Learn how to effectively

communicate your product’s

value through customer
interviews
Resources you gain by asking the right
questions

New and impactful testimonials

Testimonials are a powerful way to get external affirmation that your product works
while gaining the trust of new customers. Word of mouth is a valuable asset you
need to embrace. The key is to not just get any testimonial, but statements that
speak to a problem a customer had and how your product helped them solve it.

Learn better ways to talk to your customers

When you hear customers talk about the struggles they had before using your
product, you can leverage that information for writing ideas. It will enable you to
emotionally connect to new customers by talking about problems and feelings
they relate to. We’ll help you find ways to communicate how your product enables
people to have a better life.

Use feedback to enhance the features and benefits of

your product.
Through strategic questions, we’ll guide you to discover the answers you need
from your customers so you can make better product decisions. This information is
crucial for both customer retention and growth.

The most valuable asset for any product is its customers and
their thoughts on your product matter. They can tell you how
they use it, when they use it, and what they wish they could do
with it. As you talk to your customers, you will learn that it
becomes less about what the app can do and how it enables
them to become more productive in their lives.
About the Authors
Andrew Verboncouer
@averbs

Andrew is a Partner and the Design Lead at Headway. His role includes leading
product strategy, customer workshops, and the overall direction of design. He also
hosts the Seaworthy Podcast about building successful software.

Jacob Miller
@kineticbear

Jacob is the Marketing & Brand Manager at Headway. His role includes elevating
the work the team produces and helps produce better, more meaningful ways to
communicate value and outcomes. Video, Photo, Motion; he does it all.

Billy Sweetman
@sweetdesignman

Billy is a Designer at Headway and helps to design effective solutions for our
clients and their customers. Donning from the game world, he combines his visual
eye with behavioral design.
Contents
Who to talk to and how to make it happen 01

Ideal customer profiles 02

How many customer interviews should you conduct? 04

Finding customers to interview 05

Properly contacting individuals for interviews 06

Preparing to conduct the interviews 10

Different ways to conduct the interviews 11

Questions to create powerful testimonials 14

Testimonial Starter Questions 15

Questions that gain insight on your product’s function 17

Customer Solution Interview Examples 18

Analyzing the information from the interviews 20

Learn the language and desires of your customers 21

Elevator pitches that connect with your customers 22

Call to actions that speak to your customers 23

Testimonials - How to share them 25

Where to use testimonials 27

Promotional videos 29

What's the big deal? 31

Resources 32
Who to talk to and
how to make it
happen

It can be intimidating thinking about finding people to talk to

about your product. Right? Don’t worry, we’ve got a plan for
you to make sure you find the right people and do it as
effectively as possible.

You’ll learn about different types of customers, what you can

learn from them, and how many you'll need to interview to
reach your goal. We’ll show you where you can find customers
to talk to, effective ways to contact them, and provide sample
content when initially messaging them.
Startup Guide Who to talk to and how to make it happen 02

Ideal customers to interview

Customers that have found success with your product

These are usually people that publicly share how much they love using your
product. They might tag you on social media or simply state the name of your
company online, possibly in the form of a blog post. These loyalists can be
essential to helping gain trust of new customers. They are self-proclaimed
brand ambassadors that want to help you because you helped them through
your product.

Customers that experience problems with your product

These people may love your product, but are sharing the struggles with your
application. This is a great opportunity to show you care, get them the solution
they need, and learn how you can make your product better. Helping a customer in
a time of stress can also help build the loyalty that your product needs.

People that don’t use your product, but could benefit from it
Finding these people can be more difficult than the others, but will also prove just
as valuable. Since they have no experience using your product, they may be able to
give you a unique perspective to enhance your onboarding experience or help you
understand how they perceive your product as a first time user. Are you
overpriced? Do they understand how it could help them? Or, do you have to over-
explain in order for them to reach the "ah ha" moment?
03 Who to talk to and how to make it happen Startup Guide

“ Your most unhappy

customers are your
greatest source of
learning.
Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft
Startup Guide Who to talk to and how to make it happen 04

How many customer interviews should

you conduct?

