The Customer Interview Prompt Pack

I sell [PRODUCT/SERVICE] to [BROAD AUDIENCE DESCRIPTION]. I want to run 5 to 8 customer interviews to understand what actually drives purchasing decisions.

Help me define the specific type of person I should be interviewing. Consider:
- The stage they were at when they bought (before vs. after a specific trigger event)
- What separates a good interview subject from a bad one for this goal
- Any segments I should deliberately include or exclude

Output a one-paragraph profile I can use to screen candidates, plus 3 screening questions I can send before booking the call.

Constraints:
- No generic 'ideal customer avatar' frameworks
- Focus on interview-quality, not just purchase behaviour
- Keep screening questions under 20 words each

My business: [DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS IN 2 SENTENCES]
What I think I know about why customers buy: [LIST 3 TO 5 ASSUMPTIONS]
What I'm currently unsure about: [LIST 1 TO 3 GAPS]

Given this, what are the 5 most important things I actually need to learn from these interviews? For each one, explain why that question matters more than the obvious surface-level version.

Constraints:
- Do not just restate my assumptions back to me
- Each research question should be something I cannot answer from data alone
- Flag which assumptions are most likely to be wrong based on common patterns in this type of business

I sell [PRODUCT/SERVICE]. My customers are [AUDIENCE]. The problem I solve is [SPECIFIC PROBLEM].

In a customer interview, people tend to give socially acceptable answers rather than honest ones. Based on the psychology of buying decisions in this type of market, tell me:

1. What are customers likely to say is the reason they bought (the stated reason)?
2. What is more likely to be the real underlying reason?
3. What emotions are they unlikely to name directly but that probably drove the decision?
4. What follow-up probes should I use to get past the polished answer?

Constraints:
- Be specific to my market, not generic
- Do not use jargon like 'pain points' or 'value proposition'
- Give me the follow-up probes as actual questions I can read aloud

I'm about to interview [TYPE OF CUSTOMER] about their decision to buy [PRODUCT/SERVICE]. The interview is [LENGTH IN MINUTES] long and I want to get honest, specific answers rather than polished ones.

Write the exact words I should say in the first 2 minutes to:
1. Thank them without being sycophantic
2. Explain the purpose in a way that encourages honesty (not 'I want to improve my marketing')
3. Set expectations for what the interview will and won't involve
4. Give them explicit permission to say uncomfortable things

Constraints:
- Write it as a word-for-word script I can read naturally
- Keep it under 180 words
- Do not use corporate-sounding phrases
- The goal is to sound like a curious human, not a researcher

I'm interviewing [TYPE OF CUSTOMER] about [TOPIC]. Before I get into the core questions, I need 3 to 4 warm-up questions that:
- Are easy to answer (no right or wrong answer)
- Give me useful context about who this person is and where they were before buying
- Start moving them into storytelling mode rather than evaluation mode

For each question, give me:
- The question itself (word for word)
- Why this question works as a warm-up
- One natural follow-up I can use if they give a short answer

Constraints:
- Questions must be open-ended
- Avoid 'How long have you been using X' style questions that get a number rather than a story
- No questions that could be answered with yes or no

I need interview questions that take the customer back to the moment before they bought [PRODUCT/SERVICE]. I want to understand:
- What their situation looked like concretely (not vaguely)
- What they had already tried and why it hadn't worked
- What the cost of staying stuck was (time, money, emotional, reputational)

Write 4 questions that do this. For each question:
- Write the full question as I would say it
- Add a 'dig deeper' follow-up for if they give a vague answer
- Note what insight each question is designed to surface

Constraints:
- Questions must anchor to a specific moment in time ('think back to before you found us' framing)
- No leading questions that assume they were suffering
- The dig-deeper prompts must be neutral, not leading

I want to understand the exact trigger that moved [TYPE OF CUSTOMER] from 'aware of the problem' to 'actively looking for a solution' to buying [PRODUCT/SERVICE].

