Main Takeaways: -Understanding types of customer interviews .Identifying right audience for the interview -Recognizing untold stories of customer -To-Dos that makes interview successfu -Don'ts to avoid during customer interviews -Simple framework for Customer Interview Lifecycle

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The Art of Conducting Customer Interviews by
Microsoft Prod Lead

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5. The Art of Conducting
Customer Interviews
NIRAV PATEL, PRODUCT LEADER AT

6. OUTLINE
1. Types of Customer Interviews
2. Identifying Right Audience
3. Balancing What and How Sides
4. Recognizing Untold Stories
5. To-Dos for Successful Interviews
6. Don’ts to Avoid Failure
7. DIAPER Framework
8. Wrap-up
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7. TYPES OF CUSTOMER INTEVIEWS, AND WHAT TO EXPECT
DURING MARKET
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
RIGHT AFTER PILOT
OR SOFT LAUNCH
TO ANALYZE NEED
OF NEW FEATURES
PART OF RUN AND
GROWTH PHASE
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8. REGULAR END
USERS
SME LEVEL
USERS
MANAGERIAL
USERS
LEADERSHIP
USERS
Operational Use
Cases
Handle Special
Scenarios
Productivity, Cost
and Time Control
Employee Morale
Efficiency Related
Points
Explore Options
for Same Work
Quality of Delivery
Competition,
Long-term Goals
IDENTIFY RIGHT AUDIENCE FOR INTERVIEWS – “TYPE OF USERS”
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9. WHEN KNOWN, KEEP THE INTERVIEW…
PRECISE, CAN BE DETAILED, RECURRING.
WHEN STRANGER, KEEP THE INTERVIEW…
BRIEF, CAN COVER MORE TOPICS, ONE TIME.
IDENTIFY RIGHT AUDIENCE – “KNOWN” VS. “STRANGER”
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10. BALANCING “WHAT” AND “HOW” SIDES IN INTERVIEWS
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11. RECOGNIZING UNTOLD STORIES
1. What motivates your customer to use the product!
2. Does product support their JTBD (Jobs To Be Done)?
3. Dive into their Problems and Struggling moments
4. Find out how same functionalities are used differently
5. Learn customer’s habits (watch their action/usage)
6. Any buying barriers? (budget, current product etc.)
7. Any usage barriers due to seasonality factor?
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12. HOW MANY CUSTOMERS YOU
SHOULD INTERVIEW?
• Generally, 5 to 6 customers in each
category and/or persona
• No more than 10, or it will most probably
fetch repetitive outcome
BRING CONSISTENCY IN CONDUCTING
INTERVIEWS FOR SAME TOPIC
• It helps to stay focused on desired outcome
and driving interviews efficiently
• It will also help to uncover specific usage
patterns and trends, if exist
TO DOs, to make INTERVIEWS SUCCESSFUL
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13. HOW TO APPROACH IT?
• Start with easy, fact-based questions
• Keep it casual and relaxed
• Make it face to face (or video call)
• Include some broader questions
• Show genuine interest in what customer
explains (his/her point of view)
• Ask probing questions, to fetch better
insights for the topic
HOW TO MAKE IT EFFECTIVE?
• Building rapport with customer in advance
always helps
• Practice effective listening, to isolate the
noise during conversation
• Focus on questions that help you to validate
your understanding of problem statement
• Cross check your understanding, to be on
same page (reflective listening)
TO DOs, to make INTERVIEWS SUCCESSFUL Continued…
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14. DON’Ts, to avoid FAILURE!
• No Presentations or Product demos
• Don’t ask Leading Questions
• No WHY, or it triggers rational mind
• Don’t keep asking lot of questions
• Control strong reactions to response
• Don’t reflect negativity in your tone
• Don’t be defensive for negative
responses from customer
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15. DEFINE
01
Define your
interview scope
and desired
outcome.
IDENTIFY
02
Identify right
customer audience
to conduct your
interviews.
ARRANGE
03
Arrange
interviews and
start building
rapport.
PREPARE
04
Prepare the plan
& questionnaire
to conduct the
interviews.
EXECUTE
05
Execute the
interviews as per
your plan, staying
result oriented
REVIEW
06
Review the
outcome, clarify as
necessary and
consolidate.
INTERVIEW MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK – “DIAPER”
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16. QUESTIONS?
Post your questions in the chat window or send them to me via email listed on last slide.
I will try to revert ASAP.
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17. NEXT STEPS
1. Please submit feedback using link or QR code below.
I will also copy it inside the chat window.
❑ It should not take more than a minute!
❑ Link - https://forms.office.com/r/RnxyXFCfde
2. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. Details
available on last slide.
3. Prepare for your next customer interview using the
points we covered today. Try to practice mock
interview with a colleague or friend.
4. Let me know how future customer interviews go!! ☺☺
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18. CONTACT ME :
PRODUCT SCHOOL
https://productschool.com/instructor/Nirav-Patel
LINKEDIN
https://www.linkedin.com/in/niravp1
EMAIL
nirav.p.patel@gmail.com
Nirav Patel Product Leader at Microsoft

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