with several two- to five-week courses on the essay. This one is geared toward English language learners.

Writer's Digest University

This renowned writers' website offers online workshops and interactive tutorials. The courses offered cover everything from how to get started through how to get published.

Writing.com

Signing up for this online writer's community gives you access to helpful resources as well as an international community of writers.

How to Overcome Writer's Block

"Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block" (Purdue OWL)

Purdue OWL offers a list of signs you might have writer's block, along with ways to overcome it. Consider trying out some "invention strategies" or ways to curb writing anxiety.

"Overcoming Writer's Block: Three Tips" ( The Guardian )

These tips, geared toward academic writing specifically, are practical and effective. The authors advocate setting realistic goals, creating dedicated writing time, and participating in social writing.

"Writing Tips: Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block" (Univ. of Illinois)

This page from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Center for Writing Studies acquaints you with strategies that do and do not work to overcome writer's block.

"Writer's Block" (Univ. of Toronto)

Ask yourself the questions on this page; if the answer is "yes," try out some of the article's strategies. Each question is accompanied by at least two possible solutions.

If you have essays to write but are short on ideas, this section's links to prompts, example student essays, and celebrated essays by professional writers might help. You'll find writing prompts from a variety of sources, student essays to inspire you, and a number of essay writing collections.

Essay Writing Prompts

"50 Argumentative Essay Topics" (ThoughtCo)

Take a look at this list and the others ThoughtCo has curated for different kinds of essays. As the author notes, "a number of these topics are controversial and that's the point."

"401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing" ( New York Times )

This list (and the linked lists to persuasive and narrative writing prompts), besides being impressive in length, is put together by actual high school English teachers.

"SAT Sample Essay Prompts" (College Board)

If you're a student in the U.S., your classroom essay prompts are likely modeled on the prompts in U.S. college entrance exams. Take a look at these official examples from the SAT.

"Popular College Application Essay Topics" (Princeton Review)

This page from the Princeton Review dissects recent Common Application essay topics and discusses strategies for answering them.

Example Student Essays

"501 Writing Prompts" (DePaul Univ.)

This nearly 200-page packet, compiled by the LearningExpress Skill Builder in Focus Writing Team, is stuffed with writing prompts, example essays, and commentary.

"Topics in English" (Kibin)

Kibin is a for-pay essay help website, but its example essays (organized by topic) are available for free. You'll find essays on everything from  A Christmas Carol  to perseverance.

"Student Writing Models" (Thoughtful Learning)

Thoughtful Learning, a website that offers a variety of teaching materials, provides sample student essays on various topics and organizes them by grade level.

"Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

In this blog post by a former professor of English and rhetoric, ThoughtCo brings together examples of five-paragraph essays and commentary on the form.

The Best Essay Writing Collections

The Best American Essays of the Century by Joyce Carol Oates (Amazon)

This collection of American essays spanning the twentieth century was compiled by award winning author and Princeton professor Joyce Carol Oates.

The Best American Essays 2017 by Leslie Jamison (Amazon)

Leslie Jamison, the celebrated author of essay collection  The Empathy Exams , collects recent, high-profile essays into a single volume.

The Art of the Personal Essay by Phillip Lopate (Amazon)

Documentary writer Phillip Lopate curates this historical overview of the personal essay's development, from the classical era to the present.

The White Album by Joan Didion (Amazon)

This seminal essay collection was authored by one of the most acclaimed personal essayists of all time, American journalist Joan Didion.

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace (Amazon)

Read this famous essay collection by David Foster Wallace, who is known for his experimentation with the essay form. He pushed the boundaries of personal essay, reportage, and political polemic.

"50 Successful Harvard Application Essays" (Staff of the The Harvard Crimson )

If you're looking for examples of exceptional college application essays, this volume from Harvard's daily student newspaper is one of the best collections on the market.

Are you an instructor looking for the best resources for teaching essay writing? This section contains resources for developing in-class activities and student homework assignments. You'll find content from both well-known university writing centers and online writing labs.

Essay Writing Classroom Activities for Students

"In-class Writing Exercises" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page lists exercises related to brainstorming, organizing, drafting, and revising. It also contains suggestions for how to implement the suggested exercises.

"Teaching with Writing" (Univ. of Minnesota Center for Writing)

Instructions and encouragement for using "freewriting," one-minute papers, logbooks, and other write-to-learn activities in the classroom can be found here.

"Writing Worksheets" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

Berkeley offers this bank of writing worksheets to use in class. They are nested under headings for "Prewriting," "Revision," "Research Papers" and more.

"Using Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism" (DePaul University)

Use these activities and worksheets from DePaul's Teaching Commons when instructing students on proper academic citation practices.

