effective customer interviewing: how to use interviews to discover business value
TRANSCRIPT
Adrian Howard (@adrianh) Effective Customer Interviewing
#agileotb
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Chatham House Rule
“When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed”
Who are you?
Stand up!(no — not that kind of standup)
A–B–C
A = SpeakerB = InterviewerC = Observer
Speakers:Shut your eyes…
Interviewers:Talk with the speaker about their best restaurant experience.
Interviewers:Do not take notes
Observers:Watch what happens. Write observations down.
🕑2 minutes
Reflection
Tip:Drink
B = SpeakerC = InterviewerA = Observer
Speakers:Shut your eyes…
Interviewers:Talk with the speaker about their best vacation experience.
Interviewers:… and one more thing …
Interviewers:After the first question – you cannot speak again. Shhhhh!
Interviewers:Do not take notes
Observers:Watch what happens. Write observations down.
🕑2 minutes
Reflection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Christopher_Macsurak_Fran_Lebowitz.jpg
– Fran Lebowitz
“The opposite of talking isn't listening
The opposite of talking is waiting”
Tip:Use silence
Tip:Pay attention to body language
C = SpeakerA = InterviewerB = Observer
Speakers:Shut your eyes…
Interviewers:Talk with the speaker about how they decorate & furnish their home.
Interviewers:… and one more thing …
Interviewers:After the 1st question you only ask “Can you tell me more about X?”
Interviewers:(where X is something the speaker
has previously mentioned)
Interviewers:Do not take notes
Observers:Watch what happens. Write observations down.
🕑4 minutes
Reflection
– Arthur Bloch
“Every clarification breeds new questions”
Tip:Reflect back what the speaker said
… and relax …
Why do we interview?
“If I had asked my customers what they wanted they would have said a faster horse”
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_ford_1919.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_ford_1919.jpg
“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own”
What is an interview?
An interview is not a… quiz survey negotiation pitch date conversation
Rapport & Empathy
Learn from your customer
(in)validate our assumptions
Who do you interview?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/artfulone/14206229674/sizes/l
https://www.flickr.com/photos/joncandy/5561310462
Tip:Bribes
Tip:Look for bored people
Go where your customers are
Tip:Don’t look scary
Tip:Go with somebody
Use your organisation
Tip:Sales, Marketing & Support
Use social media
Intercept recruiting
Recruiters
How many?
–Bill Vaughan
“We learn something every day, and lots of times it's that what we learned the day before was wrong.”
Don’t just use interviews for validation
buildlearn
measure
productdata
ideas
buildlearn
measure
productdata
ideas
buildlearn
measure
productdata
ideas
More interviewing tips…
Tip:Be polite
Tip:Ask open questions
Tip:Avoid leading questions
Tip:Avoid fortuneteller questions
Exercise time!
Today you found a startup!
Startup AExploring exciting ways to create a great experience eating out
Startup BHelping people have the vacation of their dreams
Startup CDemocratising professional interior decoration
What do you want to find out?
🕑Individually write down topics.
One topic per post-it.
🕑Group them as a team.
Then label groups.
Reflection
A = SpeakerB = InterviewerC = Observer
InterviewersGather info on your startup.Think about the list of topics.
Interviewers & ObserversTry and note down the things the speaker tells you
🕑5 minutes
Tip:• Silence & body language • Reflect back • Ask open questions • Do not ask leading & fortuneteller questions
Reflection
Tip:Observations vs Insights
Tip:Interview in pairs
Tip:Consider recording
B = SpeakerC = InterviewerA = Observer
Tip:• Silence & body language • Reflect back • Ask open questions • Do not ask leading & fortuneteller questions• Observations vs Insights
C = SpeakerA = InterviewerB = Observer
Tip:• Silence & body language • Reflect back • Ask open questions • Do not ask leading & fortuneteller questions• Observations vs Insights
Analysis & Synthesis
http://memegenerator.net/instance/54379154
You should interview your customers regularly
You should interview your customers regularly
You should interview your customers regularly
You should interview your customers regularly
You should interview your customers regularly
You should interview your customers regularly
STALKbefore you
TALKbefore you
SELL before you
BUILD
Practice, practice, practice
Do retrospectives
DO LESSTOGETHERMORE OFTEN
to do
MOREAdrian Howard (@adrianh)
quietstars.com
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