“How would your wife describe you”

My husband was asked this in an interview years ago. I can’t remember how he answered (I did give him a few suggestions at the time!) but I thought it was a novel approach.

Everyone lists their good points in an interview, but asking what others think about you is another angle. And it’s an approach that can work for your business.

It’s all very well saying how fabulous your service is and promising this, that and the other. But what are your customers saying?

What your customers really think about you is valuable information. And not just to use as testimonials or as a satisfaction rating (x% are happy with our service).

Use open ended questions to find out:

• What they really appreciate about your service

• What they love about your product

• Why you and not your competitor

• How they’re using your product/why they needed the service

Don’t assume that customers value the things you say you’re good at. Ask them how they’d describe you and use that in your marketing.

You can find out through face-to-face discussions or an online survey, but give people the opportunity to DESCRIBE what they like about your business. It can generate some gems of content.

 When I had my organic skincare business, Peachykeen Organics, I had a product called Calm Balm. I marketed it as ‘for chapped lips and dry bits’ and I suggested people used it on their nails and patches of dry skin as well as chapped lips. Through chatting to customers at events and from responses to my newsletter, I discovered that customers had used it on:

• A baby’s cradle cap

• Joggers’ nipple

• Shaving rash

• Carpet burns (I didn't ask!)

All suggestions that I could use in my marketing (except maybe the carpet burn).

I also had customers telling me that Peachykeen was the only skincare range they could tolerate during chemo.  This wasn't something I had the resources to test en masse or would claim in my advertising, but it was anecdotal feedback I could use in my marketing.

Your customer is the best person to tell you what’s great about your product, not the other way around.

If you need some help carrying out a customer survey or using the info you already have to create better, more effective content, maybe you can work with me.