Essay Writing Homework Activities for Students

"Grammar and Punctuation Exercises" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

These five interactive online activities allow students to practice editing and proofreading. They'll hone their skills in correcting comma splices and run-ons, identifying fragments, using correct pronoun agreement, and comma usage.

"Student Interactives" (Read Write Think)

Read Write Think hosts interactive tools, games, and videos for developing writing skills. They can practice organizing and summarizing, writing poetry, and developing lines of inquiry and analysis.

This free website offers writing and grammar activities for all grade levels. The lessons are designed to be used both for large classes and smaller groups.

"Writing Activities and Lessons for Every Grade" (Education World)

Education World's page on writing activities and lessons links you to more free, online resources for learning how to "W.R.I.T.E.": write, revise, inform, think, and edit.

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• Downloads of 1929 LitCharts Lit Guides
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THE HIGH SCHOOL MINISTRY OF CRU

Sharing Your Personal Testimony

What is a personal testimony.

A personal testimony is a prepared version of your coming to faith in Christ. It is designed to communicate – in a specific period of time (usually about 3 minutes) – what attracted a person to Christ, how that individual received Him, and the difference He has made in his/her life. A well-done personal testimony can be a powerful and effective tool in communicating the life changing reality of Jesus Christ. The dictionary defines testimony as “the statement or declaration of a witness under oath or affirmation, usually in court.” Another definition says “evidence in support of a fact or statement of proof.” When you give your testi- mony, you are giving witness of the difference Christ has made in your life.

Tips for Preparing Your Testimony

DON’T start with something like, “So…this is my testimony…” or end with something like, “And, that’s my testimony…” DO have a clear, well prepared beginning and end. DO have a theme that ties your story together. For example, “My life is a lot like the movie Braveheart…” or “I’ve always thought that a football game is a great illustration of some of the things that have happened in my life…” DON’T use words that aren’t clear to non-Christians (Christianese). DO clarify terms like “saved,” “sin,” “Christian home,” etc. DON’T name specific denominations or religions (especially in a negative way). This could offend someone who is of that denomination and prevent them from listening to your story. DON’T ramble on forever. DO keep it to around 3 minutes! DON’T use vague terms like “peaceful,” “joyful,” or “happy.” DO give details and include specific stories to clarify those adjectives. DON’T give the false impression that Jesus makes all of life’s problems go away. DO include a verse or short portion of Scripture that relates to your theme. DON’T use more than two Scripture passages. Keep it focused on how Christ changed your life. DO be realistic – life is still hard, but a relationship with God is the key to living it. DO communicate as clearly and truthfully as possible how you became a Christian. By the conclusion of your testimony, listeners should understand how they could also receive Christ. Make it very clear how a person receives Christ; share the words you used when you accepted Him.

Preparing Your Personal Testimony

• Memorize and practice your testimony orally. After editing and rewriting your testimony, you should memorize it. Memorization frees you to be natural and communicate clearly, rather than focusing on your next word. Practice giving your testimony to a small group or friend.
• Present your testimony to an audience.
• Evaluate your testimony with your Cru High School leader.

The testimony worksheet can be uses as a guide to help you think through and write down your Testimony story. Keep the following things in mind: Don’t be concerned if your testimony is not filled with bank robberies, murders, or drug selling. You are seeking to relate to your audience. Hopefully not many of their lives are filled with those things either. Choose a theme you think people will relate to, but it does not need to be sensational and dramatic.

If you became a Christian at an early age, share how Christ has led you over a period of years, or how you came to the point of surrendering your life totally to Christ.

Student Testimony Worksheet

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Developing prayer partners, building a spiritual movement, cru: start here, mapping your campus.

What they’re saying about Cru

We are living in some tough times because our children are in need of someone to listen, to talk to them and just be with them. Thank you, Cru, for what you are doing to help us be successful.

Jacqueline Indianapolis, Indiana

QuestBridge supports high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds on their path to a top college. This is your chance to dream big. 

We’re here to connect Scholars and Alumni to the people and opportunities you need to reach your full potential.

Our partnerships bridge the gap between the nation’s brightest minds and the opportunities they deserve.

Learn more about who we are and how we help students dream big on their path to, through, and beyond college.

How to Write a College Essay

Let QuestBridge help you with college essay writing tips. We cover what to write about, how to get feedback, and more!

The low-income lens in college essays

Students from low-income backgrounds may not realize that they have a unique perspective to present to admissions officers. If your identity has been shaped by financial difficulties and other obstacles, consider writing about these challenges in your college essays so that admissions officers understand the full context of your successes and academic accomplishments.

