7 Questions to Ask Customers for Powerful Testimonials
In the increasingly competitive business landscape, customer acquisition has become harder than ever for brands. To reduce costs and continue maximizing business revenue, you need to place a focus on your existing customer base. The reality is that consumers put a high level of trust in testimonials and customer reviews when determining whether or not to use your services or purchase your products.
Whether they’re recorded in video format, visualized, or written, testimonials are a useful source for converting leads into business. Like a well-crafted marketing strategy, customer reviews rely heavily on storytelling. So, how do you turn your customer advocates into powerful testimonials? Here are 7 questions you can ask customers to draw out persuasive, compelling content.
#1. When you purchased our product/service, what problems were you looking to resolve?
The goal here is to have your clients build a strong narrative around their core needs and the key elements that were missing from their business before partnering with your company. The information your customers divulge will allow prospective clients facing the same challenges to connect with your business on an emotional level, as the testimonial will speak to their own needs in a personalized way.
As you collect and evaluate customer responses, you can leverage this information to devise strategic marketing campaigns that address specific customer pain points. You can use email marketing, revamp your website copy, and create effective advertisements that highlight the key issues that potential clients are looking to solve.
#2. Before using our product/service, what was your biggest hesitation?
You want to raise objections in your testimonials, so your clients can advocate for your brand and permanently disarm common objectives potential customers may have. The responses you receive will provide valuable insight into popular assumptions or preconceived notions consumers have about your industry or product/service.
By incorporating your clients’ hesitations into your testimonials, you’re enabling prospects who have similar objections to connect with your brand on a deeper level while alleviating some of their fears. When a client’s’ initial doubts resonate with a prospect on a psychological level, it’ll foster trust and increase the likelihood that they believe your business has the solution they need.
#3. After using our service/product, what did you discover?
This is a necessary follow-up to ask clientele after revealing their hesitations. It primarily showcases whether or not the customer’s initial delay was warranted and gives prospects a detailed account of why the decision to purchase your product/services was beneficial. By asking these ‘before’ and ‘after’ questions, you can construct a valuable story, using evidence provided by real people, to demonstrate how common fears and concerns are quickly dissolved. It also provides your team with case studies and sales language you can use to address prospect objections and hesitations.
#4.What benefits or features of our service/product ultimately led you to use us?
This is your opportunity to uncover the key elements that led your customer to choose you over a competitor. Additionally, by posing this question, you may discover some significant selling points you have yet to consider and infuse this knowledge into your marketing and sales strategy.
Whether your client discusses your service offerings, comprehensive product line, seamless implementation process, or world-class customer service, highlighting what sets you apart from the competition is an invaluable way to persuade your prospects to take action. Some similar questions you can ask customers is, “Did you try any other services/products before us, and if so, what ultimately led you to choose our company?” Or, “What was it about our service/product that convinced you we were the ideal solution for accomplishing your desired outcome?”
#5. What specific benefits have you experienced from using our service/product?
There is a multitude of variations of this question, all of which can be extremely effective. You can pose questions like, “What specifically has your business accomplished since using our service?” Or, “Since we began our partnership, what are the three most noteworthy improvements your business has experienced?” Regardless of how you frame this question, the objective is always the same: assemble detailed, tangible evidence of the value your product or service delivers.
#6. Can you tell me about the feature(s) you find the most advantageous when using our service/product?
Once again, you are asking your customer to provide you with concrete evidence of why a prospective client should use your service/product. By requesting specific details, it keeps your customer from generalizing and using terms like ‘it’s great.’ Instead, you are promoting your client to dig deeper and explain what about your company is so great.
#7. If one of your close friends was unsure if they should try our service/product, what would you say to them?
Rather than simply asking a customer if they would recommend your company, frame the question this way to make it more personal and relatable. From an emotional standpoint, it’s an incredibly talented and valuable question to ask. When someone makes a personal recommendation or attests to your services, they’re putting their word and reputation on the line.
Essentially, they are willingly putting their integrity on the line. If a client was disappointed with your service/product, there’s a strong likelihood that they wouldn’t recommend your business. However, if they are delighted, they’re recommendation can serve as a powerful resource for persuading prospective customers to choose your company.
By asking your customer to speak directly to someone they have an intimate, personal relationship with, it’ll encourage them to have a real dialogue, rather than speaking formally. The biggest challenge when recording testimonial videos or gathering written reviews is making them sound authentic and genuine. Conversational language is critical here. When you collect a compelling answer to this question, prospects viewing the testimonial will feel like your customer is speaking directly to them, making it a more personalized experience.
Why Video Testimonials Have the Greatest Impact
Social media engagement, online reviews, and testimonials are the equivalent of traditional word-of-mouth referrals. According to a BrightLocal study, 88% of people trust online testimonials, even from strangers, and much as recommendations provided by personal contacts.
Did you know video testimonials are one of the most impactful tools your business can utilize? The reason? Prospective customers can form a more authentic connection with a testimonial when they can visibly see your client attest to your services/products. It’s a genuine and provocative way to show potential clients how your business is benefiting the other individuals/companies with the same needs and challenges.
Also, according to HubSpot, video content is 40x more likely to receive engagement and get shared online versus any other form of content.
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