Interview in batches of five or less

Providing up to five interviews at a time saves you from spending too much time
gathering information before analyzing from what you’ve already gathered. After
five interviews, you should be starting to see patterns. These findings will help you
move forward with new goals and decide if you want to do more interviews.

In a study conducted by the Nielsen group, Jakob Nielsen concluded that large,
elaborate tests are a waste of resources and that the best results come from testing
no more than 5 users and running as many small tests as you can afford. This is
due to the law of diminishing returns, whereby the first 5 interviews yield 85% of
insights and patterns while the following 10 yield just 15%.

Just like iterating your product design, improving how you communicate your
products value will build confidence. This also brings clarity to the problems you're
solving and the benefits that your product provides.

Only do more interviews with new goals

Your first batch may be more general with questions and that’s ok. After each
batch, you’ll be able to refine your questions to focus on a specific part of your
product and how it impacts them. Doing too many interview batches holds you
back from making progress. Be sure to create action items after you analyze the
information you receive so you can make some achievements.
05 Who to talk to and how to make it happen Startup Guide

Finding customers to interview

Your current user email list

If your users login with accounts via email, this is the best place to start. You can
send out a formal email to ask them if they are interested in sharing their thoughts
on your product. If you have access to data to see which users are more active or
less active, it’s a great way to reach out to certain types of users in a more
personalized way. Power users will have more thoughts on how they use it to
enhance their life, but less active users will give insight to why they don’t use it
often, if ever. Two different, but equally valuable conversations.

Your customer support team

If you offer any type of customer support, you could have access to a curated list of
people that had a problem using your application or found success through the
help of your support team. This is even more helpful if you want to focus on a
specific problem because you’ll know exactly who to talk to.

Social networks
You can easily find out if people are talking about your product through the search
engines on social networks. Simply search for your brand or product and you can
find out what people are saying. Take the time to reach out to them and ask them
if they would be open to talking with you in a private setting.

Word of mouth
Use your network to ask if anyone uses your product and would want to have a short
conversation about it. Offer up to meet them for lunch, a coffee, or even a beer.
People are more likely to help somebody they know than an anonymous brand.
Startup Guide Who to talk to and how to make it happen 06

Properly contacting individuals for

interviews

People are busy. The faster you can communicate what you want from them and
what they can get out of it, the more likely you are going to get feedback. In this
section, we have a few examples waiting for you.
07 Who to talk to and how to make it happen Startup Guide

Examples / Templates

Email for Survey

Note: You can replace “our product” with the name of your product or a specific
feature that your product may offer if you wish to do so.

Hey John,

I am reaching out to you because we appreciate you as a customer and

want to hear your thoughts on “our product.” We use feedback from
great customers like you to constantly improve the ways to make “our
product” better for you. Are you interested in answering a few questions
for us?

Typically the survey takes 10 minutes or less.

If you wish to take part in the survey, click the link below to get started.

Begin the Survey (Survey Link)

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We appreciate the time you take to
help us improve the ways we can serve you.

Jane Doe
Title
Your Company
jane@yourcompany.com
Startup Guide Who to talk to and how to make it happen 08

Examples / Templates

Email for Video or Phone Interview

Hey Jane,

I am reaching out to you because we appreciate you as a customer and

want to hear your thoughts on “our product.” We use feedback from
great customers like you to constantly improve the ways to make “our
product” better for you. I would love to have a conversation with you to
get your feedback.

If you wish to share your thoughts, simply reply to this email. You will
then receive more information to schedule a time to talk with us.

We appreciate your time to help us improve the ways we can serve you.