Bring us into your world. We want to know you. We want to know your truth.

Student challenges and extenuating circumstances

You may describe specific challenges that you have risen above in your college essays, such as:

• You hold significant responsibilities in your household, such as providing care for an ill family member, babysitting siblings, or preparing family meals.
• You have a part-time job to pay for school activities or household expenses.
• You live with people other than your immediate family or have been in foster care.
• You experienced homelessness or other temporary housing situations.
• A parent has passed away or is not present in your life.
• You commute a long distance to attend school.
• Your family or community is not supportive of your educational goals.
• You faced obstacles because English is not your first language.

Proper tone for college essays

If you choose to write about challenges in your life, be careful to avoid using overly critical or negative language when writing a college essay. This is a good opportunity to emphasize your emotional maturity and how challenges in your life have helped you grow as a person. You may compromise that impression if your tone is resentful or excessively dramatic.

College essay topic choice

Giving admissions officers a window into difficult experiences can present your story in your college application, but there are other topics that can also make for a strong essay (e.g. a favorite book, a community service project). Whichever angle you select to tell your story, highlight the most important things that have shaped and continue to shape your identity.

The writing process: brainstorm, outline, and draft

Writing a college essay can seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be. Watch our webinar,  Write a College Essay that Stands Out , and download our worksheet as a template and foundation to help you craft a strong college essay. This college essay format may help you write your essay in a manner that goes beyond just a chronological explanation of your life or an expansion of your resume.

Essay feedback and revisions

Ask teachers, mentors, family, or friends for feedback on your essay. Reach out well in advance of any deadlines, and give them at least two weeks to provide feedback. Ask them in person if you can, but if you cannot, send them an email. If they agree to take a look, you can send them a message with your essay. Download a sample message below.

After receiving feedback, revise! You should plan on going through a few drafts. Here are some things to keep in mind: 

• You do not have to incorporate all feedback. Accept what you think is most helpful. 
• Edits and revisions should not remove your voice or completely alter your writing style. 
• Pay attention to spelling, grammar, punctuation, and even formatting. 
• It may help to read your essay out loud to catch mistakes you might otherwise skim over. 
• Read your college essay from an admissions officer’s perspective.
• For more college essay writing tips, continue reading the FAQs below.

Detailed FAQs about college admissions essays

Mechanics, structure, and content are vital parts of a successful essay. Our Detailed College Essays FAQs page covers each category in detail to give your essay a strong start and finish. Learn about how to write a college essay, how long a college essay should be, and more.

• Written Essays

How to write source-based history essays

The biggest assessment task you will be required to complete is a written research essay which develops an argument and uses a range of sources.

All types of assessment tasks will need you to use essay-writing skills in some form, but their fundamental structure and purpose remains the same.

Therefore, learning how to write essays well is central to achieving high marks in History.

What is an 'essay'?

A History essay is a structured argument that provides historical evidence to substantiate its points. 

To achieve the correct structure for your argument, it is crucial to understand the separate parts that make up a written essay. 

If you understand how each part works and fits into the overall essay, you are well on the way to creating a great assessment piece.

Most essays will require you to write:

• 1 Introduction Paragraph
• 3 Body Paragraphs
• 1 Concluding Paragraph

Explanations for how to structure and write each of these paragraphs can be found below, along with examples of each: 

Essay paragraph writing advice

How to write an Introductory Paragraph

This page explains the purpose of an introduction, how to structure one and provides examples for you to read.

How to write Body Paragraphs

This page explains the purpose of body paragraphs, how to structure them and provides examples for you to read.

How to write a Conclusion

This page explains the purpose of conclusions, how to structure them and provides examples for you to read.

More essay resources

What do you need help with, download ready-to-use digital learning resources.

Copyright © History Skills 2014-2024.

Contact  via email

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Guest Essay

It’s Time to End the Quiet Cruelty of Property Taxes

By Andrew W. Kahrl

Dr. Kahrl is a professor of history and African American studies at the University of Virginia and the author of “The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America.”

Property taxes, the lifeblood of local governments and school districts, are among the most powerful and stealthy engines of racism and wealth inequality our nation has ever produced. And while the Biden administration has offered many solutions for making the tax code fairer, it has yet to effectively tackle a problem that has resulted not only in the extraordinary overtaxation of Black and Latino homeowners but also in the worsening of disparities between wealthy and poorer communities. Fixing these problems requires nothing short of a fundamental re-examination of how taxes are distributed.

