Custify’s Post

You hang up on Zoom after a 30-minute customer interview. How do you know if you’ve done a good job? Most people get distracted with feelings. They're all, "Wow, that felt great!" or "Ugh, that was awkward." But your feelings are false, and can lead you astray. You might have an awkward interview and learn a ton, or a super comfortable chat that stays surface-deep. The real key to a deep customer call isn't how you feel about it—it's the quality of data you collect. So, after your next interview, forget about how it feels and ask yourself this instead: "What concrete, actionable data did I actually collect?" Good data isn't fluffy opinions or wild "what if" scenarios. What you want is: 1. Actual actions your customer took 2. Behaviors you could see if you were a fly on their office wall 3. Real events that went down, past or present 4. Preferences and feelings they've had (not the imaginary future ones) Why does quality data matter so much? It's not about being a data nerd. It's that your credibility is at stake. If someone asks, “Why did you do X?” and you don’t have a good reason... They’ll assume it was random. Any success will be considered a fluke. Any failure will be your fault. But when you've got solid customer data backing up your choices? You're not just guessing—you're making moves based on real intel from real customers. So the next time you wrap up a customer call, don't get hung up on whether it was smooth sailing or choppy waters. Ask yourself: "What real, reliable data did I manage to collect?" That's how you know if you've struck gold or if you need to dive back in for another round.

You hang up on Zoom after a 30-minute customer interview. How do you know if you’ve done a good job? Most people get distracted with feelings. They're all, "Wow, that felt great!" or "Ugh, that was awkward." But your feelings are false, and can lead you astray. You might have an awkward interview and learn a ton, or a super comfortable chat that stays surface-deep. The real key to a deep customer call isn't how you feel about it—it's the quality of data you collect. So, after your next interview, forget about how it feels and ask yourself this instead: "What concrete, actionable data did I actually collect?" Good data isn't fluffy opinions or wild "what if" scenarios. What you want is: 1. Actual actions your customer took 2. Behaviours you could see if you were a fly on their office wall 3. Real events that went down, past or present 4. Preferences and feelings they've had (not the imaginary future ones) Why does quality data matter so much? It's not about being a data nerd. It's that your credibility is at stake. If someone asks, “Why did you do X?” and you don’t have a good reason... They’ll assume it was random. Any success will be considered a fluke. Any failure will be your fault. But when you've got solid customer data backing up your choices? You're not just guessing—you're making moves based on quality intel from real customers. So the next time you wrap up a customer call, don't get hung up on whether it was smooth sailing or choppy waters. Ask yourself: "What real, reliable data did I manage to collect?" That's how you know if you've struck gold or if you need to dive back in for another round.

You don't need a script to do a customer interview. You need a goal. And, key guiding questions. And the ability to probe. Because, once it's clear about what you're trying to achieve from the conversation, you can work backwards to figure out what key questions to ask. Here is an example: Scenario: high customer churn rate. The goal: find out why they churned (to ultimately reduce churn) Key guiding questions: - what were their expectations, why? - what were they looking to achieve, why? - how did we fail to meet their expectations, why? - what can be done to improve? These questions don't need to be phrased and asked verbatim. They need to be asked when appropriate, and in a way that follows the natural flow of a real conversation. Your job is to probe in such a way that you get answers to key guiding questions, which will ultimately reveal why the customers churned, and if/how to prevent churn. How to probe (some examples): - Can you explain why, specifically you had that expectation? - Could you describe why achieving that outcome is important? - Where exactly did we fall short? - Why is that an issue? - For instance...? or Can you give me an example? - What if you had this...? - What would you say would need to change in order to achieve that outcome? - Why do you think so? - So to clarify, you mean...? The purpose of probing: reveal hidden insights that answer your key questions in a specific way, and address your goal. The best part about it: you don't need a script. TL;DR: - Approach customer interviews with a genuine desire to understand - Always have a clear obvious goal for every customer interview - Scripts are limiting and overrated - Get rich, actionable insights via probing

