Market Research Interviews Do’s and Don’ts for Actionable Insights
Market Research Interviews Do’s and Don’ts for Actionable Insights
Market Research Interviews Do’s and Don’ts for Actionable Insights
Conducting market research interviews is both an art and a science. The goal is to get honest, in-depth feedback that you can act on. To help you succeed, here’s a handy list of do’s and don’ts when interviewing customers or prospects for market research. These tips apply whether you’re talking to everyday consumers (B2C) or business stakeholders (B2B), with a focus on making the most of each conversation.
Conducting market research interviews is both an art and a science. The goal is to get honest, in-depth feedback that you can act on. To help you succeed, here’s a handy list of do’s and don’ts when interviewing customers or prospects for market research. These tips apply whether you’re talking to everyday consumers (B2C) or business stakeholders (B2B), with a focus on making the most of each conversation.
Image courtesy of Charlesdeluvio via Unsplash
Do’s
Do’s
Do Define Your Objective Upfront: Be clear on what you want to learn before the interview. Having a defined goal (e.g. understanding why users churn, or what features they want next) helps you ask the right questions and stay on track. This ensures the insights you gather are aligned with your research needs.
Do Recruit the Right Participants: Make sure the people you’re interviewing match your target profile. If you need insights on a product for working parents, for example, interviewing single college students won’t help. For B2B, ensure you talk to folks who have the knowledge you seek (like a CTO for tech stack questions or an end-user for usability feedback). A small number of well-chosen participants can be more valuable than a large number of random ones.
Do Prepare a Discussion Guide: Write down your questions in advance and organize them logically
fastercapital.com
. Start with broad questions and then get more specific. A guide keeps you focused and ensures you don’t forget important topics. It also brings consistency if multiple researchers are conducting interviews. That said, think of it as a roadmap – you can take detours during the conversation if something interesting comes up, but it’s there to guide you back.Do Ask Open-Ended Questions: The best insights often come from open-ended questions that let people explain things in their own words. Use questions starting with “How…”, “Why…”, “What…”, and “Can you describe…”. For example, “What do you think about the new feature we introduced?” will yield richer information than “Do you like the new feature?” (which can be answered with a simple yes/no). Open-ended questions invite stories, opinions, and details.
Do Listen Actively: Pay full attention to the participant’s answers. Show that you’re listening by nodding or giving small verbal cues. Follow up on interesting points. If they mention something intriguing or unclear, ask “Could you tell me more about that?” Active listening not only makes the interviewee feel valued, it also often uncovers the why behind their initial statements.
Do Probe and Clarify: Don’t hesitate to ask “Why?” or “How so?” when an interviewee gives an answer that could be deeper. If someone says, “I don’t like the app,” follow up with “What specifically don’t you like about it?” If they give a brief answer, encourage them with a prompt like “Can you give an example?” These probes can turn a shallow response into a goldmine of insight.
Do Make the Interviewee Comfortable: Start with a friendly introduction and easy ice-breaker questions. Explain that there are no wrong answers and that their honesty is appreciated. If they seem nervous or unsure, reassure them. A comfortable participant is a candid participant. Small things like offering them water (in person) or acknowledging that their time is valuable can put them at ease.
Do Stay Neutral and Non-Judgmental: Keep your tone and body language neutral no matter what is said. If an interviewee complains about something you love, or vice versa, avoid any sign of defensiveness or shock. Responding with “That’s really interesting to hear, thanks for explaining that,” is a good neutral approach. People will open up more if they sense you truly welcome their perspective without judgment.
Do Take Notes (or Record): Take note of key points, especially things that strike you as important or surprising. If you have consent to record, do that – it’s easier to review later. Writing down verbatim quotes for especially poignant comments can be useful for reports. Even if you record, jotting down timestamps or quick impressions (“really hates feature X” or “lit up when talking about Y”) can guide your analysis later.
Do Adapt to B2B vs B2C Differences: If you’re interviewing business professionals (B2B), remember they might use more industry jargon or focus on ROI, efficiency, and professional outcomes. Consumers (B2C) might focus more on personal convenience, cost, and enjoyment. Tailor your questions accordingly. For instance, a B2B interview might include “How does this solution impact your team’s workflow?”, whereas a B2C one might ask “How does this product fit into your daily routine?” Both aim to get actionable insights but speak the language of the interviewee.
Do Define Your Objective Upfront: Be clear on what you want to learn before the interview. Having a defined goal (e.g. understanding why users churn, or what features they want next) helps you ask the right questions and stay on track. This ensures the insights you gather are aligned with your research needs.
Do Recruit the Right Participants: Make sure the people you’re interviewing match your target profile. If you need insights on a product for working parents, for example, interviewing single college students won’t help. For B2B, ensure you talk to folks who have the knowledge you seek (like a CTO for tech stack questions or an end-user for usability feedback). A small number of well-chosen participants can be more valuable than a large number of random ones.