In theory, the property tax would seem to be an eminently fair one: The higher the value of your property, the more you pay. The problem with this system is that the tax is administered by local officials who enjoy a remarkable degree of autonomy and that tax rates are typically based on the collective wealth of a given community. This results in wealthy communities enjoying lower effective tax rates while generating more tax revenues; at the same time, poorer ones are forced to tax property at higher effective rates while generating less in return. As such, property assessments have been manipulated throughout our nation’s history to ensure that valuable property is taxed the least relative to its worth and that the wealthiest places will always have more resources than poorer ones.

Black people have paid the heaviest cost. Since they began acquiring property after emancipation, African Americans have been overtaxed by local governments. By the early 1900s, an acre of Black-owned land was valued, for tax purposes, higher than an acre of white-owned land in most of Virginia’s counties, according to my calculations, despite being worth about half as much. And for all the taxes Black people paid, they got little to nothing in return. Where Black neighborhoods began, paved streets, sidewalks and water and sewer lines often ended. Black taxpayers helped to pay for the better-resourced schools white children attended. Even as white supremacists treated “colored” schools as another of the white man’s burdens, the truth was that throughout the Jim Crow era, Black taxpayers subsidized white education.

Freedom from these kleptocratic regimes drove millions of African Americans to move to Northern and Midwestern states in the Great Migration from 1915 to 1970, but they were unable to escape racist assessments, which encompassed both the undervaluation of their property for sales purposes and the overvaluation of their property for taxation purposes. During those years, the nation’s real estate industry made white-owned property in white neighborhoods worth more because it was white. Since local tax revenue was tied to local real estate markets, newly formed suburbs had a fiscal incentive to exclude Black people, and cities had even more reason to keep Black people confined to urban ghettos.

As the postwar metropolis became a patchwork of local governments, each with its own tax base, the fiscal rationale for segregation intensified. Cities were fiscally incentivized to cater to the interests of white homeowners and provide better services for white neighborhoods, especially as middle-class white people began streaming into the suburbs, taking their tax dollars with them.

One way to cater to wealthy and white homeowners’ interests is to intentionally conduct property assessments less often. The city of Boston did not conduct a citywide property reassessment between 1946 and 1977. Over that time, the values of properties in Black neighborhoods increased slowly when compared with the values in white neighborhoods or even fell, which led to property owners’ paying relatively more in taxes than their homes were worth. At the same time, owners of properties in white neighborhoods got an increasingly good tax deal as their neighborhoods increased in value.

As was the case in other American cities, Boston’s decision most likely derived from the fear that any updates would hasten the exodus of white homeowners and businesses to the suburbs. By the 1960s, assessments on residential properties in Boston’s poor neighborhoods were up to one and a half times as great as their actual values, while assessments in the city’s more affluent neighborhoods were, on average, 40 percent of market value.

Jersey City, N.J., did not conduct a citywide real estate reassessment between 1988 and 2018 as part of a larger strategy for promoting high-end real estate development. During that time, real estate prices along the city’s waterfront soared but their owners’ tax bills remained relatively steady. By 2015, a home in one of the city’s Black and Latino neighborhoods worth $175,000 received the same tax bill as a home in the city’s downtown worth $530,000.

These are hardly exceptions. Numerous studies conducted during those years found that assessments in predominantly Black neighborhoods of U.S. cities were grossly higher relative to value than those in white areas.

These problems persist. A recent report by the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy found that property assessments were regressive (meaning lower-valued properties were assessed higher relative to value than higher-valued ones) in 97.7 percent of U.S. counties. Black-owned homes and properties in Black neighborhoods continue to be devalued on the open market, making this regressive tax, in effect, a racist tax.

The overtaxation of Black homes and neighborhoods is also a symptom of a much larger problem in America’s federated fiscal structure. By design, this system produces winners and losers: localities with ample resources to provide the goods and services that we as a nation have entrusted to local governments and others that struggle to keep the lights on, the streets paved, the schools open and drinking water safe . Worse yet, it compels any fiscally disadvantaged locality seeking to improve its fortunes to do so by showering businesses and corporations with tax breaks and subsidies while cutting services and shifting tax burdens onto the poor and disadvantaged. A local tax on local real estate places Black people and cities with large Black populations at a permanent disadvantage. More than that, it gives middle-class white people strong incentives to preserve their relative advantages, fueling the zero-sum politics that keep Americans divided, accelerates the upward redistribution of wealth and impoverishes us all.

There are technical solutions. One, which requires local governments to adopt more accurate assessment models and regularly update assessment rolls, can help make property taxes fairer. But none of the proposed reforms being discussed can be applied nationally because local tax policies are the prerogative of the states and, often, local governments themselves. Given the variety and complexity of state and local property tax laws and procedures and how much local governments continue to rely on tax reductions and tax shifting to attract and retain certain people and businesses, we cannot expect them to fix these problems on their own.

