You're conducting a marketing research interview. How can you avoid common mistakes?

1 Prepare your questions

Before you start your interview, make sure you have a clear and specific research objective, and design your questions accordingly. Avoid asking leading, loaded, or double-barreled questions that can influence or confuse your respondents. Use open-ended questions that allow them to express their opinions, feelings, and experiences in their own words. Also, avoid asking too many or too complex questions that can overwhelm or bore your respondents.

2 Choose your mode

Depending on your research goal, budget, and availability, you can conduct your interviews in person, by phone, or online. Each mode has its advantages and disadvantages, so choose the one that suits your needs best. For example, in-person interviews can provide more depth and rapport, but they can also be more costly and time-consuming. Phone interviews can be more convenient and flexible, but they can also suffer from low response rates and poor audio quality. Online interviews can be more accessible and scalable, but they can also lack nonverbal cues and personal connection.

3 Test your interview

Before you launch your interview, it is crucial to test it with a small sample of your target population. This will help you identify and fix any problems with your questions, mode, or technology. Testing your interview will also give you an opportunity to practice your skills as an interviewer, such as listening, probing, and recording. You can also use this opportunity to estimate the length and response rate of your interview, and adjust your plan accordingly.

4 Build rapport and trust

One of the most important aspects of conducting a successful interview is to establish a good relationship with your respondent. This will make them more comfortable and willing to share their honest and detailed feedback. To build rapport and trust, you should introduce yourself and your research purpose, explain the interview process and expectations, assure them of confidentiality and anonymity, and thank them for their participation. You should also use a friendly and respectful tone, and avoid interrupting, judging, or arguing with your respondent.

5 Follow up and analyze

After you finish your interview, you should not forget to follow up with your respondent. You can send them a thank-you note, a summary of the main points, or a copy of the final report. This will show them that you appreciate their input and value their contribution. You should also analyze your interview data as soon as possible, while it is still fresh in your mind. You can use various methods to organize, code, and interpret your data, such as thematic analysis, content analysis, or grounded theory. The goal is to identify the key themes, patterns, and insights that answer your research question.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?