Write 3 questions that surface:
1. The specific event or moment that prompted them to start looking
2. Why that moment, and not an earlier one
3. What they did first (who they asked, what they searched, what they read)

For each question, include:
- The question word for word
- A note on what you're listening for in the answer
- A follow-up if they skip straight to the purchase without explaining the trigger

Constraints:
- Frame around a specific moment, not general behaviour
- Do not use the word 'pain point' in any question
- Questions should sound like something a curious friend would ask, not a market researcher

I want to understand how [TYPE OF CUSTOMER] evaluated [PRODUCT/SERVICE] versus alternatives before buying. This includes what almost stopped them.

Write 4 questions covering:
1. What alternatives they seriously considered (and what was wrong with each)
2. What specific thing tipped the decision toward buying from me
3. What they were most worried about before committing
4. What almost made them not buy

For each, give:
- The question word for word
- One neutral follow-up
- What you should never say in response to their answer (things that would make them feel judged)

Constraints:
- Do not ask 'what made us better than competitors' directly
- Frame objection questions around their worry, not their logic
- Questions must work even if the customer did not actively compare alternatives

I want to understand what success actually looks like for [TYPE OF CUSTOMER] after buying [PRODUCT/SERVICE]. Not what they hoped for, but what actually happened and how they know it worked.

Write 3 questions that surface:
1. The specific, concrete results they got (not 'it was great')
2. How their situation is different now in measurable or observable terms
3. What they would say to someone who was on the fence about buying

For each question, include:
- The question word for word
- A prompt to push past vague positive answers toward specifics
- The type of quote or phrase you're hoping to capture

Constraints:
- Never ask 'would you recommend us' directly
- Push for specifics (time saved, revenue changed, relationship improved) not feelings
- The 'what would you say to someone on the fence' question must be framed in their voice, not as a testimonial request

I'm near the end of a customer interview with [TYPE OF CUSTOMER] about [PRODUCT/SERVICE]. I have about 3 minutes left.

Write the 2 to 3 closing questions I should ask. These should:
- Give the interviewee a chance to say anything I haven't asked
- Surface any hesitation or honest feedback they've been holding back
- End the interview on a note that makes them feel heard

For each question, include:
- The word-for-word question
- How to respond if they say 'no, that covers everything' (to draw out one more thing)

Constraints:
- One question must create space for critical or uncomfortable feedback without asking for it directly
- Do not end with 'is there anything else' as a standalone question
- The final question should leave them feeling like their time mattered

Here is a transcript from a customer interview: [PASTE FULL TRANSCRIPT]

My product/service: [NAME AND ONE-LINE DESCRIPTION]

Read the transcript carefully and extract:
1. Every phrase the customer used to describe their problem in their own words (not paraphrased, verbatim)
2. Every phrase that signals they were ready to buy or that tipped the decision
3. Every word or phrase they used that I would never have used in my own marketing

For each extract:
- Quote it verbatim
- Note what category it falls into (problem description, trigger phrase, decision language, outcome language)
- Rate how usable it is in copy on a scale of 1 to 3 (3 = could be a headline or subject line as-is)

Constraints:
- Do not paraphrase. If it is not verbatim, do not include it.
- Flag any phrases that sound like they came from my marketing rather than the customer's own vocabulary
- Extract a minimum of 15 phrases

Here is a transcript from a customer interview: [PASTE FULL TRANSCRIPT]

My product/service: [NAME AND ONE-LINE DESCRIPTION]

Customers often express objections indirectly. Read this transcript and identify:
1. Every moment where the customer hesitated, qualified their statement, or said something positive in a way that implies a previous worry
2. The specific fear or objection underneath each of those moments
3. Whether each objection was resolved before purchase, and if so, what resolved it

Present this as a table with four columns: Verbatim Quote, Implied Objection, Resolved Before Purchase (Yes/No), What Resolved It.

Constraints:
- Do not include objections you're inferring without textual evidence. Cite the quote.
- Note if the same objection appears more than once across different phrasings
- Flag any objection that my current marketing copy does not address

Here is a transcript from a customer interview: [PASTE FULL TRANSCRIPT]

My product/service: [NAME AND ONE-LINE DESCRIPTION]

I want to build a 'before and after' contrast for use in copy and sales conversations.