The best way to make local property taxes fairer and more equitable is to make them less important. The federal government can do this by reinvesting in our cities, counties and school districts through a federal fiscal equity program, like those found in other advanced federated nations. Canada, Germany and Australia, among others, direct federal funds to lower units of government with lower capacities to raise revenue.

And what better way to pay for the program than to tap our wealthiest, who have benefited from our unjust taxation scheme for so long? President Biden is calling for a 25 percent tax on the incomes and annual increases in the values of the holdings of people claiming more than $100 million in assets, but we could accomplish far more by enacting a wealth tax on the 1 percent. Even a modest 4 percent wealth tax on people whose total assets exceed $50 million could generate upward of $400 billion in additional annual revenue, which should be more than enough to ensure that the needs of every city, county and public school system in America are met. By ensuring that localities have the resources they need, we can counteract the unequal outcomes and rank injustices that our current system generates.

Andrew W. Kahrl is a professor of history and African American studies at the University of Virginia and the author of “ The Black Tax : 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America.”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Karlovy Vary Film Festival Lineup Includes 15 Directorial Debuts, Plus Films by Established Filmmakers

By Leo Barraclough

Leo Barraclough

International Features Editor

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The 32-strong official selection of the 58th edition of Karlovy Vary Film Festival , Central and Eastern Europe’s leading cinema fete, will feature 15 directorial debuts as well as the latest works of established filmmakers such as Mark Cousins , Oleh Sentsov , Noaz Deshe, Antonin Peretjatko, Beata Parkanova and Burak Cevik.

Popular on Variety

The films in the Proxima Competition will be judged by filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani, producer Bianca Balbuena, Daniela Michel, the founding director of the Morelia Film Festival, Wouter Jansen, the founder of the sales company Square Eyes, and Adéla Komrzý, a filmmaker.

(Film descriptions, below, supplied by the festival.)

“Banzo” Director: Margarida Cardoso Portugal, France, Netherlands, international premiere In 1907, Alonso arrives on Prince’s Island, where he has been tasked with treating a group of workers plagued by a mysterious affliction called banzo, also known as slave nostalgia. Those affected feel an intense homesickness, fall into apathy, lose the strength to live, and eventually die. Alonso slowly discovers that it is not enough to treat the physical symptoms; he must understand the soul of those who have been uprooted. The oppressive atmosphere of the isolated tropical island forms the backdrop for a story from the dark colonial past in which humanity is put to the ultimate test. “Banzo” is also a reminder that there is more than one way to interpret the past, and that behind every story is a person telling the story.

“Cì xīn qiè gŭ” (Pierce) Director: Nelicia Low Singapore, Taiwan, Poland, world premiere After Han is released from juvenile prison, where he served seven years for killing an opponent in a fencing match, he meets his younger brother and insists on his innocence. Jie believes him, and the torn brotherly bond begins to heal. Behind their mother’s back, Han helps Jie perfect his fencing skills so that he can qualify for the national championships. But the initially energetic clinking of sabres is slowly drowned out by silent doubts: Is Han really innocent? Low’s gripping atmospheric thriller offers a nerve-wracking duel between the ideals of brotherly love and the illusions that we project onto those close to us.

“Drie dagen vis” (Three Days of Fish) Director: Peter Hoogendoorn Netherlands, Belgium, world premiere Just as he does every year, dad flies from sunny Portugal for a three-day visit to the Netherlands, the drab country of his birth. He has his usual errands to run, and he visits his doctor for his annual check-up, accompanied by his eccentric grown-up son… This intimate film offers a glimpse into the relationship between two men who have grown apart yet, as they engage in seemingly mundane activities, little by little they try to find their way back to one another. “Three Days of Fish,” the second outing by Dutch filmmaker Hoogendoorn, is a gentle drama, interlaced with the dry humor typical for the region. The director’s feature debut “Between 10 and 12” premiered at Venice.

“Ema a smrtihlav” (The Hungarian Dressmaker) Director: Iveta Grófová Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, world premiere It’s the 1940s. The Slovak state witnesses the rise of nationalism and it’s not an auspicious time for minorities. The turbulent social mood also impacts the widow Marika, who loses her job in an Aryanised dressmaker’s shop. Given the increasing anti-Hungarian sentiment she shuts herself away, particularly since she is harboring a little Jewish boy. Despite this she still finds herself singled out by two men: a German Nazi officer and a captain of Slovakia’s Hlinka Guard. This drama by Slovak director Grófová is an adaptation of the novella of the same name by Peter Krištúfek, which conjures up the dramatic atmosphere of wartime Slovakia. The story of a fragmented era, which forces the protagonists to confront complex dilemmas, is told not only through words, but also by way of a powerful visual language.

