Most companies spend months trying to write their marketing message, when it is already written by their customers.
A sentence a customer said about you spontaneously is stronger than anything you will write about yourself — because it is in the market's language and describes a value someone actually felt.
Why is the customer's language stronger?
When you say "we provide a fast service," that is a claim. When a customer says "they reply within half an hour and I'm not left waiting," that is a described fact.
And there is a second important difference: the customer describes the thing that mattered to them, which is usually not the thing you are proud of. Companies boast about technical detail; customers remember the speed of a reply or the ease of dealing with you.
Ask the question properly
Do not ask "what do you think of us?" — the answer will be a courtesy. Ask specific questions:
- What did you most like about working with us?
- What were you doing before you worked with us?
- What made you choose us over the other options?
- If you were describing us to a friend, what would you say?
That last question in particular produces the most accurate sentence you will hear, because it makes the customer speak in their natural language.
Record it word for word
Do not summarise or rephrase. Write the sentence exactly as it was said, in whatever expression they used.
Formal rewriting kills the sentence. "It was a pleasure dealing with you" is dead; "you're the only ones who actually reply" works.
Use it everywhere
- On the website. Next to the service the sentence is about, not on a separate page.
- In your content. A whole post explaining the point the customer raised.
- In proposals. A similar customer's view reduces the doubt of whoever is reading.
- In advertising. The literal sentence as a headline works better than anything manufactured.
Ask about the opposite too
The complementary question: what would you most have liked to be better? The answer here is more valuable, because it shows you a leak you cannot see.
People usually hesitate, so make it easy: say you are improving and any note helps. And most importantly: do not defend yourself when you hear the answer — thank them and write it down.
Patterns matter more than individual sentences
If ten customers mention the same thing, that is not coincidence, that is your real strength — and usually not the one you expected.
Keep a file collecting the responses, and every three months read it and look for repetition. That repetition is the basis of your positioning and your marketing.
Turn it into visible proof
A written sentence is good, but stronger if heard or seen. Ask the customer for a short voice note or video on their phone.
And do not give them a script. Give them one question and let them talk. The spontaneity and the natural hesitation are what make it credible.
The right time to ask
The best moment is straight after a success: a handover that went well, a problem solved, or a result appearing.
Asking months later is weaker, because the feeling has cooled. Make it a habit: every time work is delivered successfully, ask the question.
In short
The best thing your customers say about you is your marketing message, ready made. Ask specific questions, record the words verbatim, look for the repetition, and use it everywhere.
And if you do not know the answer right now, that is the most important work you can do this week: ten calls will give you more clarity than ten internal meetings.
This is part of a series on customers and the offer — which also covers knowing your audience, and defining your USP.