WK 5: Preparing For A Successful Customer Interview

Interviews are one of the most successful tools for entrepreneurs. You'll save time and money, get free advice, and possibly earn supporters.

You might spend a week writing your message by yourself, or you could ask ten people to describe the issue you're addressing. Customer interviews provide a boost of enthusiasm to your business. You should also never run out of energy.

Performing The Interview

As a student, I've been doing interviews for a long time, and I'm still learning how to do them effectively. However, I believe that using subjects and open questions to steer the discussion is the most successful method to conduct an interview. Only at the very end can you ask specific inquiries about a product or solution.

If you do it the other way around, you will simply be bolstering your own point of view while missing out on identifying gray zones.

We just conducted interviews with potential clients for our proposed concepts. To share some perspectives, here are some dos and don'ts while doing interviews that I strongly recommend.

Don't:

• Don't ask questions that have easy yes/no answers. Interviews should provide an opportunity to try new things and learn new things. Surveys are questions that have yes/no replies.
• Sentences should not be completed. If the interviewee is having difficulty answering questions, this is a red indicator.
• Don't be obnoxious, and don't be sentimental. Anything that starts with "Don't you..." or "Do you like..." automatically sets the tone for a productive discussion.
• Don't agree with/disagree with something. It reveals the answers you seek, and people adjust accordingly.
• Don't make any guarantees. There will be incredible interviews in which people will share their creative thoughts with you. Thank you, but don't screw yourself over by stating it'll be incorporated to the plan.
• Set no deadlines.

Do:

• Keep your mouth closed. It's tough to be silent when discussing a topic that you care about, but whatever you say will influence the feedback.
• Begin by posing open-ended questions. "Tell me about...", "How do you feel about...", "Could you describe...", "How do you feel about...", "What about..."
• Avoid referencing companies or brands as much as possible. Allow the other person to accomplish it on their own.
• Send a thank-you email as well as a few notes to demonstrate that their time was well spent. Show that you paid attention and received helpful feedback.

My Insights

Customer interviews, as I mentioned in the opening, gives fuel for your team. All remarks, comments, and suggestions must be shared with the team.

Sharing knowledge is the most effective way to build trust. It aids my team in reaching a shared understanding based on facts rather than opinions. The more quantitative and qualitative data we can collect, the easier it will be to hold fruitful dialogues.

Receiving consumer feedback is a terrific method for us to stay motivated. A simple quote from a happy customer can be quite powerful. It adds weight to the challenging debates, talks, and hard labor. It gives the product development process a more human touch.