“Mord” (Our Lovely Pig Slaughter) Director: Adam Martinec Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, world premiere The pig-killing fest on an old farm is a tradition Karel looks forward to every year. It’s the only chance for the whole family to get together, have a good time, engage in a squabble or two, and enjoy some great food. But this time things are different. The butcher hides the fact his cartridges are damp, grandpa can’t bring himself to tell Karel, recently widowed, that this slaughter will be their last, daughter Lucie is depressed after her marital breakup, and grandson Dušík runs away while his parents argue over whether he’s old enough to watch the kill. As for Karel, the pig’s blood spilling everywhere is the last straw… Martinec’s feature debut is a remarkably incisive study of the Czech temperament which, through its visceral character portrayal and searing humor, evokes the masterworks of the Czechoslovak New Wave.

“Panoptikoni” (Panopticon) Director: George Sikharulidze Georgia, France, Italy, Romania, world premiere When Sandro’s father decides to devote his life to God and leaves for a monastery, the teenage introvert finds himself deprived of the fundamental certainties of life. Abandoned by his father and his mother, who is working abroad, the young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery, opening up both to a new friendship with the radical Lasha, who has ties with an ultra-right organization, and also to the chance to explore his own sexuality. Sikharulidze’s perceptive feature debut considers how fine the line is between the observer and the observed, and asks where contemporary post-Soviet Georgian society is heading as it hovers on the border between religious conservatism and nationalisation on the one hand, and the desire for independence and modernization on the other.

“A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things” Director: Mark Cousins U.K. world premiere One of the most important women in British modern art, the painter Wilhelmina Barns-Graham was a highly inspirational figure, whose work was deeply impacted by a pivotal event in her life. In May 1949, this leading representative of the modernist St. Ives group of artists climbed to the top of the Grindelwald glacier in Switzerland, an experience which was to transform the way she saw the world. She spent the rest of her life capturing its shapes and colors, indeed its very essence. In his essayistic portrait Cousins delves into complex themes of gender, climate change and creativity, while laying bare the artist’s character and vast imagination so pervasively that he creates the impression we are seeing the world through her eyes.

“Světýlka” (Tiny Lights) Director: Beata Parkanová Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, world premiere Amálka is six years old. She loves her cat, her parents, and her gran and grandpa. It’s summertime and all the little girl could wish for is for the day to turn out just as it should. Except that things are different. Her parents have shut themselves in a room and she can hear raised voices through the door, which isn’t normal. Something’s going on and Amálka has no idea what it is. In a superbly creative direction from Parkanová, “Tiny Lights” follows a family break-up as perceived by a child: Through the keyhole, ear pressed to the door, everything seen at adult waist height. Each day has to end, and this one has brought Amálka to the point of no return. She feels the hurt as she drifts off to sleep, but she has also grown up a little.

“Xoftex” Director: Noaz Deshe Germany, France, world premiere Xoftex is a Greek refugee camp, where Syrian and Palestinian asylum seekers anxiously wait for news of their refugee status. To pass the time between interviews with the immigration office, Nasser and his friends film satirical sketches and make preparations for a zombie horror flick. Except that the reality of the camp could be taken for a horror scenario itself. The tension between its inhabitants gains momentum and every conflict removes one more brick from the wall which divides reality from dream – or, indeed, nightmare. Fragments of real life, humor, and the unimaginable suffering of people risking their lives to escape their own country, merge into an explosive, at times, surreal spectacle which invites the viewers to immerse themselves in the story and the lives of immigrants in a way they will never have experienced before.

“Cabo Negro” Director: Abdellah Taïa France, Morocco, world premiere Two young people, Soundouss and Jaâfar, arrive at a luxury villa in the resort of Cabo Negro rented by Jaâfar’s lover, who is supposed to join them later. But something is wrong – he still hasn’t turned up, and they can’t reach him on his phone. Left on their own, they decide, despite their uncertain financial and personal situation, to enjoy their holiday as much as their minds and bodies will allow. On vacation, with time seemingly non-existent, they take the opportunity to reflect on their relationships back home – and on the future, which feels so distant here on the sun-drenched beach. Taïa presents a queer ode to the seemingly carefree time of youth.

