testimonial-collector

TL;DR

Provides an end-to-end framework for collecting, formatting, and deploying client testimonials as social proof. Generates structured interview questions, permission/release templates (bilingual ES/EN), standardized testimonial formatting (quote + attribution + context), and ready-to-use display patterns for websites, pitch decks, and proposals. Outputs branded HTML testimonial cards and a reusable testimonial bank.

When to Activate

• User wants to collect or request testimonials from clients.
• User needs to format existing testimonials for professional use.
• User asks for social proof assets for a website, deck, or proposal.
• User mentions "collect testimonials", "client testimonials", "social proof", or "testimonios de clientes".
• Do NOT activate for case study writing (use case-study-writing), general client research (use client-dossier), or survey design (use survey-design).

Collection Framework

Question Bank

Structured questions designed to elicit specific, quotable responses. Organized by depth level:

Level 1 — Quick Wins (email/form): problem identification, standout result, recommendation willingness. 3 questions targeting quotable one-liners.

Level 2 — Detailed Feedback (call/interview): before/after walkthrough, surprise factor, quantified impact, pre-engagement concerns, working-style descriptors. 5 questions targeting outcome metrics and emotional endorsements.

Level 3 — Story Mining (for case studies): turning-point moments, stakeholder reactions, counterfactual ("what if you hadn't done this?"). 3 questions targeting narrative arcs for long-form content.

Each question includes a coaching note explaining what type of testimonial content it typically yields.

Outreach Templates

Pre-written request messages for different channels:

• Email template: professional, warm, 150 words max. Includes context reminder ("We worked together on X in Y"), specific ask, estimated time commitment ("5 minutes"), and deadline.
• LinkedIn message: shorter variant, 80 words max, conversational tone.
• WhatsApp/chat: ultra-brief, 40 words, with link to form or direct questions.
• Post-project survey: embedded in project close-out workflow, 3-5 questions max.

All templates bilingual (ES/EN) with language toggle guidance.

Permission & Release

Testimonial Release Template

A lightweight legal-adjacent release document:

• Grant: permission to use name, title, company, and testimonial text.
• Channels: specified list (website, proposals, presentations, social media, marketing materials).
• Duration: perpetual unless revoked in writing.
• Modifications: permission to edit for length/grammar with approval of final version.
• Photo/logo: optional permission to use headshot or company logo.
• Revocation clause: contact method to withdraw permission at any time.

Provided in both languages. Not a legal contract (disclaimer included); user should consult legal counsel for binding agreements.

Privacy Considerations

• Always get explicit written permission before publishing.
• Offer anonymization options: full attribution, first name + company only, role + industry only, fully anonymous.
• Track permission status per testimonial in the testimonial bank.
• GDPR/Habeas Data note: testimonials containing personal data fall under data protection regulations.

Testimonial Formatting

Standard Format

Every testimonial is structured as:

"[Quote text — 1-3 sentences, specific and result-oriented.]"

— [Full Name], [Role/Title], [Company Name]
  Context: [Project type or engagement description]
  Date: [Month Year of engagement]
  Permission: [APPROVED / PENDING / ANONYMOUS]

Quality Tiers

Testimonials are rated by strength for prioritized usage:

Tier	Criteria	Use For
S-Tier	Specific metric + named outcome + full attribution	Homepage hero, proposal cover
A-Tier	Clear outcome + full attribution, no hard metric	Service pages, deck slides
B-Tier	Positive sentiment + partial attribution	Supporting social proof sections
C-Tier	Generic praise or anonymous	Internal confidence only, not for publication

Formatting Rules

• Maximum length: 280 characters for web display, 500 for proposals.
• Emphasis: bold the single most impactful phrase within the quote.
• Specificity edit: if original is vague ("they were great"), follow up for specifics before publishing.
• Tense: present tense preferred ("JM Labs delivers...") over past tense.
• No fabrication: never invent, embellish, or combine quotes from different people.

Display Patterns

Web Testimonial Cards

Branded HTML cards for website embedding:

• Layout: horizontal scroll carousel or 3-column grid.
• Card anatomy: large quotation mark icon, quote text, horizontal rule, avatar placeholder (initials), name, role, company.
• Brand styling: JM Labs dark theme (#0a0a0a bg, #e94560 quote marks, #eaeaea text).
• Responsive: single column on mobile, 2 on tablet, 3 on desktop.
• Animation: CSS-only fade-in on scroll (no JavaScript).