From this transcript, extract:
1. How the customer described their situation BEFORE buying (their exact words for the problem, the feeling, the cost)
2. How the customer described their situation AFTER buying (their exact words for the result, the feeling, the change)
3. Any specific numbers, timelines, or concrete details they mentioned in either state

Then write one 'before and after' paragraph using only their language, no invented phrasing, that I could use in a sales email or landing page.

Constraints:
- Do not add emotion or drama that is not in the transcript
- If they gave specific numbers or timeframes, use them exactly
- The output paragraph must be in the customer's voice, not my brand voice

Here are verbatim phrases extracted from customer interviews about [PRODUCT/SERVICE]:

[PASTE LIST OF VERBATIM PHRASES FROM PROMPT 11 OUTPUT]

Using only the language in these phrases (no invented phrasing), write 10 email subject lines for a sales or nurture email about [PRODUCT/SERVICE].

For each subject line:
- Write the subject line
- Note which customer phrase it draws from
- Label it as: Problem-led, Outcome-led, or Trigger-led

Constraints:
- No subject line should sound like it came from a marketing team
- No exclamation marks
- No questions that answer themselves
- Aim for 5 to 8 words per subject line
- At least 3 must be strong enough to use as a cold email subject line without any other context

Here are the 'before state' phrases extracted from customer interviews about [PRODUCT/SERVICE]:

[PASTE BEFORE-STATE PHRASES FROM PROMPT 13 OUTPUT]

Write the 'problem section' of a landing page for [PRODUCT/SERVICE] using this language. This section should:
1. Open with the specific situation the customer is in right now (before buying)
2. List 3 to 4 concrete symptoms of the problem in the customer's own words
3. Name the cost of staying stuck (time, money, or missed opportunity, whichever is most relevant from the transcripts)
4. End with a transition sentence that leads naturally into the solution

Constraints:
- Every symptom in the list must trace back to a verbatim phrase. Mark it with [source: interview phrase].
- Do not add symptoms I have not cited from the transcript
- Keep the opening line under 15 words
- No rhetorical questions

Here is a full customer interview transcript: [PASTE FULL TRANSCRIPT]

My product/service: [NAME AND ONE-LINE DESCRIPTION]
The customer's first name (or pseudonym if they prefer anonymity): [NAME]
Their role/business type: [ROLE OR BUSINESS TYPE]

Write a 180 to 220 word customer story for use in an email or social post. Structure it as:
1. Who they are and what situation they were in before buying (2 to 3 sentences)
2. What specifically changed after buying, in concrete terms (2 to 3 sentences)
3. A direct quote from the transcript that captures the transformation (verbatim, not paraphrased)
4. A one-sentence closing that connects their result to the reader's potential outcome

Constraints:
- Every fact must come from the transcript. Do not invent details.
- The quote must be verbatim. If the transcript is unclear, flag it rather than smooth it over.
- The closing sentence must be about the reader, not about me or the product
- Write in third person for email use

Here are extracted buying-trigger phrases from [NUMBER] customer interviews about [PRODUCT/SERVICE]:

[PASTE ALL VERBATIM EXTRACTS FROM YOUR INTERVIEWS]

Across all of these transcripts, identify:
1. The 3 most common 'before state' themes (what do most customers share as the trigger situation)
2. The 3 most common objections or hesitations (what almost stopped them)
3. The 3 most common outcome descriptions (how do they describe success in their own words)
4. The top 5 verbatim phrases that appear across multiple interviews or carry the most emotional weight
5. Any unexpected finding that contradicts what I might assume about why people buy

Then write a 150-word 'customer voice summary' I can share with anyone writing copy, ads, or sales scripts for [PRODUCT/SERVICE].

Constraints:
- Base all patterns on at least 2 transcripts. Do not call something a pattern if only one person said it.
- Flag which theme or phrase appears most frequently
- The customer voice summary must use their language, not marketing language
- Include at least 3 verbatim phrases in the summary