One question that increased qualified leads by 40%

I once called a client with a simple question: „Why did you choose our product?”

„Because it has good features and a decent price” – he answered.

Great, I thought. I built the entire campaign around features. The landing page screamed about automation, integration with 47 tools, real-time dashboards.

The campaign went live. The budget burned out. Conversion? 0.8%.

For the next two weeks I sat analyzing what went wrong. Targeting? Checked. Creatives? Professional. Copy? Aligned with what the client said.

And then something hit me that changed how I conduct customer research.

The client DIDN’T LIE. He just didn’t remember the truth.

Why Your Clients Tell You Untruths (And Don’t Lie At All)

There’s a phenomenon in cognitive psychology called post-hoc rationalization. In short: people make decisions emotionally, then invent logical reasons to justify them.

You ask a client „why did you buy?” a week after purchase. He sits down, thinks, and his brain automatically searches for rational arguments. „Well, the features were good. Price OK. Reviews positive.”

This isn’t the truth about the purchase moment. This is a story his brain created LATER so the decision sounds sensible.

The real purchase moment? Probably looked completely different. It was emotional. It was specific. It was related to some situation that forced him to act.

And until you discover THAT situation, you’ll be building campaigns around false reasons.

The Magic Question That Changes Everything

After that failed campaign I started experimenting with different ways of conducting customer conversations. I tested dozens of questions. Most gave the same generic answers.

Until finally I found one question that consistently extracts the truth:

„What did the day look like when you decided you had to solve this?”

Notice the construction. I’m not asking „why did you buy”. I’m not asking „what was important”. I’m asking about a SPECIFIC DAY. About a SITUATION.

This question forces the client’s brain to recall a memory, not create a rationalization.

The first time I asked it, there was silence. About 5 seconds. I saw the client really going back in his mind to that moment.

„Well… it was Friday morning and I spent 4 hours again collecting data from three different systems. The boss came and asked about the report for Monday’s management meeting. I felt such shame, because another week the same thing. I thought – there must be a better way.”

See the difference?

Previous answer: „Good features, decent price.” Real answer: Shame in front of boss. Frustration that another Friday wasted on the same boring work. Fear of looking inefficient.

These are EMOTIONS. This is a SPECIFIC SITUATION. This is material for a campaign that will actually work.

Anatomy of the Real Purchase Moment

Before I show you how to use this in practice, let’s break down what’s hidden in the client’s answer.

In NEPQ (Neuro-Emotional Persuasion Questions) methodology, there are two engines of change: pain and fear of future pain. Without helping the client feel this pain, they don’t feel the need to change.

In our client’s answer we have:

Current pain: 4 hours wasted on manual work. Another Friday lost.

Fear of future pain: What if the boss considers me inefficient? What if because of this I lose a chance for promotion?

Dominant emotion: Shame. Feeling of doing something below their potential.

Trigger (triggering event): Specific boss visit with question about report.

Each of these elements is a potential communication angle for your campaign. And none of them is about „features” or „price”.

How to Conduct a Conversation That Discovers Truth

OK, you know the „decision day” question works. But one answer isn’t enough. You need a system.

Here’s what a full conversation discovering real purchase motivation looks like:

Step 1: Build context (2-3 minutes)

Start with casual conversation. Don’t jump right in with questions. People open up when they feel comfortable.

„Hi Tom, thanks for finding time. Before we get to specifics – how’s the week going? Lots of work?”

This isn’t a waste of time. It builds rapport and makes the client stop thinking „OK, this is an interview, I need to answer professionally” and start talking normally.

Step 2: Ask the magic question

„Listen, I’d like to better understand what attracted you to us. But I’m not interested in the standard answer like 'because the product was good’. I’d like you to go back in your mind to that moment when you decided you had to solve this. What did that day look like? What was happening then?”

Important: give the client time to answer. Silence is OK. His brain is currently searching memories.

Step 3: Deepen using the laddering technique

When the client gives an answer, don’t stop. Go deeper.

The laddering technique involves asking „Why?” three times in a row. Each answer takes you closer to real emotional motivation.

Client: „On Friday I spent 4 hours again collecting data.”

You: „And why was that a problem?”

Client: „Because I didn’t have time for strategic work.”

You: „And why was that important to you?”

Client: „Because I feel like I’m standing still professionally. Others are developing, and I’m sitting in Excel. Honestly? I was afraid that in a year I’d be in the same place.”

See what happened? We went from „4 hours wasted” to „fear of career stagnation”. This is the real engine.

Step 4: Extract emotions

Key question that most skip:

„What did you feel then?”

Simple. Direct. And incredibly effective.

People rarely talk about emotions unprompted. But when you ask them directly, they open up. And those emotions are gold for your marketing.

„I felt like an idiot to be honest. Everyone at the company thought I was sitting on Reddit and I was struggling with spreadsheets.”

Step 5: Look for trigger events

The purchase moment is rarely random. Usually it’s preceded by a specific event that tips the scales.

Questions that discover this:

„Was there something specific that happened that you decided to act right then?”