John Doe
Title
Your Company
jane@yourcompany.com
09 Who to talk to and how to make it happen Startup Guide

Examples / Templates

Social Media Message

When contacting customers through social media, being short and clear is best.
Also, try to comment on something specific that they may have shared about your
product. That way it doesn’t feel like an automated message.

I love the post you shared about “our product” and how you find it
helpful. Would you be interested in answering a few questions? We’ll use
the feedback to help make “our product” even better for you.

Once they respond with a yes, gather their contact information so you can either
send them a survey or talk to them over video or phone chat. If they respond with a
no, be sure to thank them for their time and for using your product.

Offer incentives
If you’re having trouble getting people to take the time to talk to you, offer them
something in exchange for their time. This could be anything from product
discounts, early access to test new features or even an Amazon gift card.

Thank them for their time

Make sure you let them know you appreciate their time and their feedback. You
should be thanking them before the interview begins, when it ends, and even with
a follow up email. If an interview goes really well, you can surprise them with
something extra beyond any original incentives you provided. Gratitude is a great
way to build brand loyalty.
Preparing to conduct
the interviews

When sitting down and preparing your interview there are

some key choices to make. For instance, what questions are
you going to ask? What type of interview experience are you
going to have your interviewee participate in? Let’s talk about
the options you have, what they offer, and how to do them
effectively.

You can choose to do interviews in person, over the phone,

video chat, or email. Each has its own set of benefits and
hurdles to jump through.
11 Preparing to conduct the interviews Startup Guide

Different ways to conduct the

interviews

Video Chat
Video chat is one of the best ways to conduct an interview. Not only can you see
the reactions of your interviewee but you can also screen share their experience
and record everything for further review later on. This is invaluable for you and
even your team who might be reviewing the interview later. There are a ton of
tools out there for video interviews below are some of our favorites. Zoom is one of
our favorites for it’s built in recording feature and cloud uploads. Google Hangouts
and Skype are some other good options as well.

Phone Call
Phone interviews work really well for problem interviews where your interviewee
is explaining their experience and how they feel instead of observing their
experience. Zoom is another great tool for phone interviews since you can record
just the audio of your conversation. Once again Google Hangouts and Skype work
well and of course your phone.
Startup Guide Preparing to conduct the interviews 12

Email Survey
Email surveys work well when addressing large groups of people and trying to gain
insight into larger scale issues. Tools like Google Forms and SurveyMonkey work
well. Google Forms will also allow you to make branching surveys for more
complicated interviews. One of the downsides from an email survey is you can’t
always ask key follow-ups, so make sure to include an option on your survey to
allow your interviewee to opt-in to a potential follow-up.

In-person
In-person interviews are really the best option. It allows you to observe all the
reactions of your interviewee that might not get captured by a call or a video chat.
In person though does require the most overhead, especially if you want to record
it all.

When sitting down for an in-person interview it’s best to have another person who
can observe who can gather notes. That way your interviewer can focus on the
interview and the ability to be nimble with follow up questions.
13 Preparing to conduct the interviews Startup Guide

“ The marvelous
thing about a good
question is that it
shapes our identity
as much by the
asking as it does by
the answering.
David Whyte, Author
Startup Guide Preparing to conduct the interviews 14

Questions to create powerful

testimonials

Your questions are going to need context. The key to getting statements that speak
boldly about your product is to ask questions that set the interviewee up for
success. These questions focus on moments in time, emotion, and transformation.
Your customers want to be able to make a change in their life. If you can prove
through testimonials that your product can do that, you have a better chance of
making more sales.
15 Preparing to conduct the interviews Startup Guide

Testimonial starter questions

Here are some questions you can use as your foundation for the purpose of
gathering testimonials. If you are not using a survey form to ask the questions, you
can dive deeper into each discussion with more questions if you want to.
Remember to be courteous of their time along the way.

“What was your biggest challenge prior to using our

product/service? How did that challenge make you feel?”
These first two questions get the customer to think about the problem they were
facing emotionally. It also gets them to think about what life was like before you
helped them. It can bring them back to the moment when they first started using
the product to reveal more accurate insight.

