3 Tips For Writing The Best Lead Generation Questions

Last updated on February 28th, 2025 at 12:45 am

How can you generate leads effectively when you are serving several different customer segments?

That’s what survey funnels are for – you ask each lead to fill out a survey so that you could then direct them to an offer that is the most relevant to them.

Today we are going to share three tips for creating great lead generation questions for your survey funnel…

What is a Survey Funnel?

Okay, so before we get into our tips, let’s talk about survey funnels in more detail.

Survey funnels are the easiest way to identify who is visiting your page so that you could:

1. Use sales messaging that resonates with them
2. Make targeted offers based on who they are

You should use a funnel like that when you are selling a product that appeals to several different customer segments.

For Example:

If your product appeals to both men and women, then you might face a dilemma…

Should you:

1. Use generic copy that doesn’t truly resonate with either men or women?
2. Use targeted copy that deeply resonates with one gender but excludes the other gender?

You’d end up losing sales either way.

However, with a survey funnel, you can ask the potential customer whether they are a man or a woman…

And then provide a buying experience that was designed with that gender in mind.

Of course, this is a super basic example of a survey funnel, typically they include 5-10 questions.

Tip #1: Use This Proven Survey Structure

We have observed that this survey structure works well:

1. Self-identifying question
2. Subject-based question
3. Self-declaring their level of skill question
4. Self-declaring their biggest challenge question
5. Educating and clarifying question
6. Random curiosity-based question

The first question is called the bucket question and it determines where the potential customer will be sent to next.

But what’s the point of having five more questions, then?

Subsequent questions serve to:

1. Increase the potential customer’s level of commitment – After they have answered six questions, they will be eager to get the promised lead magnet. This makes them more likely to provide their email address.
2. Get them to think about the problem that they are struggling with – This makes them more likely to be receptive when you offer a solution to it.
3. Provide social proof – You can use the subject-based question to provide social proof by asking them where they first heard about your business. This increases trust and makes the potential customer more likely to buy from you. We will show you how we do this later in this article.

Always remember that you aren’t just asking them random questions, you are setting the stage for the conversion.

Tip #2: Use Survey Questions to Evoke Emotion

You should not only get the potential customer to think about the problem, but you should also make them feel the pain associated with it.

You can do that by phrasing the answers in a way that evokes emotion.

For Example:

Matthew Hussey, a world-renowned dating coach, has a survey funnel on his homepage that he uses to direct women to the offer that is the most relevant to them.

He could simply ask potential customers “What is your greatest dating and relationships challenge?”, then provide these answers:

• Understanding men
• Talking to men
• Texting men
• Getting men to commit
• Getting over an ex
• Feeling confident

These answers describe the common problems that women struggle with.

But the issue is that they don’t evoke emotions.

And people make decisions based on how they feel – including buying decisions.

That’s why Matthew takes a different approach – he asks potential customers “Which statement best applies to your situation?”, then provides these answers:

• I want to stop feeling so confused by him. Please help me understand how men think and what they want.
• I’m so stressed I’ll say the wrong thing to him. Please give me examples of what to say and text in every scenario so I feel confident and get the result I want.
• I want true love and the security of knowing it will last forever. Please help me get the committed relationship with him that I deserve.
• I’m desperate for relief from this heartache. Please help me rekindle my relationship or get over my ex for good.
• I’m feeling “stuck”. Please help me get the confidence to go after what I really want in life – and believe I deserve it.

See how these answers describe the same problems, but they immediately evoke the pain associated with those challenges?

Tip #3: Add a Lead Scoring Question

Lead scoring is a way to determine lead quality so that you could then prioritize high-quality leads that are the most likely to convert into paying customers.

You can develop a simple lead scoring system by dividing leads into three categories:

1. Leads that are the most likely to convert
2. Leads that are somewhat likely to convert
3. Leads that are unlikely to convert

Analyze your business data to learn what leads that fall into each of these three categories have in common.

Then come up with a survey question that would allow you to identify which category the potential customer taking the survey belongs to.

Use that to set up an automation where you get notified via email whenever a lead that is highly likely to convert enters your sales funnel.

Obviously, if you are selling a product or service that doesn’t require one-on-one interactions with leads to close sales, then there’s no reason to have a lead scoring question in your survey funnel.

However, if you run a business where you have to close deals via calls or emails, then this approach can help you drastically increase sales.

After all, when someone has just signed up to your email list, your company is on their mind. You need to strike while the iron is hot!

Survey Funnel Case Study: ClickFunnels

Did you know that we feature a survey funnel on our homepage?

We start by asking the visitor to choose the answer that best describes their business or service.

Let’s say that they choose the “Information Products” answer.

Then we ask them where did they hear about ClickFunnels.

This question:

1. Helps us collect data that we can then use to optimize our lead generation strategy.
2. Provides social proof which increases the likelihood of that potential customer converting into a lead.

Clever, right?

Then we ask them how long they have been in business:

After that we ask them if they are currently working on a sales funnel:

Then we ask them what is their most common struggle.

This question prompts the potential customer to think about their greatest challenge…

Which makes them more likely to be receptive when we offer a solution to that problem later on.

Now that the potential customer has completed the survey, we congratulate them and encourage them to check out the case study.

Why don’t we take them to the case study straight away?

Because this survey completion step:

1. Gives the potential customer a sense of achievement.
2. Gets them excited about the case study that they are about to see.
3. Increases their commitment because they need to click the call-to-action button to get access to the case study.

Then we display this pop-up that indicates that the case study is being generated:

You might wonder why does it take so long for the case study to load… Is this 1999??

Calm down. We have built a nine-figure software company. We know how to create web pages that load fast.

But we are intentionally making the potential customer wait in order to:

1. Emphasize that the case study is relevant to them
2. Make them even more excited about it

Once the case study “loads”, we display this pop-up:

When the potential customer submits their email address, we immediately take them to the case study page that features a video in which Natalie shares her story.

Note how by asking for the potential customer’s email address in exchange for the case study we have obtained their contact details.

That means that even if they decide not to sign up for our free trial today, we can continue nurturing that relationship by providing free value via email.

Then, if one day they decide that they need funnel building software after all, what will be the first app that comes to their mind?

That’s right.

ClickFunnels!

Want to Learn How to Convert Leads Into Paying Customers?

Generating leads is not enough.

You need to convert them into paying customers and then into repeat customers.

Our co-founder, Russell Brunson, has created a system for that. It’s called the Value Ladder sales funnel. Want to learn more about it?

Our 5 Day Challenge will show you exactly how to implement it in your business.

You will learn how to:

• Generate unlimited leads
• Create your first lead magnet
• Build your first sales funnel
• Create a simple 6-email follow-up sequence
• And launch your funnel

…in just five days!

So don’t hesitate.

Join our 5 Day Challenge. It’s completely free!