„How long had this problem existed before you started looking for a solution?”

„What made it NOW and not a month earlier?”

Answers to these questions show you triggers you can use in targeting. If a client says „right after quarterly review where the boss pointed out efficiency” – you know similar moments are opportunities to reach similar clients.

15 Questions That Discover Real Motivation

Here’s a complete set of questions I use in customer conversations. You don’t have to ask all – choose ones that fit the context.

Questions about decision moment:

1. „What did the day look like when you decided you had to solve this?”
2. „Go back in your mind to the moment when you first thought 'I need to do something about this’. What was happening then?”
3. „Was there a specific moment that was the last straw?”

Deepening questions (laddering):

4. „Why was that a problem for you?”
5. „And why was that important?”
6. „What would have happened if you hadn’t solved it?”

Questions about emotions:

7. „What did you feel then?”
8. „How did that situation affect you?”
9. „If you had to describe in one word what you felt that day – what word?”

Questions about context and trigger events:

10. „How long had this problem existed before you started looking for a solution?”
11. „What made you decide to act right then?”
12. „Was anyone else involved in this decision? What did they think?”

Questions about alternatives and past attempts:

13. „What did you try before to solve this?”
14. „Why didn’t those solutions work?”
15. „What were you looking for that you didn’t find elsewhere?”

Key principles:

Give the client time to answer. Silence is your friend. When you ask about memories, the brain needs a moment to recall them.

Don’t interrupt. Even when the client stops, wait. Often after a moment of silence they’ll add something that’s exactly that key insight.

Note EXACT words. Don’t paraphrase. Client says „I felt like an idiot” – write „I felt like an idiot”, not „was frustrated”. Those exact words you’ll use later in copy.

Use tone of interest and concern. In NEPQ they say tone of voice determines quality of answers. When you sound genuinely curious about the client’s situation, they open up more.

How to Analyze Answers

OK, you conducted 5-10 conversations. You have piles of notes. What now?

Create a simple table in Notion or Google Sheets:

Client	Decision day (situation)	Dominant emotion	Trigger event	Fear/pain	Exact quote

Fill it in for each conversation.

Look for patterns

After 5-10 conversations you’ll start seeing recurring elements:

Do similar situations repeat? Maybe 7 out of 10 clients mention „quarterly review” as trigger. This tells you when and how to target.

What emotions dominate? Shame? Frustration? Fear? Feeling behind? Each emotion suggests a different communication angle.

What exact words repeat? „Wasting time”, „feel like an idiot”, „boss watching”, „same thing again”. These words go straight into your copy.

Build Jobs To Be Done map

JTBD methodology says people „hire” products to do a specific job. This job has two dimensions:

Functional JTBD: What the product literally does. „Automates data collection from three systems.”

Emotional JTBD: How the client wants to FEEL after using the product. „I want to feel like I’m developing professionally instead of stuck in routine.”

From your conversations you extract both. And use both in communication.

Example from our case study:

Functional JTBD: Save 4 hours weekly on reporting.

Emotional JTBD: Stop feeling shame in front of boss. Do work that matters. Develop professionally.

Your campaign must address BOTH. But emotional is what drives the decision.

From Insights to Campaign: Practical Transformation

Back to my client. After conducting 8 conversations with their customers, we had a clear picture:

Dominant situation: Friday preparation of reports for Monday management meetings.

Dominant emotion: Shame and frustration. Feeling of wasting potential on manual work.

Main trigger: Boss’s question about status/report.

Functional JTBD: Automate data collection from multiple systems.

Emotional JTBD: Be seen as strategic employee, not „the spreadsheet person”.

Old messaging (before research):

Headline: „Automate reporting processes” Subheadline: „Collect data from 47 sources in one dashboard” CTA: „Start free trial”

This is messaging about PRODUCT. About features. About what the product does.

New messaging (after research):

Headline: „No more situations when boss asks about report and you spent half the day on manual work again” Subheadline: „Instead of collecting data from three systems every Friday, focus on work that actually shows your potential” CTA: „Reclaim your Fridays”

See the difference?

New messaging speaks customer language. Uses EXACT situations customers described. Addresses emotion (shame, frustration) not just function (automation).

Result: Qualified leads +40% in a month.

We didn’t change the product. We didn’t change targeting. We didn’t increase budget. We only changed how we talk about the product – to talk about WHAT actually motivates customers to buy.

Three Levels of Messaging Transformation

You can use insights from conversations at three levels:

Level 1: Headlines and main messages

This is simplest and fastest to implement. Take emotions and situations from conversations and make them into headlines.

Before: „Save time on reporting” After: „Stop wasting Fridays on boring reports”

Before: „All data in one place” After: „No more opening 5 spreadsheets to answer one boss question”

Level 2: Content and argumentation

Use exact customer quotes in content. You can anonymize them, but keep the tone.

„One of our clients told us: 'I felt like an idiot, another Friday I spent on the same thing. Boss asked about report and I didn’t have time for strategy again.’ Sound familiar?”

This writing style makes the reader think „that’s ME”. And that’s the strongest hook you can have.