“How did you try and solve the challenge before using our
product/service?”
This question can help you understand how your customer thinks. Were they
helpless before or did they try to create their own solution?

“What changed after using our product/service?”

This question focuses on transformation. They might say things like, “After I
started using ‘product x’ I didn’t have to worry about ‘problem y’ anymore. Now I
can get everything done in half the time!” This is a moment where you could dive
in and get some more details and ask a few more questions relative to their answer.

“Do you have any specific results that you can share?”
Now that they have discussed how the product helped them, you could possibly get
more specific results than philosophical ones. For example, rather than something
like, “It’s great! Now I spend less time doing ‘x’ so I can spend more time doing ‘y’
at the office.” You will get answers like, “ ‘Product x’ has saved us over $10k and
hours of work we used to do manually.”
Startup Guide Preparing to conduct the interviews 16

“Has our product created a positive impact on other parts

of your life?”
If they aren’t sure how to answer this question, you could prompt them with
something more specific such as, “Do you feel like you have more time to focus on
more important things?” or “How has our product reduced stress in your life?”
This questions helps you discover the big picture and why it helps them beyond
just solving a technical problem.

“What would you say to someone considering using our

product/service?”
This is where you can get a clear recommendation from someone. It is also a
window into understanding how a person might describe your product in social
situations.

“Do you grant permission for us to feature you and this

feedback in our marketing materials?”
Getting permission from your customers is the honorable thing to do. Only share
their statements publicly if they “yes” to this question. If they say “no”, don’t try to
change their mind. Still be respectful of them taking the time to talk with you.

(If applicable) “Would you mind leaving a review for us in

the App Store?”
This question may be something you could follow up with via email. If you found a
customer that has a great experience with your product, ask them to share their
thoughts within a review on the app store or if you product is sold by a third party.
When consumers are making purchasing decisions, it can be heavily persuaded by
what the reviews say. If there are none, it can be hard to commit to purchasing
because it feels like a risk for them.
17 Preparing to conduct the interviews Startup Guide

Questions to gain insight on your

product’s function

In this section we won't be diving deep into interviews about product function, but
we do want to get your gears turning. We have some general insights for you on
what your goals might be as well as our recommended resources to dig deeper if
you wish to do so.

There’s always a discrepancy between what users say and what users actually do.
Remember when we mentioned surveys earlier? Some of your users may be
answering off pure memory and may not have used it in the last week or two.
When we’re analyzing usability of your product, it’s important to remind your
users that we’re testing the product, not them, and there are no wrong answers. We
want to know how they think and the psychological interpretation of the interface;
the buttons, the layout, and the messaging.

Knowing how to ask the right questions on your product’s function isn’t easy.
There are entire books written on this topic. We’re here to get you going, but if you
want to dive deeper on your own we put some great resources below to guide you
in the right direction.
Startup Guide Preparing to conduct the interviews 18

Customer Solution Interview Examples

If you wish to pursue feedback on making your product better on your own, here
are some great starter questions to get you started.

Can you describe your experience (using, finding, trying)

( app, experience, etc)?

How do you feel when you’re currently (doing, using, etc)?

Can you walk me through what you’re thinking when you

( access, experience, etc)?

Having users walk through essential tasks and workflows that provide the most
amount of value will help you identify potential pitfalls and messaging
adjustments.

It’s also important to perform these solution interviews with different user levels.

1. Power Users (90+ days)

2. Moderate Users (~30 days)

3. New Users (first onboarding experience)

Remember to focus on your messaging because it sets the tone and expectation.
One note about solution interviews is that the messaging you use on your
marketing site sets the expectation for your first time users. They will expect what
you've promised and if you have interface samples on your site, users may get
confused if they log in and the experience is different than advertised. Small
variations are ok as you iterate on your product, but large deviations between the
marketed solution and the actual solution may result in disappointment.
19 Preparing to conduct the interviews Startup Guide

Using sprints to create progress

To get faster results when looking to improve your product's function, we
recommend reading Google's book, "Sprint." It provides you with plans and
examples you need to make better decisions. It all ties in with being able to
communicate with your customers more effectively so you can help make their life
better than before. Problem solving through a product in the best way possible.

