How to Conduct Effective Customer Interviews

Product managers (and also entrepreneurs and CEOs) are responsible for understanding clients/users needs, identifying opportunities, validate ideas and executing fast. To do that, we can use quantitative data from our analytic tools and qualitative data from engaging with clients/users. In most cases, to really identify opportunities and innovate, we need to talk to our clients and even potential clients. Doing it wrong may result in a lot of time and money wasted on developing the wrong features. Sometimes,it can even mean success or failure when launching your products! 

As a B2C and B2B Product Manager, I've spent countless hours conducting customer interviews. I learned directly from top professionals in the sales, negotiations, and psychology domains. I iterated many times until I found a highly converting workflow for discovering the real truth behind what customers really need, versus what they want or ask for (which is not always the same). How effective is this workflow you ask? 

When I finish a customer interview, I end the conversation with one hundred percent confidence that I understand their exact needs. This provides me with what I need in order to prioritize my next steps while building a closer relationship with my customer. 

Today, I am very happy with the results of our customer interviews conducted by my team members, all of which utilize this method. 

Here is a glimpse at what my customer interviews look like.

The building blocks of a highly effective customer interview include 3 parts: 

1. Opening introduction
2. Primary discussion
3. Conclusion 

Here's how it looks if it were a graph (more details below):

The above chart indicates the time spent talking during a client conversation. During the opening introduction and the conclusion is when our team does the most talking. But during the primary discussion, that is when it is most important to listen well and ask the right questions!

Let’s walk through each building block and what it includes.

Opening Introduction - Build your status

The opening section is supercritical to what your interview is going to look like. This is your time to build your status. If you lack in this part, you can find your customer not listening to you and waiting. 

The opening section includes the following:

1. First greetings: Remember these 3 and make sure you do them: Shake hands. Smile. Repeat their name. (If it's an online conversation ignore the handshaking unless you want to be treated like you may be crazy). Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
2. Ice-breaking: Find a topic that is unrelated to the interview topic. so you can both have a quick chat. Weather is obvious, but you can try researching the person’s background before the meeting and find mutual interests. Position yourself as a friend, not an enemy. People don't like to be 'sold' immediately. Build a relationship.
3. Establishing your (and the company's) status: Introduce yourself and your company in a way that builds your reputation. People like to talk to those "in charge" and people who "know what they are doing". Same for companies, they want to know they are/will be doing business with a successful company. This is a super important part. Build your 2 or 3 sentence pitch wisely. If you don't have an extensive track record, fake it!

• Setting expectations: Now you are getting closer to the reason you set this meeting. You want to make all of the customer's fears go away and focus his attention on what matters the most - your interview and the product. Here are the things you must consider before jumping into asking questions:What is the goal of this conversation - so they know what to expect and "what do you want from them" (yes, I know you already talked over the mail. Do it again to refresh).
• Let them know that there are no right or wrong answers. People are afraid to look “stupid” by giving "wrong" answers and sometimes won't share the truth. Let them feel comfortable sharing anything.
• Consider the timeframe of this meeting and how long it will take You don't want your customer to ask himself "how much time left?" "is it going to end soon?" every time you are asking a question.
• How is this conversation going to be held? Are you going to ask leading questions? Do you want him to freely share their thoughts? Let your customer know who's going to moderate it and what you are expecting from them.

Primary Discussion - Ask and listen

This is your money time -when you need to make sure you get all the information you need by asking the right questions and navigating the conversation. 

If you are NOT doing the following things in your interviews, you are doing it wrong!

1. The 20/80 rule of talking. If you are talking more than your client, stop it now! Follow the 20/80 rule - you talk 20% of the time while your customer is talking 80%. Your goal here is to ask the right questions, listen to the answers and navigate the conversation accordingly.
2. Dive deep into your customer's problems and needs. Focus on needs/problems, find solutions later. People won’t reveal the real needs in their first answer. Get to the real problems/ needs by drilling in with ‘Why?’ or ‘That’s interesting. Please tell me more…” questions to get the customer to dive deeper and get closer to the truth.
3. Validate needs/problems by getting to "That's right". You can not finish the discussion without being 100% sure you truly understand the client's needs. Do that by mirroring his answer using "Just want to make sure I understand what you are saying.." sentences followed by the need/problem you identified. You'll know you understand when the client responds with "That's right", "That's correct" or any other form of approval. "That's right" is super powerful not just in helping you validate needs but also makes the client feel you really listen and care about them! This makes them want to share more and tell you all the truth. A good benchmark is when you get to at least 3 ‘That’s right’ in an interview, that can mean you are understanding your customer.
4. Leave room for general feedback that is unrelated to your questions. Something like: "Is there anything else you want us to know that we haven't covered?". Maybe you'll find something interesting, and again, you leave your client feel like you respected their time and insights.
5. Prioritize the client’s needs using the one question that matters the most. So you've been talking about many different things and this important customer has different needs. Finalize the main discussion with this question that leaves my interviewers impressed and thinking even after the discussion has come to a close. Ask them: 

"What if I can give you the power to stop us from doing what we are doing now and develop one thing and one thing only! What would it be?"

This question will get the client to tell you what exactly is their biggest need or most important for them. The one thing you should build first! Don’t skip this! Is don't forget to validate this too and get them to say "That's right".

Conclusion - The roots for a future relationship

This is when the meeting is ready to come to a close, and leave a good impression for the future relationship.

1. Thank them for their time. You start by thanking your customer for his patience and time answering your questions. Make him feel appreciated and special.
2. Recap. Quickly go through what you have been talking about and what you've learned from your client (the needs you've uncovered together and those you got "That's right" on). You should aim for another ‘That’s right’ at the end of the recap to make a final validation that you are all aligned.
3. Explain what you are going to do with what you learned during this conversation. E.g. “We are going to address these issues in our roadmap this Q” or something like, "Feedback like this helps us make sure we are building a roadmap that delivers the best value for you". Give them a chance to understand the value of their inputs.
4. Follow up. If there is a required follow up, tell your client what to expect next. For example, if you decided that the client would be a beta tester, let the client know you are going to talk to them again in ‘X’ amount of time

Finally, say bye to the client with a thank you and an honest smile, followed by his/her name.

To summarize, here’s what your customer interviews should include in each part:

Key Takeaways

Consulting customer interviews the right way can be the difference between success and failure. It is what innovative companies excel in and will definitely save any company tons of working hours and mistakes. It’s not easy to follow but it’s a method anybody can use. It's not an inborn trait, it’s a skill you can develop. Like any product, this also needs ongoing optimization, but learn what works best and feels natural to you. 

Is there anything else you believe is a must for highly effective customer interviews?  

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Originally published at https://prodacttips.wordpress.com on February 3, 2020.