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Q & A QuickStart Interview EXAMPLE
The "People In-the-Know" Interview

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Step Two:
Study the "example" below, THEN go to Step Three (after example)

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A Modern Twist On An Old Idea

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Interview with:

John Persons,

Entrenpreneur, owner of Retro Redesigns, fictional home decor specialists

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Q: What do you consider timeless? 

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A: Pretty much ... well ... everything!  Afterall, I am in the retro redecorating business.  You could say that time sort of "stands still" for me!  But seriously, the truth is there are quite a few designs that don't make it, that fall by the wayside, that are lost to the tides of time, while other designs keep making a comeback every so often.  Right now, we're seeing designs from the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties returning to the scene.  But not everything from those eras make a reappearance.  Only a few.  Those few designs that have the strength to reclaim their place in history are "timeless" ...

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Notes:  As you can see by the example above that your goal is to make your answer as personable & friendly as possible, share real-life stories, victories & challenges that you faced over the years as you pursued your interest, funny stories, dramatic events that happened to you, remember your goal is to let your potential new customers get to know & like you ...

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(see my About Us page for a further example - your wirting does not need to be as elaborate as our About Us page, but the first few paragraphs should give you an idea of how to weave the number of years you have been doing something in with some personal friendly stories, observations & opinions)

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Q: How did you get started in this business?  And why?

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A:  I like collecting old junk.  Old glass soda bottles.  Old movie posters.  Old travel trunks.  If it's old, I'm drawn like a moth to the flame to it.  And have to buy it.  Whatever it is.  I filled up every room in my house, my garage, dozens of storage units with old junk.  Finally, my wife threatened to leave me unless I found a way to get rid of it.  So, I started this business and have been in it ever since.

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Notes:  When we ask you to share your personal life with potential customers, we're not asking you to tell your whole life story.  We are suggesting that you share a few personal details of your  life that put you on the path towards what & where you are today.  And to do it in such a way that helps your customers come to Know, Like & Trust You ...

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Q: Old junk???

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A: Well, it's not really junk.  Most of it is quite valuable actually.  Antiques.  Collectibles.  I just call it "junk" to make it easier for me to part with it.  A lot of this stuff I become quite attached to.  I learn about its history, as much of its history as I can uncover.  I discover why it was made, who owned it, what it meant to them.  For example, one particular music box was actually designed and built for a wealthy man's only daughter as a birthday gift.  The little girl was quite ill and didn't have long to live.  The wealthy man kept the music box until the day he died, long after his little girl had passed away.  Knowing the history of that music box gave it a lot more meaning and value to me personally.

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Notes:  Remember, people don't buy from strangers.  They have to get to know you before they'll feel comfortable enough to buy from you.  They have to not only believe that you'll meet their needs, but have confidence that you'll exceed them!  They need to know that they can count on you to do what you say you'll do.  In the example above, knowing that the history of the music box meant something to John Persons helped us get an insight into the character of the man.  This may not completely convince a potential customer that they can believe in him, but it's the beginning of building the foundation of a new customer-merchant relationship.  Why?  Because customers have family too and dreams and fears.

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Q: What would you say is the biggest challenge you face nowadays when helping your customers?

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A: The biggest challenge is helping them find their "inspiration piece" ... you know, that one item that is the heart & soul of their retro redesign ... the piece that speaks to them and also tells their story ... once you find "that piece" everything else begins to fall in place ...

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Notes:  a person who cares about inspiration is a person who is dedicated to what they do, committed to a job well-done, and cares about the quality of their work.  This is one more building block in the customer-merchant relationship-building process!   

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Q: What would you say is the Dream or Goal that most of your customers are trying to achieve when they come to you?

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A:  Most of my customers are trying to recapture a time in their life when there were less pressures, what most of us call the good ol' days, usually a time in their childhood.  For me, it was those warm summer days that I spent on my grandma's farm, playing on the tire swing, feeding the chickens and swimming in the pond.  Therefore, anything that can rekindle memories of those wonderful childhood adventures is something that will capture my interest.

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Notes:  Find ways to connect with your potential customers by sharing memories that will warm their heart.  They may not have the same memories, but they have memories of their own.  By opening up your heart to them, you help bridge the distance, help overcome their fears and take those first steps towards building a solid, trusting customer-merchant relationship. 

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Q: What final advice would you give people when doing a retro redesign?

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A: Choose a theme and stick to it!  Too often people bounce around all over the place, different eras, different styles.  The result is no rhyme or reason, no sense of drama or story.  Just an eclectic mess.  I recently did a retro redesign on a family's movie room.  I redesigned it to look like a 1950s drive-in theater.  Everything in that room from the old 1957 Chevy (I cut an actual 57 Chevy in half and set it down in the middle of their room in front of a big screen TV) to the old 1950s movie posters on the wall to the murals of girls on roller skates in poodle skirts, all stayed true to the theme.

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Notes:  Why should your potential customers spend their hard-earned money with you when they can go down the street to the local chain-store and get the same thing for less (or what appears to be the same thing for less)?  It's up to you to show them, convince them that what you have to offer is better, different, truly unique and that your passion for what you do and committment to superior customer service sets you not only apart but above and beyond the competition!

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Q: If I looked in your home or office or at your wardrobe, what would you say your "style" is?

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A: One word: retro!

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Notes: it never hurts to leave 'em with a smile on their face!

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go2 Step Three >

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