Pitch Deck Format

• One testimonial per slide, large quote text (24pt+), attribution below, dark JM Labs background.
• Suggested placement: after case study slide or before pricing slide.

Proposal Sidebar Format

• Shortened quote (140 chars max), name and company, contextually matched to the adjacent proposal section.

Testimonial Bank Structure

The master bank is tracked via index.csv with fields: id, client_name, company, tier, permission_status, channels_approved, language, date_collected, last_used_date, usage_count. Individual testimonials stored as quotes/{client-slug}.md with full context and permission metadata.

Trade-off Matrix

Decision	Option A	Option B	Default
Collection method	Structured form	Open-ended interview	Structured form (higher completion)
Quote editing	Verbatim only	Light editing allowed	Light editing with approval
Attribution level	Full name + company	Anonymous by default	Full attribution (higher trust signal)
Display format	HTML cards	Markdown + guidelines	HTML cards (ready to use)
Testimonial bank	CSV flat file	JSON structured	CSV (universal, editable)
Follow-up cadence	One-time ask	Quarterly refresh	One-time with annual refresh reminder

Assumptions & Limits

• Assumption: user has existing client relationships to draw testimonials from. [INFERRED]
• Assumption: testimonials are for professional B2B services context. [INFERRED]
• Assumption: user will handle actual outreach; this skill produces the assets and framework. [EXPLICIT]
• Limit: no automated email sending or CRM integration.
• Limit: no sentiment analysis or NLP processing of responses.
• Limit: release template is a guideline, not legal advice; consult counsel for binding agreements.
• Limit: no image/headshot generation; avatar placeholders use initials.

Edge Cases

1. No testimonials yet: user has zero collected testimonials. Generate the complete collection toolkit (questions, templates, release form, empty bank structure) as a cold-start kit.
2. Negative or mixed feedback: client provides lukewarm testimonial ("it was okay"). Do not publish; instead, generate follow-up questions to understand concerns and potentially improve the relationship before re-asking.
3. Client requests removal: previously approved testimonial needs withdrawal. Provide removal checklist (website, cached proposals, deck versions, social posts) and update bank status to REVOKED.
4. Non-English testimonial: client provides testimonial in Spanish or Portuguese. Store original language version, provide professional translation for EN usage, mark both versions in bank.
5. Competitor mention in testimonial: client says "better than Competitor X". Flag for legal review; comparative advertising has regulatory implications in many jurisdictions.

Good vs Bad Example

Good

Input: "I need testimonials for my proposal to BancoNacional.
        I worked with TechCorp (Maria Lopez, CTO) on their platform migration
        and with DataFlow (Carlos Ruiz, VP Eng) on their API architecture."

Output:
1. Personalized outreach email for Maria (referencing platform migration).
2. Personalized outreach email for Carlos (referencing API architecture).
3. Question set: Level 1 for email, Level 2 as follow-up.
4. Release template (ES/EN) ready for both contacts.
5. Empty testimonial bank initialized with both contacts as PENDING.
6. Guidance: "For the BancoNacional proposal, an infrastructure testimonial
   from Maria would be most relevant. Place in the Technical Approach section."

Bad

Output that:
- Generates fake testimonial quotes attributed to real people
- Sends emails automatically without user review
- Provides a single generic "Dear Client" outreach template
- Skips the permission/release step entirely
- Formats testimonials as a plain text list with no structure
- Ignores the proposal context and target audience

Validation Gate

Before delivering the testimonial assets, verify:

• No fabricated quotes: every testimonial is from real input or marked as template/placeholder.
• Permission template included with revocation clause and channel specification.
• Outreach templates are bilingual (ES/EN) and under word count limits.
• Each testimonial has complete attribution (name, role, company) or explicit anonymization.
• Quality tier assigned to each testimonial (S/A/B/C rating).
• Display patterns use JM Labs brand colors (#0a0a0a, #e94560, #eaeaea).
• HTML testimonial cards are self-contained (no external dependencies).
• Testimonial bank structure defined with CSV index schema.
• Context-matching guidance provided (which testimonial fits which use case).
• Privacy disclaimer included regarding data protection regulations.
• No competitor names in testimonials without legal review flag.
• Print stylesheet included for proposal insertion.

Reference Files

File	Purpose
references/question-bank.md	Full question set with coaching notes and expected yield
references/release-templates.md	Permission/release document templates (ES/EN)
references/brand-tokens.md	JM Labs color palette, typography for testimonial cards
references/display-patterns.md	HTML/CSS patterns for web, deck, and proposal formats