First things first, if you made it to this post without reading our full exposition on reviews and testimonials, you might give that a quick skim before you start throwing these questions out to your customers. 

If you’re not getting the quality of reviews you hoped for, we’ve got some tough news: It’s not them, it’s you. Most likely, it comes down the questions you’re asking them. Instead of the open-ended “What’d you think?” here are some targeted questions you can start asking your customers right now: 

• • What made you try [brand/product] in the first place? 
  • How were you feeling before [product]?
  • What was your first impression? How did you feel after [some length of time]?
  • How did _____ change your routine?
  • What other products had you tried? Were you satisfied or dissatisfied with them?
  • What were some pain points you were experiencing before _____? Were any of those resolved with _____?
  • What other benefits did you discover while using ____, aside from [note an obvious benefit or two]?

Never underestimate the power of a good question. A little-known secret here is that it’s not just about the ask, it’s about guiding the customer through reliving a positive experience. You’re reminding them of their life before and how your product helped resolve some of their external and internal problems. If you ask these questions right, you’ll help them remember how your product helped them win the day – and they’ll be back for more.

Annnd… action.

Here’s what we coach our clients through when it comes time to look at the reviews touchpoint:

• Take a look at the email you’re sending out to source reviews. Come up with more specific/leading questions than the open-ended “Can you leave us a review?” Talk about giving people blank-page syndrome! The questions above should help.
  
• Identify five of your most engaged customers and send them a note to see if they’d be interested in a phone call or video chat so you can hear your story. If your brand is built on expertise, you might position this as a chance for them to ask you some of their most pressing questions. Record the session (be sure to tell them!) and let them know you’ll be taking notes and intend to share their story.
• Respond to all reviews and comments on your social channels.
• Let some average reviews filter through. At the very least, it’s a great opportunity to showcase any guarantee you have and educate on the best way to interact with your product.
• Source not just the review, but pictures of how people use or interact with your product. Customers eat that stuff up because what they really want to know is how to use the product and how it works in the routines of other people like them.
  

There’s more…

If you failed to heed our warning (er, suggestion) at the beginning of this post to go back and read part one, no worries. We know the TL;DR type, and we gotchu. Here’s a quick summary (but really, go back and read for deeper insights):

Think about who your customers want to become, then pinpoint where you  meet them on that journey and how you help them along. Let this problem/solution story infiltrate all your CX touchpoints. Ask people who are on their transformation journey to report on how it’s going. Help them remember how you helped them. Aim for authenticity to build trust. In all things, nurture those relationships. 

Need more help than what’s here? Tell us all your problems. We’re always up for a good brand therapy session…

Ask for Justin >