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Long-time clients, newer words

Ask Clients to Refresh Old Testimonials

The client who praised your first version four years ago is still with you, and their old quote undersells everything that happened since. Asking them for a newer one is easy to get wrong: it can sound as if the first testimonial was not good enough. These templates lead with what changed, not with what was missing.

  • Four reasons to ask, four different emails
  • Quotes their original words back to them
  • Old quote stays up until the new one is approved
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New message

SubjectYour 2021 testimonial deserves a sequel

Hi Priya,

Back in 2021 you told us we saved us a day a week on reporting. We still love that line, and it is still on our site.

A lot has happened since: you now run it across three teams. Would you be open to writing or recording a short update on where things stand now? Two or three sentences is plenty.

https://...

We will keep your original up until the new one is ready, and you will see it before it goes anywhere.

5 ready-to-send versions

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Request builder

Write the refresh request

Choose why you are asking. Each version quotes a few words of their original testimonial so they remember it fondly, then asks one question about what is different now.

Why you are asking
  1. You have achieved more since

    Subject: Your [2021] testimonial deserves a sequel

    Hi [Priya],

Back in [2021] you told us we [saved us a day a week on reporting]. We still love that line, and it is still on our site.

A lot has happened since: [you now run it across three teams]. Would you be open to writing or recording a short update on where things stand now? Two or three sentences is plenty.

[https://...]

We will keep your original up until the new one is ready, and you will see it before it goes anywhere.

Thank you,
[Sam]
  2. Short follow-up

    Only if they did not reply. Send it once and stop.

    Subject: Re: Your [2021] testimonial deserves a sequel

    Hi [Priya], just bringing this back up in case it got buried. One question is enough: what is different now compared with [2021]?

[https://...]

[Sam]

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The problem, solved

What goes wrong when you ask for a refresh, and how StoryProof handles it

  • Problem 1

    They think the first one was rejected

    A bare “could you write us a new testimonial?” sounds like a complaint about the old one, and a loyal client feels judged.

  • Problem 2

    The site goes quiet while we wait

    Pulling the old quote before the new one is approved leaves a gap in the widget for weeks.

  • Problem 3

    We cannot tell who gave a testimonial years ago

    Old testimonials came from email threads and slide decks, so nobody has a list of long-time clients to ask.

  • Problem 4

    Busy clients reply “sure” then forget

    Long-time clients are the most willing and the most likely to agree and never get round to it.

  • Problem 5

    Two favours and no thank you

    This client has now helped you twice. A refresh that disappears into the site without a word feels taken for granted.

Prompts

Questions that pull out what changed

Add one of these to the template if the client is likely to repeat their original word for word.

For a client whose results grew

  • What can you do now that you could not do when you first wrote to us?
  • If a colleague asked whether it was worth it, what would you say today?

Leave out

  • Asking them to add a number they have not measured
  • Quoting their old figure back and asking for a bigger one

For a client who has seen the product change

  • What is better now than when you started?
  • Is there anything you miss from the early version?

Leave out

  • Listing your new features and asking them to praise each one

In StoryProof

Refresh a testimonial without a gap on your site

Step 1 of 4

Build the refresh list

Add long-time clients as contacts and tag each with the year of their original testimonial. Ask the oldest and happiest first.

Before you start

Before you send

  • StoryProof does not merge the two versions

    The refresh is a new testimonial alongside the original. Linking them is a tag you add, not something the app does.

  • You cannot rewrite the old one for them

    There is no claim here that testimonial text can be edited in the app. New words come from the client through the collection link.

  • Not for clients who are unhappy now

    If the relationship has soured since the original, deal with that first. A refresh request in the middle of a complaint reads badly.

  • Their old consent may not cover new words

    The new testimonial is a fresh submission. If they gave the original under specific terms, such as first name only, confirm the same terms for the new one.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Short answers to what usually comes up next.

How old should a testimonial be before I ask for a refresh?

Age alone is not the trigger. Ask when something material has changed: their role, your product, or the results they can now describe.

Should I take the old testimonial down once I have the new one?

Usually take it out of your widgets so the client is not shown twice. Keep the record in StoryProof with a tag, in case you need to refer back to it.

What if they say the old one is still accurate?

Thank them and keep using it. They have just confirmed it is current, which is worth noting on the testimonial with a tag and a date.

Can I ask the same client for a video this time?

You can offer it. The collection link lets them choose writing, video or audio, so the request does not need to insist on one format.

Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.

Let your longest clients tell the newer story

Send a refresh request, keep the old quote up until the new one is approved, and swap it in. No credit card needed to start.

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Last updated 2026-11-11.