I learned most of that through the experience of doing literally hundreds of interviews for corporate video productions. The way you need to structure your questions, as the interviewer, is quite different from the way you would do it for news reporting or feature broadcast TV.

While you can’t sit your interviewee down and say “OK, pal, now we’re going to say some really nice things about XXX…” you want to pave the way for them to be as positive as possible about the company or issue concerned.

You also need to get them to relax and forget about that funny round glass eye that keeps staring at them. But corporate interview technique is a separate topic which I can go into another time if anyone is interested.
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites

I learned most of that through the experience of doing literally hundreds of interviews for corporate video productions. The way you need to structure your questions, as the interviewer, is quite different from the way you would do it for news reporting or feature broadcast TV.

While you can’t sit your interviewee down and say “OK, pal, now we’re going to say some really nice things about XXX…” you want to pave the way for them to be as positive as possible about the company or issue concerned.

You also need to get them to relax and forget about that funny round glass eye that keeps staring at them. But corporate interview technique is a separate topic which I can go into another time if anyone is interested.
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites

And it IS easier to get honest feedback if you can get somebody else to ask the questions on your behalf – provided you know they’re good at this.

Let’s take ONE of Suze’s questions:

“On a 1 to 10 scale, how would you rate your experience of working with/using XXX, and why?”

This type of question is a beauty because it forces at the very least a slightly good or bad assessment:

Using 1 – 10 as opposed to 1 to 5

You get a rating where the customer can’t ‘sit on the fence’ – Suze hasn’t mentioned it but she automatically sets up the context of this by saying “where 1 is appalling and 10 is fantastic (or the other way round)

THAT gives you data that you can quote:

Interview just 10 people and 7 of them rate you 6 or higher:

70% of our customers say…

AND (essentially) it gives you two bites at the cherry: The “and why?” gives you the personal customer experience that potential customers are more likely to relate to than anything YOU say.

Great post, Suze and totally down to earth whilst giving ideas that many of us can benefit from by just having a go …

PS: The infuriating part on a blog as opposed to a ‘real time conversation’ is that whilst you’re writing your own response you have no idea what’s going on elsewhere that might make your contribution look weird/ superfluous/ whatever by the time it’s published: Get over it, Linda!
Twitter: Linda_Mattacks

And it IS easier to get honest feedback if you can get somebody else to ask the questions on your behalf – provided you know they’re good at this.

Let’s take ONE of Suze’s questions:

“On a 1 to 10 scale, how would you rate your experience of working with/using XXX, and why?”

This type of question is a beauty because it forces at the very least a slightly good or bad assessment:

Using 1 – 10 as opposed to 1 to 5

You get a rating where the customer can’t ‘sit on the fence’ – Suze hasn’t mentioned it but she automatically sets up the context of this by saying “where 1 is appalling and 10 is fantastic (or the other way round)

THAT gives you data that you can quote:

Interview just 10 people and 7 of them rate you 6 or higher:

70% of our customers say…

AND (essentially) it gives you two bites at the cherry: The “and why?” gives you the personal customer experience that potential customers are more likely to relate to than anything YOU say.

Great post, Suze and totally down to earth whilst giving ideas that many of us can benefit from by just having a go …

PS: The infuriating part on a blog as opposed to a ‘real time conversation’ is that whilst you’re writing your own response you have no idea what’s going on elsewhere that might make your contribution look weird/ superfluous/ whatever by the time it’s published: Get over it, Linda!
Twitter: Linda_Mattacks

Although as Sarah and Linda suggest asking clients for testimonials at more than one stage of the process is a good idea, I suspect it also could be helpful for you to step back and work this out from a more general marketing point of view.

In other words, identify what are the key reasons why clients will choose architects’ practice #1 over architects’ practice #2? What is it clients really are looking for?

Is it end product only – i.e. practical buildings that do the job efficiently and play their part visually and socially in their communities?

Is it a service issue – i.e. architects who listen to what clients need and develop those needs sensitively and practically?

Is it about track record, connections, who you know?

Is it a combination of those points and if so, which is – on average – the most important one?

And so-on. Once you have identified those issues and prioritised them that should give you a better indication of a) when to ask for testimonials and b) in what way you should phrase the interview questions.

If you want to let us know the ballpark answers to those questions here I will happily suggest some more targetted ideas on obtaining testimonials for you.
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites

Although as Sarah and Linda suggest asking clients for testimonials at more than one stage of the process is a good idea, I suspect it also could be helpful for you to step back and work this out from a more general marketing point of view.

In other words, identify what are the key reasons why clients will choose architects’ practice #1 over architects’ practice #2? What is it clients really are looking for?

Is it end product only – i.e. practical buildings that do the job efficiently and play their part visually and socially in their communities?

Is it a service issue – i.e. architects who listen to what clients need and develop those needs sensitively and practically?

Is it about track record, connections, who you know?

Is it a combination of those points and if so, which is – on average – the most important one?

And so-on. Once you have identified those issues and prioritised them that should give you a better indication of a) when to ask for testimonials and b) in what way you should phrase the interview questions.

If you want to let us know the ballpark answers to those questions here I will happily suggest some more targetted ideas on obtaining testimonials for you.
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites

In my experience you only really find the answer on timing that will work best for you by trying.

Significant milestones and successful project completion are good ones, yet maybe not the only ones.

It may be that an unexpected problem, acknowledged without prevarication and then solved swiftly and efficiently could be an ideal time to get a testimonial from a client who now feels you’re really working in partnership, even though the project is only part way along.

Maybe your guys/ gals (because of your unique/ specialist experience and doing that extra bit of digging) spotted something early in the planning stages that saved the client grief down the line – would that count for a “thank you” in the form of a testimonial? .

Perhaps you helped out, just because you could, in an area where others would have said “not my problem”.

Very surface I know, but hopefully may serve to give you better and more relevant ideas
Twitter: Linda_Mattacks

In my experience you only really find the answer on timing that will work best for you by trying.

Significant milestones and successful project completion are good ones, yet maybe not the only ones.

It may be that an unexpected problem, acknowledged without prevarication and then solved swiftly and efficiently could be an ideal time to get a testimonial from a client who now feels you’re really working in partnership, even though the project is only part way along.

Maybe your guys/ gals (because of your unique/ specialist experience and doing that extra bit of digging) spotted something early in the planning stages that saved the client grief down the line – would that count for a “thank you” in the form of a testimonial? .

Perhaps you helped out, just because you could, in an area where others would have said “not my problem”.

Very surface I know, but hopefully may serve to give you better and more relevant ideas
Twitter: Linda_Mattacks

@Suze, could a testimonial be a two stage one? ie one part at a milestone and the other on completion?

@Suze, could a testimonial be a two stage one? ie one part at a milestone and the other on completion?