Getting on a call with prospects and students is one of the best ways to improve your offer and course.
You can get a glimpse into their lives, uncover what challenges your course solves for them, and get direct feedback on what you could improve.
Even if you've already surveyed your audience, it's still worth scheduling 1:1 calls because you can go so much deeper there.
A few guidelines
☎️ Ask for permission to record the call.
👂 Listen more than you talk.
❓ No leading questions! Ask open-ended questions.
🤫 Embrace the uncomfortable silence.
🪞 Mirror back to them what they just told you.
🔦 Dig deeper with "Tell me more about that!"
🌱 Don't force the script. Follow the natural flow of the conversation.
Interview structure & script
1. Small Talk
- Hi, so nice to meet you!
- Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today.
- I’m ….
- How has your day been so far?
2. Ask for permission to record
- If it’s ok with you, I’ll be recording this call so I can be fully present with you now and revisit it later.
3. Intro
- I'm going to ask you a few questions about your journey and your experience with ...
- There are no right or wrong answers
- We’re aiming to wrap this up within 20 min so you can enjoy the rest of your day
- Sounds good?
4. Interview
Questions for current customers/students
- What specifically was happening in your life and business that made you decide to sign up? What was at stake for you?
- What were you actively doing or trying before to [reach their goals]? How did that work out?
- Out of all the places you could’ve turned to, why did you choose this course?
- What do you remember, if any, being the biggest concern or obstacle that nearly prevented you from signing up? What got you over it?
- Going through the course, what made the biggest impact for you?
- Since then, what specifically has changed in your life/business? What successes have you had?
- What should we improve about the course?
- If you had to describe the course with 3 words, what would those be?
Questions for potential customers/students
- What specifically is happening in your life right now that made you take this call?
- What have you been actively doing to [solve their problem]? How’s that been working out?
- Out of all the places you could’ve turned to, why do you want our help? Why now?
- If you could wave a magic wand - what would that look like?
- If you literally couldn’t fail... what would your life look like 1 year from now?
- Who would you be most excited to share that win with?
- Why haven’t you achieved what you want to achieve?
- Why do you think *that’s* happening? (as an immediate follow-up question when they tell you their problem)
- What do you believe the people who have [had success in their situation] that you don’t? What do you think made them successful?
- What part of our product/service excites you the most?
- What would it take for you to buy our product/service?
- What do you know for CERTAIN will happen if nothing were to change?
- What do you feel is at stake if nothing changes?
- What questions do you have about our product/service?
Useful phrases for digging deeper
- Tell me a little bit more about that…
- You said...Did you mean? What was that like?
- Can you tell me how that looked in your day to day life?
- What feelings/thoughts did that bring up for you?
- It sounds like…
- Kind of like…
- It’s almost as if...