What to ask clients to get powerful testimonials for your marketing copy
For most entrepreneurs (especially those of us offering something nuanced or hard to explain) attracting new clients is always humming in the background.
It’s literally how we stay in business.
And usually, the sticking point isn’t the quality of your work. It’s whether the right people actually recognize you as someone who understands their problem and can help solve it.
So your communications and marketing efforts have to resonate with them. It’s in the words you use, the emotions you tap into, the way you position yourself.
We need to know things like:
The phrases they already understand (so we don’t confuse them)
How they describe their problems and goals (so they see themselves in the message)
The right way to explain your work so the value is obvious (without sounding salesy)
You’ve probably gone through some trial and error because it’s honestly hard to figure this out. Posting, tweaking, rewriting the same thing five different ways. It’s frustrating, not knowing what language is going to connect and what’s going over their head.
But the surprising thing is that the answers are actually right in front of you. Or rather, they’re right behind you.
Your previous clients are your best messaging resource, if you listen to them.
There’s already a playbook for what resonates with your ideal clients. It’s inside the experience of the people who worked with you already. But only if you ask the right questions.
And getting answers to these questions instantly gives you the backbone for your messaging framework.
Most people get pretty basic feedback, along the lines of: “She was great to work with.”
Which is lovely, but doesn’t give us much to work with.
We need feedback that says: “She finally identified the root cause of my cholesterol issue and now I can eat my favorite foods again.”
That kind of response tells us everything: the emotional shift, the tangible outcome, the real-life relief.
And that’s raw material for a messaging framework that connects and converts.
So how do you get that kind of feedback? By asking questions that spark reflection.
I’ve got a list of questions I have my clients ask before we ever touch their messaging framework. Without this input, conversion copywriting is guesswork at best.
These answers — along with a deep dive into their history, approach, POV, and more — form the basis for a real strategy. Which means you feel confident about your next post or email, before you even hit publish.
So get the answers to these questions before writing any more marketing copy:
Client Feedback Questions:
What’s been your biggest challenge with [your cholesterol]?
What [high cholesterol] solutions did you try before? Why didn't they work?
If you could wave a magic wand, what would the perfect [cholesterol/nutritional health] look like for you?
What's stopping you from getting that perfect [cholesterol/nutritional health] right now?
How does having [high cholesterol] affect other areas of your life?
What big questions did you have about [high cholesterol]?
Did anything make you hesitate to book [cholesterol coaching]?
Have you had any previous disappointing experiences with [cholesterol coaching]?
What were you struggling with before you booked me for [cholesterol coaching]?
What made you decide to book [cholesterol coaching] with me?
What was [your nutrition/lifestyle] like before, and how has it changed since you enlisted my help?
What has the [cholesterol coaching] process been like for you?
What were you unsure about before you booked [cholesterol coaching] with me?
How do you feel about [your cholesterol/nutrition] now that we’ve worked together?
How would you convince a fellow [person with high cholesterol] to consider working with me?
Yeah, it’s a lot of questions. Depending on your scenario, you may not need to ask all of them. Pick the ones that feel most relevant to your work and your clients.
The important thing is to get a good idea of how the problem feels in your client’s life, in your client’s words. From there, we can identify the strongest themes, patterns, and emotional shifts, and build a framework that actually reflects your work.
Once that framework exists? You can use AI to write marketing copy that actually connects with people and moves them to act.
Not loving the way your AI content sounds? I was there, too. Then I customized my voice instructions based on how I write for different client voices. I created a custom GPT that walks you through this and hands you custom instructions to plug into ChatGPT, so your words always sound like you and help you sell. You can access it here.