If you want to attract more clients to your financial services business, you need to understand who they are, what they need, and how you can help them.
One of the best ways to do this is by creating buyer personas.
A buyer persona is a detailed profile of your ideal client.
To build accurate personas, it helps to talk directly to your clients. This is where a buyer persona interview comes in.
In this post, we’ll explain how to conduct a buyer persona interview to give you real insights into your client’s needs.
We’ll also provide some sample questions you can use.
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Table of Contents
Why Conduct a Buyer Persona Interview?
Interviews with your clients can reveal things that data alone cannot. Here’s why they’re important:
- Understand Your Client’s Real Needs
Talking to your clients lets you hear about their challenges, goals, and expectations for your services. You’ll get a much clearer picture of what they need. - Build Trust
By sitting down with clients and asking about their experiences, you show them that you value their opinions, which helps strengthen your relationship with them. - Improve Your Services
When you know what your clients are looking for, you can offer more tailored services that meet their specific needs, making your business stand out.
Before the Interview: Preparation Tips
1. Choose the Right Clients
Select a few clients who represent different parts of your audience.
For example, you might interview a small business owner, a high-net-worth individual, or someone close to retirement.
It’s good to get a mix of clients who have been with you for different lengths of time.
2. Prepare Your Questions
Think about the kinds of things you want to learn.
Focus on their goals, challenges, and how they make decisions about financial services.
Write your questions down so you can guide the conversation smoothly.
3. Create a Comfortable Environment
Let your clients know that the interview is not a sales pitch.
It’s a chance to better understand how you can help them.
You can do this in person, over the phone, or via video—whatever works best for them.
During the Interview: Best Practices
1. Start with Simple Questions
Begin with easy, warm-up questions to help your client feel comfortable. Ask them about their background and their current financial situation. For example:
- “Tell me a little about your financial goals.”
- “What brought you to us in the first place?”
2. Ask About Their Challenges
Find out what financial problems or concerns they have. Sample questions include:
- “What’s your biggest worry when it comes to managing your finances?”
- “What’s been the hardest part about planning for the future?”
3. Discuss Their Goals
Learn what they want to achieve financially, both in the short and long term. You can ask:
- “What do you hope to accomplish in the next few years financially?”
- “What does financial success look like for you?”
4. Understand Their Decision-Making Process
It’s important to know how your clients choose financial services. Ask things like:
- “What was most important to you when deciding to work with us?”
- “What factors do you consider when picking a financial advisor?”
5. Ask About Their Communication Preferences
Find out how your clients like to receive updates and advice. This helps you tailor your communication. Questions could include:
- “How do you prefer to get updates about your financial plan?”
- “What kinds of content do you like—blogs, emails, or webinars?”
6. Keep the Conversation Flowing
Encourage your client to talk more by asking follow-up questions. For example:
- “Can you tell me more about that?”
- “How has that impacted your financial decisions?”
After the Interview: Using the Insights
1. Organise the Information
Once you’ve finished your interviews, review your notes and look for common themes. What challenges came up often? Did certain goals keep appearing? Group similar insights together.
2. Build or Update Your Personas
Take what you’ve learned from the interviews and use it to create or refine your buyer personas. Make sure each persona represents a type of client you want to attract.
3. Put the Insights Into Action
Use your updated personas to improve your marketing and services. If many clients mention struggling with retirement planning, you can create content or offer services that focus on that topic.
Sample Questions for a Buyer Persona Interview
To help you get started, here are some questions you can ask in your interviews:
Demographics and Background
- “Can you tell me about your job and your financial responsibilities?”
- “How long have you been working with a financial advisor?”
Challenges
- “What’s your biggest financial challenge right now?”
- “What’s something you wish financial advisors could help you with better?”
Goals
- “What do you want to achieve with your finances in the short term?”
- “What’s your long-term financial goal?”
Decision-Making Process
- “What influenced your decision to work with us?”
- “What’s the most important thing you look for when choosing a financial service provider?”
Content and Communication Preferences
- “What kind of content do you look for when researching financial topics?”
- “How do you prefer to stay in touch with your financial advisor?”
Conclusion
Conducting buyer persona interviews is a powerful way to learn more about your clients.
By taking the time to talk to them, you can gather valuable insights that will help you improve your services, build better client relationships, and grow your business.
Use the sample questions in this post to gather insights and build accurate buyer personas or download the free spreadsheet below.