Watch me turn 1 crappy customer interview question into 9 that actually work: “How can we improve our product?” 👆At first glance, this question seems fine. But it actually puts too much pressure on the customer. You're asking them to come up with solutions, but they’re not product experts—they're experts in their own needs and frustrations. Even if they suggest an improvement, it’s missing key context: -Is it a minor annoyance or a major issue? -Do they truly care about it, or was it just top of mind? -Did it come from their own experience or someone else’s? Without understanding the root of their suggestion, you can’t judge it's importance or find even better solutions. The real goal of a customer interview is not to get a product wishlist—it's to learn where users struggle, their workarounds, and moments of frustration. So how do you turn that vague, overwhelming question into something better? Break it down into smaller ones your customer can answer honestly and without making things up: 1. When was the last time you used X product? 2. What were you using it to help you do? 3. Why did you use X product and not something else? 4. What were you using before X product? 5. What didn’t work about that solution? 6. When did you decide to switch? 7. What triggered that decision? 8. Did you try anything else first? 9. How did you decide on X product? See how many good interview questions were hiding inside that one bad one? Each one brings you closer to real insights without putting pressure on the customer. And even these 9 questions have layers—with better, more specific questions tucked under each. This is the difference between good questions on paper and good questions in conversation. Good-on-paper questions sound great in a boardroom, but fall flat in a real interview. They force customers to play product manager and guess about things they don’t really know. Good-in-conversation questions are small, focused and centered on what customers know best: their experience. With the right interview questions, you can: -Map out the customer journey -Spot pain points they might not even realize -Uncover hidden opportunities for real improvement It’s like putting together a puzzle. Each question gives you a small piece. When you’re done, you can see the full picture and where your product fits. Later this month, I’m hosting a workshop to help you stop wondering if you’re asking customers the right questions — and starting knowing you are. You’ll learn how to dig deep (and what the heck digging deep actually means), steer the conversation naturally, follow subtle cues and uncover insights that drive real product improvements. It's gonna be 💥 DM me for details.

An Answer to an open discussion on Navigating difficult customer interactions and discuss them in interviews. Listening is more than just hearing words; it's about understanding the customer's perspective. Show empathy and acknowledge their feelings without interrupting. This approach can turn a negative experience into a positive one for the customer. In an interview, illustrate your listening skills by describing a specific situation where you paid close attention to a customer's concerns and how this led to a successful resolution. My Take Aways: I always have a pattern L.A.M.A that I always advise my agents. First and foremost is Listening - is not only hearing words but finding a queue of the ticking clock of seconds to calm your mind and be prepared to answer back, and second on the list is Acknowledging - When the interviewee, have given you the time to answer back his question, you have to acknowledge and show that you completely understand the question. M- Make a statement - That is where your composed mind and simplified answer to the question comes in, You will now convey what you have understood the question giving your side of the coin. Lastly, A- Ask probing questions that's when you are going to ask probing questions for a resolution of a certain issue.  Team Sai-

How to Motivate Your Customers to Share Thoughts About Your Product? Imagine not needing to ask your customers to participate in interviews. Instead, feature requests and insights are coming in. You just need to grab them and prioritize. Let’s discuss how to do that and how to motivate your customers to share thoughts about the product you're working on: 1. Make giving feedback easy. Implement a simple form on your website and within your product for users to share their thoughts. Include fields such as the user’s role, optional email (for those who wish to leave it), and the reason why the feature is important. Having an email opens the possibility for further dialogue with the user to gather more insights. Isn’t that marvelous? 2. Leverage your Sales, Customer Success, and Support teams. If customers are hesitant to share feedback, despite frequent interactions with your colleagues, request their help. Ask them to inquire and gather insights, then send that information into a designated tool or form. Tools like airfocus are ideal for this purpose. Remember to convert feedback into opportunities and incorporate them into your roadmap. 3. Amplify your customers’ voices. Consider all the insights shared by customers and prioritize accordingly. If you spot a quick win that fits within your capacity, add it to the backlog or roadmap and communicate the change upon implementation. One of the biggest challenges is having a perpetually full roadmap with no room for user feedback, creating a seemingly endless loop. I’ll address this in the next post, so stay tuned.

🎈 Here's a vital part of your success, when running B2B customer interviews. Ask one question at a time. It's a natural tendency to combine questions. Here's an example, "What made our solution stand out, and what were you using before?" ^Those are two questions. Here's why it matters 1. Clarity and Focus: When you ask a single question, people can focus on one idea. Multiple Qs at once, get interviewees unsure of which question to answer first, leading to incomplete or less detailed responses. 2. Depth of Insight: By asking one question at a time, you encourage people to explore thoughts and experiences in more detail. 3. Avoids Overwhelming Them If questions cover different topics, or require people to recall different pieces of info, they often provide surface-level answers to each question, rather than thoroughly addressing any of them. 4. Facilitates Better Follow-ups One Q at a time means you can gauge the interviewee's response fully, and then decide on appropriate follow-up questions. This keeps the conversation more dynamic and adaptable, leading to a more natural flow and the discovery of unexpected insights. It's not easy though. It takes practice, but if you can nail this, it will change the game on extracting insights from customers

