Improve Marketing by Asking Customers 12 Questions

The number one reason for disconnect between a business and its customers may simply be a failure to communicate. Improve marketing by asking your customers twelve questions.

“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” Ask customers these 12 questions to improve marketing.

Perceived indifference is the main reason customers cite when asked why they stopped shopping a particular store, even more than outright dissatisfaction. One of the best ways to show your customers you care is to ask questions – and act on what they tell you to improve marketing.

Here are twelve questions to ask customers that can help you improve marketing, boost sales and strengthen your customer relationships over the next year. Use what you learn to tweak your marketing plan, improve customer relations, enhance the customer experience and grow your business.

12 Questions to Ask Customers to Improve Marketing and Strengthen Your Brand

1. How did you first hear about our business?

If you don’t know how customers first heard about your business or its products or services you probably don’t know which – if any – of your marketing tactics are even working!

2. If our business was a person, and walked into the room, what words would you use to describe it?

Questions like these can help you get to the heart of how customers really perceive your brand, and whether their perceptions about your brand match up to the brand identity you want for your business.

3. What one thing do you hope never changes about our business?

Take note of the things customer segments identify as most important to them, especially prior to implementing major changes in your organization in order to avoid alienating or losing loyal portions of your customer base.

4. If there was one thing you could change about our business, what would it be?

Questions along this line could help you identify areas of the customer experience which could be improved easily and at a low cost or help you align long term improvements with customer desires.

5. What do you buy from us most often?

Even in the digital age, many businesses either do not or cannot track data that would show them buying behaviors common to new customers, long term customers, loyal customers, etc. Make sure you know what products or services are most compelling when it comes to getting customers in the door and getting them to come back again.

6. What do you buy from our business that you can’t (easily) get from another business?

Questions like these can help you identify potential competitive advantages for your organization.

7. What do you buy from our business even though it is readily available from other businesses, and why do you buy it from us?

Find out whether it’s a matter of preference or merely convenience when customers purchase services or products from your organization that are available from competitors. Preferences can help you identify or refine unique selling propositions in order to attract more customers in the same target markets.

8. What do you buy elsewhere that you wish you could purchase from our business?

This question may help you negate or minimize advantages your competitors may have over your business. You may be able to fulfill customer wishes directly or educate them about the equivalent alternatives your organization has to offer.

9. If you were going to recommend our business to a friend, what would you tell them about us?

Questions like these can help you uncover valuable brand perceptions and understand the underlying values that bring customers to your business and motivate them to refer your business to others.

10. Is there anything that would make you hesitate to recommend our business to a friend, family member or colleague?

Long term or loyal customers could be giving your business a pass when it comes to some part of the customer experience that is not up to par – to the extent that it would preclude them from recommending your business to someone else. In addition, asking questions like these shows your customers that you are truly interested in improving your business in ways that are better for them.

11. What type of additional training or education do you think could benefit our staff?

You may not be aware of areas where training or education could benefit your staff. Questions like these can help as you determine what types of training, seminars or education you want to include in annual retreats or employee meetings and make your employee events more impactful.

12. What words would you type into a Google search to find a business (or products / services) like ours?

Take the guess work out of SEO, SEM and content marketing! Enhance your keyword research by going straight to the members of your target markets in order to uncover keywords and phrases you can use to improve your digital marketing across all of your internet marketing channels.

All too often, marketing and sales consists of monologues when it should become a dialogue, right from the start. Ask your customers these questions, act on their answers, and let your customers know about changes that you make based on their recommendations in order to strengthen and grow your business and improve customer relations.

The line, “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate” is from the iconic Cool Hand Luke (1967), spoken by both Strother Martin as Captain and Paul Newman as Luke.