Get "Sprint" by Google Ventures

Want to improve your product, but need help?

If you don’t feel comfortable pursuing this kind of feedback, understanding where
your biggest opportunities and risks are, and where your product fits into the
market, come talk to us at Headway. We can help you create and execute with a
plan that works.

www.headway.io

hello@headway.io
Analyzing the
information from the
interviews

Once you have gathered feedback from customers, you have an

opportunity to take action. You can improve the way you talk
to your customers and impact the way they use your product.
You'll be guided through this process with questions that you'll
answer to get you set up for success. That way you'll be able to
create new content and ideas to implement into your product
and its marketing efforts.
21 Analyzing the information from the interviews Startup Guide

Learn the language and desires of your

customers

The more you understand who your customer is and how they talk about your
product, the more clearly you can connect with them through your marketing
efforts. You can even enhance the vocabulary within your product. Set up a time to
do a brainstorming session to answer and discuss these questions below.

Here is a worksheet you can use to document your answers.

What are common problems that your customers are

facing before they start using your product?
• Lack of confidence to do something on their own.
• Lack of time to do everything they want to do.
• Struggling with making more sales.

What are philosophical problems they struggle with?

What do they hope for beyond the ability to reach a goal that your product can help
them reach? For example, if your product helps freelancers with accounting, you
not only help them save time and stress, but you also help them spend more time
with their friends and family. Think big picture and what matters to them most in
their life. Go beyond the technical problems that the product solves.

What are words or phrases that your customer uses to

describe your product?
Refer to the interview sessions and try to find words they used to describe your
product. That type of language is one they understand. It’s also what you should be
using in your marketing efforts. Get to their level when you’re writing content for
them. Avoid using lingo and jargon that only you and your company understand.
Startup Guide Analyzing the information from the interviews 22

Elevator pitches that connect with your

customers

Once you go through the brainstorming session from above, you can utilize
customer problems, vocabulary and the success they found through your product.
If you had ten seconds to clearly explain to someone what your product does and
how it will benefit them what would you say?

Take the time to write down five new elevator pitches.

They don’t have to be completely different ideas, just try to change the words or
phrases you use, based on the customer feedback. Even iterations of one word can
change the impact of a phrase.

You may not use all of them, but it helps you think about your product in new
ways. You can take those concepts to build new headlines for your website. You can
easily update them over time when you feel like you’ve found better ways to
communicate how your product benefits people.
23 Analyzing the information from the interviews Startup Guide

Call to actions that speak to your

customers

Telling your customer to start using your product can sometimes be difficult if they
have a hard time understanding why. Rather than just telling them “buy now” or
“start today,” set them up with a different frame of mind before telling them what
to do.

Ask a problem question

Reminding them of a problem they face can make them think about the pain and
stress they are dealing with. That way, they are more open to the idea of solving
the problem with your product. Example: “Are you tired of wasting too much time
managing your projects?”

Ask them if they want change in their life

When you ask them if they want to change their life for the better, it can feel like
you are here to help them. You become the guide. The helping hand to get them
where they want to go. Example: “Are you ready to start managing your projects
more effectively?”

Tell them what they will gain

This will give them a sense of empowerment. You tell them what they will be able
to do by using your product. You aren’t specifically solving their problem in this
type of phrasing. You are telling them that they can solve their problems on their
own with your product. It changes the perspective. Less about you, more about
them. Example: “Start managing your projects more effectively so you can be more
successful.”
Startup Guide Analyzing the information from the interviews 24

“ Consumers trust
recommendations
from a third party
more often than a
brand itself.
Kristen Matthews, Kissmetrics Blog
25 Analyzing the information from the interviews Startup Guide

Testimonials - How to share them

While there is value in having a long form testimonial somewhere on your website,
you can create more impact with short and clear statements from within those
conversations. The mission of testimonials is to gain trust and help potential
customers imagine themselves being your next success story.

