Client Interview

These are the questions I use at Integro for our initial client onboarding. The answers are used to create our Brand Stories (a kind of marketing cheat sheet), the content for each client’s websites, and brainstorm the Kickass Copy Essentials used in all of their marketing collateral.

You may find it helpful to scan the questions before your interview to whittle the list down what makes most sense for your interviews. That said, if you find someone who likes to chat, asking some of the more redundant-seeming questions can spark additional insights.

ice-breaker

• If you could magically improve some aspect of your business, what would it be?

customer persona

• Who is your typical (or ideal) customer? (There may be multiple “types/personas”)
• What do they want when they reach out to you?
• Why do they want it? Why do they want that? (Keep asking “so they can?” to find a dominant desire, which is often internal and emotional)
• Why don’t they already have it? What’s in the way?
• When they reach out, how are they feeling? Stressed, worried, overwhelmed, excited, eager, uncertain, angry?
• What is their level of awareness? Are they…
  • one
  • two
  • three
  • four
  • five

philo copy bit

Fill in the blank: (give expamples first)

• What’s something your customer experiences that you believe is just plain wrong?
• Getting your [basic service] shouldn’t/doesn’t have to be _ .
• You deserve _ .

what’s at stake?

• What do they have to lose by not buying your products?
• What’s at stake if they go with another provider?

benefits

• What are the benefits of working with you?
• What are all the features of your product?
• What are there expectations of this product?
• Do you take any special measures?
• What does the process/quality control look like?
• Why do you do it this way?
• What options does the product come in?
• How big is your team? Why is that an advantage?
• Are you just the hardest working team in show business? (Hertz)

empathy

• Do you relate to their struggles in any way?
• What’s the strongest pain point your customer deals with, and how do you come alongside them to help overcome it?
• Why did you start the company?
• Why this product?
• What do you like about what you do?

authority You have to be able to prove you’re a trustworthy guide for solving their problems. How can you demonstrate compentency?

• How do your current clients find you?
• Do you have any awards/accolades/press/certifications?
• How long have you been in business?
• How many clients have you served?
• Anything you’re the biggest, best, first, only? (add some swipes that’s useful)
• What do you believe makes you an authority in this space?

hesitations/objections

• What are the main hesitations or objections customers have? What are they afraid of?
• What are the most common questions you get asked when people call for service?
• What are the most common complaints you hear related to your service?

List all objections on one side of a piece of paper. How can you turn those objections into opportunities? Will a certain kind of person benefit from them? How are they minor compared to your product’s other good features? What kinds of concessions can you make?

INCLUDE EVERY OBJECTION IN COPY

plan

• What’s the first step in doing business with you?
• Then what?
• Do you offer anything free–an easy yes?

agreement

• Do you offer any warranties or guarantees? (he likesth farmco one… it’s realistic)
• What service or support comes from with your product?

urgency

• What do they have to lose by waiting?
• Is anything limited in your service?

concession

• Why shouldn’t they buy from you? Do they have other options?
• What about your product isn’t easy and amazing? What kind of sucks (price, onboarding, scheduling, etc.)?
• When is your product not a good fit?

stories

• Are there any interesting stories about your product? Obstacles overcome? False starts leading to brilliant realizations? A big break?

getting even more info

• Can you hop on an online forum for market immersion?
• What info already exist—previous ads, brochures, direct mailers, etc.?
• What are the competition up to?

customer experience (voice/tone principles)

• What is important about your product to current customers? (ask them)
• What is the experience you want them to have working with you?
• What do they say they like?

Include a plain text download to use without all the extra crap.