Skip to main content

They got real help and never became a client

Testimonials From Free Consultation Clients

A free consultation, audit or strategy call is often where people first see how good you are. Some leave with a plan and never buy, and that is fine. Their words can still help the next person decide to book, as long as you say the help was free and do not dress them up as a paying client. Build the request below.

  • A request that asks about the session, not about buying
  • Wording for someone who chose not to go ahead
  • An attribution line that says the session was free
Use the free toolStart free (opens in a new tab)
New message

SubjectWas the free 45 minute website audit useful?

Hi Sam,

Thanks again for your time on the free 45 minute website audit. I would love to know whether it was useful, separate from anything about working together.

If you are happy to, a couple of lines on what you took away would help other people decide whether to book one: [your StoryProof link]

Please mention that the session was free, so readers know exactly what you received.

Ines

4 ready-to-send versions

Free tool, no sign-upTry it below

The problem, solved

Praise from people who never paid you

A free session is real work, and the feedback on it is real. These are the points where it can go wrong.

Situation 1 of 4

They loved the call but never booked

You feel awkward asking someone who chose not to buy. It can look like a sales follow up in disguise.

How StoryProof solves it

Send one link that asks only about the session. They can answer in writing, by audio note or on video, in the browser, with no account.

Request builder

Ask about the free session, honestly

Fill in the fields and pick who you are writing to. Every version asks about the session itself and leaves buying out of it.

Who are you asking?
  1. Request a few days after the session

    Subject: Was the [free 45 minute website audit] useful?

    Hi [Sam],

Thanks again for your time on the [free 45 minute website audit]. I would love to know whether it was useful, separate from anything about working together.

If you are happy to, a couple of lines on what you took away would help other people decide whether to book one: [your StoryProof link]

Please mention that the session was free, so readers know exactly what you received.

[Ines]

Your text is filled in on this page only. Nothing is stored or sent.

What a free session reviewer can and cannot speak to

They can describeThey cannot describe
How you listened and what you askedResults of work you never did for them
The clarity of the advice they left withWhat a full project with you is like
Whether the session was worth their timeValue for money of your paid service
What they did with the advice on their ownYour delivery, deadlines or support

In StoryProof

Collect and show it in StoryProof

  1. 1

    Keep free session contacts apart

    Put them in their own smart list so paying clients never get this request.

  2. 2

    Send one request by email

    Send the request a few days after the session, or after they decide not to go ahead.

  3. 3

    Read before approving

    Hold any reply that describes results from work you did not do, or that sounds like a paid project.

  4. 4

    Tag and place under the heading

    Tag them as free session testimonials and choose them for one widget, placed under the heading that says the session was free.

What happens next: Put this widget on your booking page for the free session, where readers are making exactly the choice these people made.

Before you start

Honest limits

  • This is not legal advice

    This page draws on US Federal Trade Commission guidance and is marked for legal review. Rules elsewhere differ; check yours with an adviser.

  • No disclosure field in the form

    StoryProof has no verified setting that adds a disclosure line to each testimonial. Ask the person to mention it, and say it in your page copy.

  • One ask, then stop

    Someone who chose not to buy owes you nothing. Do not chase a free session testimonial with reminders.

  • Not proof of your paid work

    These testimonials help people book the free session. They do not stand in for client results on your service pages.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Short answers to what usually comes up next.

Do I have to say the consultation was free?

The FTC's endorsement guidance says a connection readers would not expect, including getting something free, should be clearly disclosed where it could change how much weight they give the endorsement. Saying it plainly is the safe course. Check with your adviser for your country.

Can I use a free session testimonial on my homepage?

You can, if the heading or the quote makes clear the session was free. It belongs more naturally on the page where people book that session.

Is it pushy to ask someone who did not buy?

Not if you ask once, after their decision, and make clear there is no sales follow up attached. Many people are glad to help.

What if they did buy later?

Then they are a client. Ask them about the paid work too, and keep the free session testimonial labelled as what it was.

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

Let your free sessions bring in the next booking

Ask once, label the testimonial honestly and show it where people book.

Start free (opens in a new tab)

Sources

  1. FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking, US Federal Trade Commission. Checked 2026-11-11.

Last updated 2026-11-11.