“Can you say a few words about us?” gets you a few words: “Great service, would recommend.” Nice to hear, but nobody deciding whether to buy from you will be moved by it. Good questions get stories, and stories are what persuade.
How many questions to ask
Ask two or three. Pick one from the “before” group, one or two from “after”, and finish with a recommendation question if you have room. Every extra question is another chance for someone to give up halfway, and a focused two minutes is more watchable than a rambling ten.
Show one question at a time and give each its own time limit. One or two minutes per question is plenty. Akteora’s collect links work exactly this way: up to five questions, each with its own timer, so your customer is never staring at one long list.
Before: the problem
A testimonial is a story, and every story needs a starting point. These questions set up the “before” that makes the result mean something.
- What was going on before you found us? Gets the situation in their words, which is often how your next customer would describe it too.
- What made you start looking for a solution? Surfaces the trigger moment. Prospects in the same moment will recognise it.
- Had you tried anything else first? What happened? Shows why the obvious alternatives fell short, without you having to say it.
- What almost stopped you from going ahead with us? Brings out the doubts your prospects have right now, and answers them from someone who had them too.
During: the experience
These show what it is actually like to work with you or use your product.
- What was it like to work with us? Open enough to let them talk about whatever stood out, which is usually what matters most.
- Was there a moment when you knew you’d made the right choice? Produces a specific, vivid moment instead of general praise.
- Is there someone on our team or a feature you’d single out? Gives concrete detail, and gives your team some well-earned credit.
After: the result
This is the heart of the testimonial. Push gently for specifics: numbers, time saved, how it felt.
- What has changed since? The single most important question. If you can only ask one, ask this.
- Can you put a number on it? Hours saved, sales made, weeks gained. Only use numbers they give you, in their words.
- What can you do now that you couldn’t before? Turns a result into a new possibility, which is what prospects are really buying.
- How does it feel, compared with before? Emotion is persuasive and hard to fake. Relief, confidence and pride all come through on video.
Recommendation: who it’s for
These make great closing lines, and they help the right people self-select.
- Who would you recommend us to? Describes your ideal customer in a customer’s voice.
- What would you say to someone who’s on the fence? Handles objections more convincingly than any sales copy.
- If you had to describe us in one sentence, what would it be? Gives you a short pull quote for headlines, ads and widgets.
- Is there anything else you’d like to add? Some of the best lines come at the very end, once people have warmed up.
Questions to avoid
- Leading questions like “How amazing was our service?” They put words in people’s mouths, and viewers can hear it.
- Yes or no questions like “Were you happy with the result?” You’ll get “Yes.”
- Questions that need a script. Never hand someone lines to read. A testimonial has to be their honest opinion in their own words, and a scripted one is obvious on camera anyway.
A ready-made set to start with
If you just want something that works, use these three:
- What was going on before you found us?
- What has changed since?
- Who would you recommend us to?
Before you send them, read our tips on how to ask for a video testimonial, with message templates for email, text and DMs. Then create a free collect link and paste your questions in.