As customers, most of us like to know that the business we are engaging with are trustworthy and reliable. That's why we often look for a recommendation from a friend or some independent reviews.
The opinions of your customers will be more impactful than just about anything you can tell them yourselves.
To capture the perfect customer testimonial, you'll need to ask the right questions that address what your customers want to know.
With our experience of filming testimonial videos for our clients, this is the list of questions we've put together that draws great answers every time.
Remember: It's always important to make sure that your client gets to see your questions in advance of the shoot. That way, they will have a chance to think about their answers and won't clam up when you put them on the spot.
1. Who are you, and what do you do?
2. Did you face any particular problems before you started working with us or using our service/product?
3. Why did you choose us?
4. What made us a good fit for you?
5. What in particular was the best thing about our product or service?
6. What use have you got from our product/service?
7. Was our product/service better than other options in the market? If so, why?
8. What were the results you got from using our product or service?
9. Would you recommend us to others in a similar position?
10. Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Who are you, and what do you do?
An introduction from your customer at the start gives the viewer some circumstances to put things into context. It can help them to connect and identify with them, particularly if you aim to attract more of the same customers. There's also a decent chance they will share the same problems. This kind of engagement is powerful and get's your video off to a flyer.
Try getting them to expand a little more than just giving their name and occupation. If you can encourage a bit more detail, it will help even more with creating a connection with the audience. Remember, you don't have to use every single word they say. It's always better to have more footage than you need. That way, you can pick the best parts.
Did you face any particular problems before you started working with us or using our service/product?
This really works well as a second question. When the viewer hears that other companies have shared the same pain points as they do, they will immediately take notice and pay more attention.
A few details to set the scene can help the audience to notice their similarities and relate to your client.
Their responses can help to show that you were the right solution for them.
Why did you choose us?
Usually, your customers will have been eyeing up at least one of your competitors before they decided to go with you. By asking this question, you are drawing out the reasons your customers felt were essential and highlighting them to the audience. Hearing these reasons can help get new clients over the line and convince them to go ahead with you. Telling your customers that you're better than the competition is one thing, but when they hear it from a fellow customer, it's much more impactful and reassuring.
What made us a good fit for you?
Quite similar to the question above, but also allowing the customer to go into greater depth about what they felt were the attractive qualities that led to them selecting you. By giving them the freedom to talk about these features, you find out valuable insights into what exactly makes your clients tick. It works as an excellent way to attract new business as many customers agree that they are more likely to use a company after watching a video testimonial from someone whom they can relate.
What in particular was the best thing about our product or service?
Again, we're digging deeper into the mindset of the customer. Asking them to identify their favourite feature is useful, not only for your testimonial but also as an excellent tool for future sales and marketing endeavours. Being able to locate the best areas of your service enables you to double down on your strengths and highlight those points when communicating with other prospects and customers.
Likewise, if the thing that you thought was your main selling point rarely gets mentioned, it might be time to think about making some adjustments to your services and the way you market them.
What use have you got from our product/service?
This provides another opportunity to demonstrate the different uses your customer gets out of you and your business. It might highlight something which is not an obvious benefit or some good side effects of doing business with you. If a viewer recognises one of these reasons as a problem they can relate to, it provides another persuasive argument towards using you. It could be the thing that makes them pick up the phone and give you a call or send an enquiry.
Was our product/service better than other options in the market? If so, why?
You may have customers who have already tried a competitor of yours and had a reasonably mediocre or even outright lousy experience. If you're providing better service than the others, this is an excellent opportunity for your customer to sing your praises on all the things that you did better. It will help to ease your prospects' lingering doubts and also help with any negative preconceptions they may have had.
Many people exercise caution when considering choices, so anything they can say that helps elevate you above your competition will only help.
What were the results you got from using our product or service?
All these questions can generate great answers, but this one can seal the deal for many viewers.
The main thing that people care about is results. If they have statistics, this can be particularly powerful and persuasive, but even if not a noticeable improvement, whether it's saved them time, money, or enabled them to do something better will add a tonne of value to their testimonial.
Would you recommend us to others in a similar position? And if so, why?
In all likelihood, a customer who has agreed to provide you with a testimonial is equally likely to recommend you to others. Still, it's worth asking this question to hear them say it emphatically.
We've mentioned above that hearing praise coming from your customers is much more convincing than hearing you talk about the things that you do well—asking why is beneficial because the reason may really strike a chord with your viewer and be the catalyst that inspires them to take action.
Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Giving an open-ended question like this is a good idea because there may be some valuable information that your customer has not brought forward yet.
Giving them this opportunity could gain more insight into your customer's impression overall of your business, and you may learn something that you didn't already know.
Be natural
If you're new to interviewing your customers in this way, you may find it a little strange or awkward at first. Try to relax, and your customer should follow your example. Make sure you leave a short pause after they finish speaking and absolutely don't cut them short even if you are saying yes and agreeing. In these moments of silence, they might jump back in to fill the silence and give you some real unrehearsed gold.
As your customer's testimonial unfolds, they may uncover topics that are worth exploring further. If this happens, and you feel inspired, go ahead and add further insightful questions of your own that will add more value.
You can't deny the influence of good video testimonials. Asking your customers to provide these builds evidence of your competence and attitude that you can show off to all your prospective customers and delight them with solutions to the problems they face.