Day 9: Tips for conducting effective customer interviews. Conducting effective customer interviews is essential for gathering valuable insights that can drive product development and improve customer satisfaction. One key tip is to prepare a structured set of open-ended questions that encourage detailed responses - Voice of the Customer. This allows customers to express their thoughts and experiences more freely, rather than confining them to simple yes or no answers. Additionally, it’s important to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for the interview, as this helps to build rapport and trust. Ensure that you actively listen to customers and show genuine interest in their feedback, which can lead to richer conversations and deeper understanding. Another important aspect of effective customer interviews is to pay attention to non-verbal cues. Body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions can reveal important insights that might not be articulated verbally. During the interview, take notes or record the conversation (with permission) to capture nuances that may be useful for later analysis. Don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions to delve deeper into specific topics that arise during the discussion. This can unlock further insights that may not have been initially considered. Lastly, always conclude the interview by thanking participants for their time and insights. This not only shows appreciation but also leaves the door open for future interactions. Following up with a brief summary of key points discussed can reinforce a positive relationship and demonstrate that their feedback is valued. By employing these strategies, businesses can conduct customer interviews that yield meaningful and actionable insights, ultimately leading to enhanced products or services. #cx #customer #customerexperience #customerfeedback #voiceofthecustomer

The ability to articulate your experience in an interview depends on you keeping track of your accomplishments throughout your career and sharing them in a way that captures the interviewer’s attention. I often explain to candidates that 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. When you sell a new product to Walmart, do you first focus on the dimensions of the packaging? When you talk about a SaaS solution, do you immediately jump to pricing? Of course not. The same principle applies in interviews—you need to present your value in a way that 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁. This is where the STAR Method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) becomes your best friend. While many understand the importance of this method and believe they’re using it effectively, the truth is that delivering your messaging in this manner takes intentional effort and practice. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “In my last role, I was responsible for reducing operational inefficiencies. I reviewed the workflows and identified areas where automation could be introduced, resulting in cost savings and improved productivity.” 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲: 𝗦: “Our customer onboarding process was taking an average of 10 days to complete, delaying revenue recognition and frustrating new clients. I was tasked with improving this process to reduce delays and ensure a better customer experience.” 𝗧: “My goal was to identify bottlenecks, implement automation, and streamline the handoffs between sales and customer success.” 𝗔: “I conducted a deep dive into the process, interviewing stakeholders, analyzing data, and mapping the end-to-end workflow. I then implemented an automated task assignment system within our CRM, redesigned handoff protocols, and developed training for the customer success team to ensure adoption.” 𝗥: “The onboarding process was reduced from 10 days to 3 days, increasing client satisfaction scores by 25% and accelerating revenue recognition by 40%. Additionally, the new system reduced internal workload by 15%, allowing the team to focus on high-impact client interactions.” 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱: ✅ Practice speaking your responses naturally while keeping them 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲. ✅Partner with a trusted advisor or coach to refine and elevate your delivery. As an experienced career coach, I work with candidates to refine messaging and confidently tell their story in a way that resonates with decision-makers. If you’re willing to invest the time and effort to practice but aren’t sure you’re hitting the mark, let’s talk. Often, the smallest tweaks can make the biggest difference—and that’s where I come in.

To create effective personas or user profiles, the most important factor is to deeply understand your potential or existing customers. Defining personas based solely on assumptions or perspectives, without actual user opinions and experiences, can lead to significant risks. Customer interviews are more than just conversations. They offer an opportunity to clearly identify the problems and needs users are experiencing and to explore customer behavior patterns, motivations, and challenges in detail, thereby gaining valuable insights. Feedback from existing customers is particularly crucial as it reflects their real experience with your product or service. One of the most important elements in customer interviews is active listening. Active listening involves more than just hearing what someone says; it requires a proactive attitude to fully understand what they are conveying, including their thoughts and emotions. It is important to provide space for interviewees to express their thoughts fully and to deepen the conversation with follow-up questions. Additionally, it is essential to avoid interpreting their words through your own biases or preconceptions and to approach their feedback with an open mind to accurately grasp their true intentions.