Short statements to proclaim success

When you are looking through the feedback from the customer, try to find
sentences that encompass how your product helped them. Sentences that start
with problems and end with resolutions can have a great impact. They can be used
as bold headings that are easy to read and understand. That way new customers
quickly know what you offer and how you can help them, thanks to social proof.
Startup Guide Analyzing the information from the interviews 26

Long formats to share a story

Sometimes a potential customer may want to hear a more authentic personal
experience from someone that has used the product. Long form testimonials allow
them to dig deeper and get a better understanding of the troubles someone was
facing, will most likely relate it those problems, and then want to find the same
success as the person in the testimonial.

Use their full name and title

If you’re product is serving businesses, this gives you merit within the industry.
People may recognize brands or names and even look into their business for
reassurance. If you’re product serving consumers that don’t run a business, this
gives the testimonial context. Examples of non-business titles would be a stay at
home mom, a sports coach, an athlete, etc. That way your customers get a
background on who they are to give more perspective on the testimonial. Titles
and context can help potential customers relate to the stories found within the
testimonials.

Include a photograph if possible.

Showing a photograph of the customer smiling can have a positive influence on the
testimonial. Not only do they read the outcomes the customer found through your
product, but they see a happy customer. Readers want to be happy customers too.

p le
am
E x

"Headway showed a genuine interest in our business. Not just getting an

app developed and launched, but from a long term approach."
VEREK HARNAPP - DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, RISE
27 Analyzing the information from the interviews Startup Guide

Where to use testimonials

Website Homepage
Singular Placement:
Take your strongest testimonial and use it near the top of your website. When
people land on your website, make sure they are immediately getting proof from
your current customers so you can quickly start to gain their trust. Try to avoid
using long form testimonials at the top of your website. Long form can be used
farther down on the page, possibly in a testimonial section.

Group Placement:
Having up to three testimonials together can create a sense of “missing out.”
Readers see all the success people are having and want to be a part of that. These
are great for both short form testimonials and medium length (no more than one
paragraph).

Testimonial Page
It’s not entirely necessary, but it can be helpful for people that just want to hear
more and gain some final confidence in your product. This is a place where you can
archive long form testimonials. Another opportunity to share social proof to your
product claims.

Social Media Content

Not everyone is going to end up running across your website, so you need to be
sharing customer success through your social channels. You can easily create
testimonial graphics using free and easy to use design sources.

If you have no design experience, we recommend using Canva because it is free,

easy to use, and has great looking templates to help you get started.

Check out “Canva” here.

Startup Guide Analyzing the information from the interviews 28

Case Studies
While a case study can provide a lot of great evidence to believe that your product
works, backing up the information with testimonials is a huge bonus. Rather than
trying to explain yourself, allow your customers to tell their stories.

Blog Posts
A blog post that shares a customer’s story and success with your product can be a
great long form version of a testimonial. You could narrate the post in third person
and then add testimonial bites throughout the post. This could be similar to a case
study, but could be called a “customer success story” to make it feel less formal.
This may take a little more effort because you will have to reconnect with the
customer to get extended permissions to do something more in-depth like this. Try
to get photos and video to enhance the story if you can!

Presentations
Sharing customer stories is a great way to take the focus of a presentation from you
to the customer and your product. It authentically communicates how your product
is serving real people and not just you pounding your chest with sales copy.

Videos
Videos are a powerful way to convey emotion and share a story from a customer. It
makes your brand feel more human by letting your customers speak on your
behalf. This isn’t easy or inexpensive to do, but it can be well worth the investment
to develop trust with new customers.