“Clorofilla” (Chlorophyll) Director: Ivana Gloria Italy, international premiere Green-haired Maia is tired of city life and, driven by a desire to be among nature, she decides to spend the summer picking oranges. In the orchards she is greeted by the gardener, an eccentric loner called Teo, who notices that Maia isn’t like everyone else. In the same way he tends his plants, he devotes his time and energy to her, too, and the young woman starts to blossom. Their burgeoning friendship, however, is unsettled by the arrival of Teo’s father and older brother Arturo, who are planning a celebration in a neighboring village… In her richly colored story, which shows it’s sometimes difficult to find someone who could help us to discover our true selves, Gloria awakens within us senses that we didn’t even know we had.

“Fără suflet” (The Alienated) Director: Anja Kreis Germany, Moldova, France, world premiere Varvara, a professor of philosophy, is discussing the concept of God’s death with her students. She is visited by her sister Angelina, an eminent gynaecologist who has been recalled from Moscow and sent to another city, where she is to reduce the number of abortions. Not long afterwards a girl comes to see her at the hospital, asking her to perform an abortion, claiming that she is carrying the Antichrist in her womb. After a heated dispute with a student, Varvara ponders the presence of evil in human nature, while Angelina carries out an illegal abortion on the girl and takes the embryo home with her… This mystical film is beguiling for its ominous atmosphere and raises uncomfortable questions about human conscience, morality and faith, although it declines to provide definitive answers.

“Ju wai ren” (Stranger) Director: Zhengfan Yang U.S., China, Netherlands, Norway, France, world premiere The hotel room as a place where everybody is a stranger. A place that is yours for just a moment. A temporarily intimate space entered by a maid in order to clean it while, if possible, not leaving a single trace of her visit. Each part of the episodic “Stranger” is set in just such a place. One episode equals one shot. One shot equals one story. What they have in common is China, the home country of both guests and staff, although each of their lives differs from the others. The film’s absurd, darkly humorous, poignant and mysterious stories are set in a seemingly confined space that nevertheless opens up new and surprising dimensions with each episode.

“Lapilli” Director: Paula Ďurinová Slovak Republic, Germany, world premiere In her feature debut, Ďurinová sets out to wander among varied rock formations in order to try and come to terms with the loss of her grandparents. Different stages of grief unfold among the sea currents, the dark caves and the volcanic wasteland, while the strings of an autoharp resonate in the ravines. Lapilli finds a balance between the personal and the environmental in a modernistic requiem full of perceptive observations on natural phenomena and on man himself. This is a work that excels in its inner strength and rare film language, where sea waves reflect shifting thoughts, and where the erosion of arid soil is reminiscent of a broken heart filled with memories of people who are lost to us forever.

“Od marca do mája” (March to May) Director: Martin Pavol Repka Czech Republic, world premiere A family of five lives together in an old village house. While the parents are slowly aging, the children are growing up, and it is clear that they will soon go their own way. This unchanging rhythm of everyday life is disrupted by the unexpected news of the mother’s pregnancy, and the idea of a new sibling gradually affects all members of the household. “March to May” is an understated, intimate portrait of family togetherness, which is often expressed in the smallest of ways. An unassuming yet highly original story, filmed with the same tenderness and patience with which nature awakens every spring.

“Trans Memoria” Director: Victoria Verseau Sweden, France, world premiere “I collect. I document. I write down my memories. I’m afraid they’ll disappear.” This is how Verseau introduces her intimate documentary diary, in which she returns to Thailand and to the year 2012, when she underwent her transition. She had long awaited this moment, but then came feelings of uncertainty, amplified by the death of a close friend. The conceptual artist adopts an almost archaeological approach to the past and lays bare the process of writing a personal story that is intrinsically linked to the creation of her own identity. In this deeply felt debut she reveals the joyful aspects and also the dark recesses of transition and, bringing other testimonies into play as well, she critically examines what defines women as women.

“Tropicana” Director: Omer Tobi Israel, Canada, world premiere A lonely middle-aged woman lives her monotonous life. Every morning, she goes to her job as a supermarket cashier, and every day after work she goes straight home to look after her ailing mother and the rest of the family. Nobody, however, seems to care. Then, the mysterious murder of her boss sets off a chain of events at the end of which she can be free and find her own worth. How to describe her journey? Perhaps best as a sexual odyssey, an exploratory expedition to places where an important role is played by carnality, desire, and its gratification. “Tropicana” is a subtly enigmatic reflection on conservatism, prudery, and the false ideal of physical beauty.

“Vino la noche” (Night Has Come) Director: Paolo Tizón Peru, Spain, Mexico, world premiere A group of young adventurers sign up for one of the most challenging military training courses in Latin America, which will turn them into fearsome warriors entrusted with overseeing the dangerous VRAEM region, an area filled with coca plants, terrorists and smugglers. In his absorbing look at the hermetically sealed world of the army, debut director Tizon paints a portrait of one institution while depicting individual human stories and reflecting on male identity, the potential for self-determination, and a fragile masculinity that stands in striking contrast to the brutal training. Sensitivity alongside violence, beauty alongside vulnerability.