Level 3: Targeting and segmentation

Trigger events you discovered suggest WHEN and WHERE to reach customers.

Clients talked about „quarterly review”? Consider retargeting campaign that activates at end of quarter.

Talked about „new boss who requires more reports”? Consider targeting people who recently changed jobs or have new manager.

Talked about „implementing new CRM that doesn’t integrate with rest”? Consider targeting companies that in last 6 months implemented Salesforce or HubSpot.

Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Mistake 1: You conduct too few conversations

One conversation is anecdote. Five conversations is beginning of pattern. Ten conversations is solid base for decisions.

Don’t draw conclusions from one or two answers. Wait until you see the same situations, emotions and triggers repeating.

Mistake 2: You paraphrase instead of quote

Client says: „I felt like the last idiot when boss asked for third time where the report was.”

You write: „Client was frustrated with reporting delays.”

NO. Write exactly what they said. Those words – „last idiot”, „third time asked” – that’s gold you’ll use in copy.

Mistake 3: You lead conversation instead of listening

Your job is to ask question and LISTEN. Not suggest answers. Not nod when client goes in „right” direction.

When client stops, don’t jump in with next question. Wait. Often after moment of silence they’ll add something that’s exactly that key insight.

Mistake 4: You only ask satisfied customers

Customers who bought and are satisfied are important source. But equally important are:

• Customers who bought but churned (why?)
• Potential customers who didn’t buy (what stopped them?)
• Customers who are „so-so” satisfied (what’s missing?)

Each group gives you different insights.

Mistake 5: You do research once and forget

Market changes. Customers change. Competition changes.

Customer conversations should be constant element of your process, not one-time project. At least once a quarter conduct new round of conversations and check if your assumptions are still current.

Integration with Broader Strategy: Where the „Magic Question” Fits

Discovering real purchase motivation is one element of larger market research process. Worth seeing how it connects with other elements.

In context of competitor research

When you analyze competitors, you look for how they communicate value. But most companies compete on feature level – „we have more integrations”, „we’re faster”, „we have better UX”.

When YOU discover real emotional customer motivations, you can communicate on level where competition doesn’t play at all. They talk about features, you talk about emotions. They talk about product, you talk about client’s life.

This is real differentiation. Not „we’re better at X” but „we understand what really hurts you”.

In context of positioning

Creating perceptual maps shows where white space is in market. But white space alone isn’t enough – you need to know if customers actually WANT what that space offers.

Customer conversations verify if your white space makes sense. Maybe you’ll discover what you thought was „untapped niche” is actually „niche nobody wants”.

In context of content marketing

Every quote from customer conversation is potential topic for article, post, webinar.

Client says „biggest problem is tools don’t integrate with each other”? Article: „How to choose tools that actually talk to each other”.

Client says „my boss doesn’t understand how much time X takes”? Article: „How to show boss real cost of manual processes (with numbers)”.

Your content starts answering REAL questions and problems instead of ones you imagined.

Quick Implementation Path

If you want to start tomorrow, here’s the minimum you need:

Week 1: Preparation

Identify 10 customers for conversation. Mix: 5 very satisfied, 3 moderately satisfied, 2 who churned or didn’t buy.

Prepare script with key questions (use 15 questions from this article as base).

Schedule conversations – 30 minutes each is enough.

Week 2-3: Conversations

Conduct 8-10 conversations. Record (with permission) or take detailed notes.

After each conversation immediately fill row in analytical table.

Week 4: Analysis and implementation

Review all answers. Find patterns.

Extract 3-5 main emotions/situations/triggers.

Rewrite 3 most important communication elements (main headline, subheadline, CTA) using new insights.

Month 2+: Testing

Launch A/B test: old messaging vs new messaging based on conversations.

Measure: CTR, conversion rate, quality of leads.

Iterate based on results.

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One question. Several conversations. 40% more qualified leads.

Not because it’s magic. But because you stop guessing what motivates your customers and start KNOWING.

What question do you ask your customers? Write me – I’m curious what you’re discovering.

What Next?

You now have two options.

Option A: You implement this yourself. You have framework, you have method, you have examples. This is solid foundation that can already change your campaign results.

Option B: You want to go deeper.

Because what you read is basic version. Foundation. In practice research is much more – purchase path analysis, touchpoint mapping, Jobs To Be Done segmentation, deep competitor communication analysis, message-market fit testing.

Companies that do this more thoroughly get better results. Not 10-20% better. 100-200% better.

If you feel your campaigns could work better, but don’t know where the problem is – let’s talk.

15 minutes. Specifically about your situation. I’ll tell you honestly if I see potential and if audit even makes sense.

→ Choose time in calendar: labroi.co/rozmowa

No commitment. No sales. If after conversation you decide you can handle it yourself – great. At least you’ll know where to start.

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Tom Piskorski Senior Marketing Campaign & Analytics Specialist 13+ years experience in Google Ads, Meta Ads and LinkedIn Ads campaigns for B2B companies across Europe. Managed budgets exceeding €500,000 monthly for over 100 clients.