All things branding & marketing. Whether you're early in your career, a solomarketer, or a small business owner, my goal is to support you on your path to brand & marketing success.
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Today, my calendar is booked with 30-min interviews.

But they’re not your typical interviews.

Instead, I’m diving into the hearts and minds of my client’s customers.

These customer interviews aren’t about formalities-

The goal? To find the crux of what truly sets their brand apart.

+ To hear about the problem or pain they had prior to working with my client

+ To understand the secret ambitions that fueled their search for a solution

+ To hear the tipping points that made them choose my client over others in the industry

+ To learn about the transformation they experienced after working with my client

+ To find recurring themes and patterns over conversations that illustrate how my client creates real difference

+ …and maybe grab a testimonial for my client, if I’m lucky 🙂

Positioning isn’t born in boardrooms filled with whiteboards and internal exec staff.

It’s found in the fires of real conversations with the very people your brand aims to serve.

Top 5 Questions for Customer Interviews

Here are the five questions that I’ve found to help uncover the gold.

1 / What problem or pain led you to seek out [brand]?

This helps me understand their true pain points and provides a fresh perspective on their needs, often challenging internal assumptions.

2 / What were your goals when you chose [brand]?

This uncovers their goals and success criteria, helping us understand what they are hoping to achieve by engaging with [brand].

3 / What made you choose [brand] over others?

This tends to generate a list of reasons, often highlighting unique selling points and brand guarantees that may have been overlooked.

4 / Can you describe the transformation or benefits you’ve experienced since working with [brand]?

This reveals the tangible benefits and emotional rewards customers have experienced with brand, giving the brand’s proof points.

5 / What parts of your experience with [brand] stand out the most?

From initial contact to ongoing support, this highlights the customer journey - identifying areas where the customer experienced exceptional service, faced challenges or friction points, or had particularly memorable interactions with the brand.

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I map all of these on a table, like this:

Then, I do a quick thematic analysis on a chart like this:

And finally, land on a draft positioning statement using a template as a starting point:

For [target market]
​Who [problemn]
​Brand is the [brand category]
​That [desired outcome]
​Because it [reason to believe]

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Now, this isn’t a final positioning statement. But it’s a solid starting point.

I’ll also do a competitive analysis to make sure the data aligns and confirm whether or not this play is a true “difference maker” or just more noise in the market.

But ultimately, this process gets us about 80% of the way there.

The result: ↓

A near-final positioning statement grounded in real customer experiences and expectations.

The real gold lies in customers’ stories and transformations, but can only really be captured (in their words / voice) when we take the time to ask.

Don’t be afraid to hop on a call with your customers and do some soul-searching.

The insights you gather will be invaluable in shaping a brand that speaks to your ideal customer’s needs and desires.

Dani

P.S. Please don't do customer interviews via a feedback link like Survey Monkey. Real conversations, over coffee even... They go such a long way for the client relationship.

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