“In the Land of Brothers” Director: Alireza Ghasemi, Raha Amirfazli Iran, France, Netherlands, European premiere The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led to a massive flight of Afghans to neighboring Iran, which – since they hoped to find a new home there – they called the “Land of Brothers.” But the dream of fraternal coexistence soon faded, Iranian law never accepted them as equal citizens, and so even the descendants of the first refugees still carry the burden of otherness. Ghasemi and Amirfazli’s wistful, beautifully shot feature debut about a family who will never feel at home in the country where they live won over audiences immediately on its premiere at Sundance.

“Ještě nejsem, kým chci být” (I’m Not Everything I Want to Be) Director: Klára Tasovská Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Austria This year’s notional award for excellence on the domestic film front should go to this documentary on the internationally renowned photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková, a work which enchanted many at the Berlinale. This project looks back over the past 50 years at the life of a true icon, known as the Czech Nan Goldin, and this via a montage of several thousand of her photographs and her diary entries, which she reads out herself. Portraits, self-portraits, immortalized moments, the quest for truth lying deep within nameless fellow opponents of grim Normalisation, reflections of the transformation of body and soul, black-and-white images, emotion and life in flashes of brilliant light.

“Das Lied der Anderen – Eine Suche nach Europa” (The Song of Others – A Search for Europe) Director: Vadim Jendreyko Switzerland, international premiere What is Europe? In his topical personal essay, Jendreyko travels across the old continent to discover its essence in places that might be called acupuncture points of European identity. His various stops include the bottom of the Rhine, Greek docks, the European Parliament, a primeval forest in Poland, and a Sarajevo library. All of these places invite ambivalent reflections: on the one hand, they celebrate Europe’s diversity and the breadth of its cultural heritage; on the other hand, they are symbols of turbulence, conflict and bloody history. Is Europe condemned to be stuck in a vicious circle of violence, or is there hope in those who try to sing the songs of others?

“Ta druhá” (The Other One) Director: Marie-Magdalena Kochová Czech Republic, world premiere In her feature-length debut, Kochová uses the character of 18-year-old Johanna to explore the phenomenon of “glass children” – children who, because they have a special-needs sibling, are neglected by their family, however unintentionally. They often feel invisible, their problems are always considered less important, and they are often expected to help take care of their disabled brother or sister. Johana is about to graduate from high school, and so she must decide whether to leave home to study, or stay and help her parents. An immensely sensitive account of the nature of sibling love which, for once, puts “the other one” first.

“Tatabojs.doc” Director: Marek Najbrt Czech Republic, world premiere “Foot Soldiers,” “Attention aux hommes,” “Dancer,” “Repetition”… These are just some of the string of hits by Prague band Tata Bojs. Always energetic, capable of myriad transformations, precise in their conceptual approach to the visual and musical interpretation of individual albums and concerts. It’s no surprise that Najbrt decided not to go for the conventional documentary. He tells the band’s story as a playful collage, pieced together from a wealth of archive material and recordings of concerts and futuristic stage performances with the Vosto5 theater company. Thus, unfolding before our very eyes is a portrait of a highly original band which, despite the alternative nature of its output, has earned its rightful place among the country’s top players.

“Vlny” (Waves) Director: Jiří Mádl Czech Republic, world premiere One might think that Czech and Slovak filmmakers have already said all there is to say about the period around 1968 in Czechoslovak history. As Mádl’s latest outing shows, however, this crucial era in our modern history still has forgotten stories to offer that are worthy of our attention. The film revolves around the international news office at Czechoslovak Radio, a place full of talented individuals possessing broad insight, linguistic skills, and above all a commitment to honest journalistic work with a focus on the truth. An epic, dynamically shot, rewarding film, which embraces uncommon heroism in the face of an oppressive regime, the strength of fraternal ties, and the eternal themes of love, betrayal, morality, and hope.

“Zahradníkův rok” (The Gardener’s Year) Director: Jiří Havelka Czech Republic, world premiere A true story of injustice perpetrated on a peaceful gardener by a wealthy neighbor meets Karel Čapek’s eponymous literary work about a gardener’s hardships and successes over the course of a year. Havelka, one of the most complex artistic personalities of our time, has long proved that “alternative” and “audience-friendly” need not be mutually exclusive. His quietly moving tragicomic story about a remarkably stubborn struggle for the right to a dignified life is built on two great performances by the always outstanding Oldřich Kaiser and Dáša Vokata.

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