Write the program down once
Testimonial Program SOP Document Template
Every testimonial program has a procedure. In most teams it lives in one person’s head, and it leaves with them, goes on holiday with them, or changes a little each time they explain it. A standard operating procedure fixes that: who identifies candidates, who sends the ask, who approves, where consent is recorded, what happens when someone wants out. Fill in the template below and you have a document a new hire can follow on their first day.
- A full SOP, a one-page version and a roles table
- Your names, cadence and approval rules filled in
- Covers removals and consent, not just collection
The problem, solved
What an unwritten testimonial process costs
Only one person knows how it works
When they are away, requests stop and submissions wait, because nobody else knows the order of things.
With StoryProof: Tags, moderation and roles are on every plan, so the SOP can name who holds which role in the workspace and anyone with that role can pick the work up.
Approval rules live in someone’s head
One reviewer rejects any quote that names a competitor; another approves it. Customers notice the inconsistency before you do.
With StoryProof: Nothing a customer submits goes public until you approve it. The SOP writes down what the approver checks, so the gate works the same for everyone.
Every round starts by hunting for names
Without a defined source for candidates, each person builds their own list in their own way.
With StoryProof: Contacts and smart lists are on every plan. The SOP names the list requests go to and who keeps it current.
Reminders depend on who remembers
Some customers get two nudges, others none, and someone gets chased after they already replied.
With StoryProof: From Pro, the follow-ups automation sends the reminders on a fixed schedule and stops when the customer responds, so the SOP can point to it instead of a calendar note.
New teammates cannot get access straight away
A handover stalls because nobody knows how many people the plan allows in the workspace.
With StoryProof: Seats are set per space on each plan. The SOP records who holds a seat, so a handover is a swap, not a surprise.
Flip the switch to see how StoryProof handles each one.
SOP builder
Fill in your testimonial program SOP
Enter your details, pick the format, and copy the document into your wiki or handbook.
- Sections 1 to 4: purpose to procedure
[Northwind]: Testimonial Program SOP Version 1.0 · Owner: [Customer Marketing Manager] · Review date: [six months from today] 1. Purpose To collect, approve and publish customer testimonials consistently, with the customer’s permission recorded and a clear way to withdraw it. 2. Scope Written, video and audio testimonials used in [homepage, pricing page, Wall of Love, sales deck]. Out of scope: third-party review sites, which follow their own rules. 3. Roles Program owner ([Customer Marketing Manager]): runs the procedure, keeps the candidate list and this document current. Approver ([Head of Marketing]): decides what is published, using the checks in 4.4. Site editor: places approved testimonials in widgets and pages. 4. Procedure 4.1 Identify: the owner adds candidates to the request list from [source: renewals, support praise, NPS promoters]. 4.2 Request: requests go out by email [every second Tuesday], using the approved wording in Appendix A. 4.3 Follow up: reminders follow the schedule in Appendix B; stop as soon as the customer responds. 4.4 Review: every submission is reviewed within [five working days]. The approver checks: accuracy of any claim or number, permission given, nothing confidential, no reference to other customers. 4.5 Publish: the site editor adds approved testimonials to the agreed placements and records where each one appears.
- Sections 5 to 8: records, removals and review
5. Records For each published testimonial keep: customer name and company, date received, permission wording agreed, approver and date, and every place it is used. 6. Removal or withdrawal If a customer asks for removal: acknowledge the same day; remove it from [homepage, pricing page, Wall of Love, sales deck] within [two working days]; record the date and confirm to the customer. Requests that cite privacy law go to [privacy contact] the same day. 7. Exceptions Regulated claims (health, finance, results with numbers) need sign off from [legal or compliance contact] before publishing. 8. Review of this SOP [Customer Marketing Manager] reviews this document on the review date above and after any change to tools, roles or the law that applies to [Northwind]. Appendix A: request wording Appendix B: follow-up schedule Appendix C: approval checklist
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In StoryProof
Adopt the SOP with StoryProof
- You will need
- The filled-in SOP from the builder
- A StoryProof workspace for the program
- Agreement from the approver named in it
- 1
Give each role a seat
Invite the owner, approver and site editor to the space, within the seats your plan allows, and match their roles to the SOP.
- 2
Build the request list
Create the smart list named in section 4.1 so every round of requests goes to the same source.
- 3
Send and follow up as written
Send requests by email at the stated cadence. On a plan with automations, switch on follow-ups so Appendix B runs itself.
- 4
Hold the approval gate
Submissions wait in the queue until approved. Tag each approved testimonial with where it is published, which becomes the placement log in section 5.
- 5
Publish only to agreed places
Choose the approved testimonials for each widget that matches a placement in the SOP.
What happens next: Put the review date in the owner’s calendar now. An SOP nobody revisits drifts back into one person’s habits within a year.
Before you start
What the template leaves to you
It is not legal advice
Sections 6 and 7 mark where privacy and regulated claims go to a specialist. The template does not say what your law requires.
Appendices are yours to write
Request wording, the reminder schedule and the approval checklist are referenced, not supplied. Other StoryProof pages cover each one.
Logs need discipline
Tags can mark where a testimonial is used, but someone still has to add them when it is placed.
Seats are limited by plan
If every role needs its own login, check the seats per space on your plan before assigning them.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
How long should a testimonial SOP be?
One page for a team of one or two; the full version, a few pages, once more people approve or publish. Length matters less than every step having a named owner.
Who should own the SOP?
The person who runs the program day to day. The approver signs it off, and both are named at the top.
Does the SOP need a section on removals?
Yes. A removal request with no written process tends to be handled slowly and incompletely, which is exactly when a customer is least patient.
How is this different from a monthly collection plan?
The plan schedules this month’s requests. The SOP sets the rules every month follows: roles, checks, records and removals.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Run the program the SOP describes
Roles, an approval gate and contact lists come on every plan. Write the procedure once and the workspace follows it.
Last updated 2026-11-13.