Checkout Page
Sometimes customers need that extra push to make a purchase. You can utilize
testimonials that share the success they found to reassure that their purchase is
the best decision for them and will not regret it. It's another step in the journey of
building trust with the customer.
29 Analyzing the information from the interviews Startup Guide

Promotional Videos - Creating a

stronger connection.

With testimonials and a better understanding of how your customers use and
describe your product, now you can also incorporate that feedback into video
content. If you start to speak a language they understand and bring up problems
they face within your video content, it can create a clear message that they will trust.
Startup Guide Why it's important 30

“ What helps people,

helps business.
Leo Burnett, Advertising Executive
31 Why it's important Startup Guide

What’s the Big Deal?

Your customers are your biggest asset when it comes to communicating with new
customers and making more sales. Not only that, but they help you make a better
product. They can tell you what’s wrong with your product. Why they stopped
using it. What they wish they could do with it and so much more.

Want to build or improve your product idea?

Let's make it happen together. At Headway, we only build products we know will be
successful for both the users and your business. You don't need to build an app,
you need to build a business that's designed to grow.

Through our design and development services, we'll set you up with the best plan
possible with your budget so that you can start making waves with your product.

Talk to us.

www.headway.io

hello@headway.io
Startup Guide Resources 32

Resources
33 Resources Startup Guide

Tools

1. Email Surveys

Google Forms
• Free
• Make your own from scratch

Starter template to get powerful testimonials.

• Be sure to save this to your own google drive account to track responses!

Survey Monkey
• Free and premium upgrades available

2. Video and Voice Chat

Zoom
• Free and premium upgrades available

Google Hangouts
• Free

Skype
• Free and premium upgrades available

Worksheets

Customer Feedback Analysis Worksheet

Communicate Value Checklist

Startup Guide Resources 34

Books

Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days
by Jake Knapp

StoryBrand
by Donald Miller
35 Customer Feeback Analysis Worksheet Startup Guide

Customer Feedback Analysis Worksheet

The more you understand who your customer is and how they talk about your
product, the more clearly you can connect with them through your marketing
efforts. You can even enhance the vocabulary within your product.

Set up a time to do a brainstorming session to answer and discuss these

questions below.

“What are common problems that your customers are facing before they
start using your product?”

“What are philosophical problems they struggle with?”

“What are words or phrases that your customer uses to describe your
product?”

What to do next.
With this new information documented here, you can start going through all of
your marketing materials and see if it aligns with how your customers think and
describe your product. Begin with your website, and then go from there. Adjust your
social media messaging, email communications and so on. Use the Communicate
Value Checklist to keep track of where you're making improvements.
Startup Guide Communicate Value Checklist 36

Communicate Value Checklist

Brainstorm New Elevator Pitches

Website

Short Testimonials

Testimonial Group Placement

Video Testimonials

Add New Elevator Pitch to the Top

Remove Jargon and Vocabulary Customers May Not Understand

Use New Customer Vocabulary

Blog Posts - Customer Success Stories

Social Media Content

Testimonial Graphics

Photos with Caption

Video Testimonials

Use Clear Language That Your Customer Understands

Email Communications and Campaigns

Share Customer Stories and Testimonials

Use Clear Language That Your Customer Understands

Incorporate Different Elevator Pitches

37 Communicate Value Checklist Startup Guide

Email Communications and Campaigns

Share Customer Stories and Testimonials

Use Clear Language That Your Customer Understands

Incorporate Different Elevator Pitches

Case Studies

Incorporate Testimonials

Remove Jargon

Use Customer Language

Incorporate Call to Actions that Connect

Presentations

Incorporate Testimonials

Remove Jargon

Use Customer Language

Incorporate Call to Actions that Connect

Videos

Incorporate Testimonials

Remove Jargon

Use Customer Language

Incorporate Call to Actions that Connect