The Best Testimonials Don’t Feel Like Marketing
Stacey Lievens on Book Launchers, Julie Broad’s hands-off testimonial experience, and customer stories that answer real questions during the sales process.
By Stacey Lievens, co-owner of Share One. Originally published on LinkedIn on September 3, 2026.
Short answer: The best testimonials answer real questions instead of simply praising a company. Julie Broad uses Book Launchers’ customer stories on its website and during sales conversations, while Share One handles the interviews and editing. Authors share their experiences to help the next person make a more confident decision.
Julie Broad knows a thing or two about the power of a good story.
As the founder of Book Launchers, she helps authors write, publish, and market nonfiction books that build credibility and grow their businesses. She also understands that when people are deciding whether to trust a company, polished marketing copy can only take them so far. Real people sharing real experiences hit differently.
As Julie puts it, you can place someone’s quote on your website all day long, but it is not the same as seeing the actual person speak from the heart about what it was like to work with your company. That is unfakeable marketing.
Great customer stories without managing the process
Julie wanted video testimonials for Book Launchers, but she did not want the work of coordinating interviews, coaching customers, recording videos, editing footage, and managing approvals. Honestly, who does?
After another business owner bragged about the videos Share One had created for them, Julie decided to give us a try. Her goal was simple: she wanted great customer stories without having to manage the process herself. In her words, the experience has been completely hands-off. Julie makes the introduction, Share One takes it from there, and the finished video arrives ready for her approval.
The right testimonial is an answer
Book Launchers now uses these stories in two important places. They live on the company’s testimonial page, and they are shared during the sales process when a potential client has a specific question or concern. That second use is especially powerful. Instead of Book Launchers simply saying, “Yes, we can help with that,” they can show a real author who once had the same concern and can now speak directly to the experience.
The right testimonial is not just praise. It is an answer. Julie also understands her audience. Book Launchers has built a large YouTube following, so its prospective clients are already comfortable learning through video. Showing them customer stories in the format they naturally consume makes those stories even more credible and persuasive.
Customers want to help the next person
But one of Julie’s biggest surprises had nothing to do with marketing. Her authors were genuinely excited to participate. Many wanted to give back to Book Launchers, but they also remembered what it felt like when they were trying to decide whom to trust with their books. They wished they had been able to hear stories like these during their own decision-making process.
By sharing their experiences, they were not just promoting a company. They were helping the next author make a more confident choice. That is what the best customer stories do. They create trust, answer questions, and allow the people you have already helped to light the path for the people you could help next.
Watch Julie Broad share her experience with Share One
Julie’s full interview is worth watching, especially if you know testimonials would help your business but keep thinking, “I do not have time to do all of that.”
Spoiler alert: You do not have to.
Watch Julie Broad share her experience with Share One
Explore the full Julie Broad and Book Launchers case study, learn about Share One’s video testimonial service, or read The Stories That Make Someone Say, “Yes, I Want to Be Part of That”.