DOJO
How can we rock customer interviews? In every B2B or B2C business case there comes a time when you really need to have a closer look at your customer’s needs, motivations and positive/negative experiences with your product. Here we’ll take a closer look at how to prepare for these interviews, select the right customers for them and formulate questions that will evoke valuable discussions and insights. You’ll also learn more about how to take notes during the interview and what to do with all of your data once the interviews are over.
Note: This exercise is intended for individual or team sales agents as a way to practice and reinforce learning. Incorporate this practice into your day and, if possible, into your ongoing sales work. This practice shouldn’t take you more than 10-15 minutes a day. Good luck and have fun!
Introduction: We often need to be asked the same question a few times (or framed in new ways) in order to unearth a more meaty or authentic answer. When conducting customer interviews it can be a good idea to repeat your most important questions (perhaps framing them also in a new light) thus giving your customers more of a chance to tell you the real reason behind their actions (or inaction). It simply takes time and persistence to get to the bottom of our own motivations/pain points. Try this practice for yourself to see this in action.
Step 1: Find a friend or colleague to work with. Ask the other person to think of a spontaneous decision they made in the last month. It could be anything like a random trip on the weekend or an unplanned purchase. Frame this exercise as a fun and relaxing activity that you are both meant to enjoy. Request that they answer you spontaneously when you ask questions.
Step 2: Ask the person “Why did you do/go to ______ ” (name the thing they did or place they went to), and make note of their answer. Ask your friend to be as specific as possible when describing the situation and spare you no detail. Imagine you are a journalist and your task will be to write an authentic article based on your findings or a screen director and it is your task to film a documentary about this situation show casing all aspects of the process.
Step 3: Ask them the same question again, and again (up to 10 times) making note of how their answer changes and/or evolves. Instead of simply asking the question bluntly again right after every answer, give your friend some room to elaborate and then "jump" back to a certain point she mentioned and ask for more details. If it takes your conversation partner more time to answer the question after several repetitions or if they give the same answer more than once, that is OK.
Step 4: Reflect together with your conversation partner on the various answers provided to the same, repeated question. Did the answer evolve into something deeper or not? Have you been able to learn anything new about the person's bigger motivations or pain points?
Step 5: Switch roles and go through steps 1-4 again.
Goal for the week:
Tuesday: practice “10 times” with 1 friend
Wednesday: practice “10 times” with a different friend
Thursday: practice “10 times” with another person.