Do Prepare a Discussion Guide: Write down your questions in advance and organize them logically
fastercapital.com
. Start with broad questions and then get more specific. A guide keeps you focused and ensures you don’t forget important topics. It also brings consistency if multiple researchers are conducting interviews. That said, think of it as a roadmap – you can take detours during the conversation if something interesting comes up, but it’s there to guide you back.Do Ask Open-Ended Questions: The best insights often come from open-ended questions that let people explain things in their own words. Use questions starting with “How…”, “Why…”, “What…”, and “Can you describe…”. For example, “What do you think about the new feature we introduced?” will yield richer information than “Do you like the new feature?” (which can be answered with a simple yes/no). Open-ended questions invite stories, opinions, and details.
Do Listen Actively: Pay full attention to the participant’s answers. Show that you’re listening by nodding or giving small verbal cues. Follow up on interesting points. If they mention something intriguing or unclear, ask “Could you tell me more about that?” Active listening not only makes the interviewee feel valued, it also often uncovers the why behind their initial statements.
Do Probe and Clarify: Don’t hesitate to ask “Why?” or “How so?” when an interviewee gives an answer that could be deeper. If someone says, “I don’t like the app,” follow up with “What specifically don’t you like about it?” If they give a brief answer, encourage them with a prompt like “Can you give an example?” These probes can turn a shallow response into a goldmine of insight.
Do Make the Interviewee Comfortable: Start with a friendly introduction and easy ice-breaker questions. Explain that there are no wrong answers and that their honesty is appreciated. If they seem nervous or unsure, reassure them. A comfortable participant is a candid participant. Small things like offering them water (in person) or acknowledging that their time is valuable can put them at ease.
Do Stay Neutral and Non-Judgmental: Keep your tone and body language neutral no matter what is said. If an interviewee complains about something you love, or vice versa, avoid any sign of defensiveness or shock. Responding with “That’s really interesting to hear, thanks for explaining that,” is a good neutral approach. People will open up more if they sense you truly welcome their perspective without judgment.
Do Take Notes (or Record): Take note of key points, especially things that strike you as important or surprising. If you have consent to record, do that – it’s easier to review later. Writing down verbatim quotes for especially poignant comments can be useful for reports. Even if you record, jotting down timestamps or quick impressions (“really hates feature X” or “lit up when talking about Y”) can guide your analysis later.
Do Adapt to B2B vs B2C Differences: If you’re interviewing business professionals (B2B), remember they might use more industry jargon or focus on ROI, efficiency, and professional outcomes. Consumers (B2C) might focus more on personal convenience, cost, and enjoyment. Tailor your questions accordingly. For instance, a B2B interview might include “How does this solution impact your team’s workflow?”, whereas a B2C one might ask “How does this product fit into your daily routine?” Both aim to get actionable insights but speak the language of the interviewee.
Don’ts
Don’ts
Don’t Ask Leading Questions: Avoid phrasing that suggests a “correct” answer or steers the participant. For example, “Don’t you think this design is user-friendly?” is leading – it implies the design is user-friendly. A better phrasing is “How do you feel about this design?” Leading questions can bias your results, yielding what you want to hear instead of the truth.
Don’t Interrupt or Put Words in Their Mouth: Give the interviewee time to think and respond. Silence can be okay – people often continue speaking if you give them a moment. Don’t jump in to finish their sentences or assume you know what they mean. Let them articulate it, then clarify if needed. Cutting someone off can make them shut down or prevent you from hearing something valuable they were about to say.
Don’t React Negatively to Criticism: If the interviewee says something negative about your product or company, resist any urge to defend or correct them. For example, if they say “I find your customer service poor,” don’t respond with “Actually, we have a great support team.” Instead, ask for details: “I’m sorry to hear that. Can you tell me what happened or what made it poor in your experience?” Use criticism as a chance to learn – negative feedback is often the most actionable.
Don’t Use Jargon They Don’t Understand: Tailor your language to the participant. If you’re talking to a general consumer, don’t throw around internal terminology or acronyms. Even in B2B, be cautious – not every industry term is universally understood the same way. Speak plainly and clarify any term that might be unclear. If the participant seems confused by a question, rephrase it simply rather than pressing the original wording.
Don’t Ask Double-Barreled Questions: These are questions that ask two things at once, for example: “What do you think of our pricing and the new features?” If a participant responds, you won’t know which part they’re addressing. Break such questions into two separate ones (“First, how do you feel about our pricing?… Okay, and what do you think of the new features?”).
Don’t Overlook Confidentiality: At the start, mention that their responses will be kept confidential and used for research purposes only. And then make sure you honor that. Don’t attribute quotes by name in your reports (unless you have their explicit permission). This is especially important in B2B where an interviewee might be sharing company insights. Maintaining trust is key to ethical research and to encouraging honest sharing.
Don’t Stick Rigidly to the Script: While preparation is a must, reading off your questionnaire like a robot can make the interview stiff and limited. If a participant veers into a relevant tangent, don’t cut them off just to get back on your next written question. You might miss something valuable. Use the guide, but let the conversation flow naturally. Some of the best insights can come from unexpected follow-up questions or participant-led topics.
Don’t Try to Sell or Defend: Remember, a research interview is not a sales call. Even if you’re speaking with a potential customer, your job in this context is to learn, not to convince them of anything. So don’t pitch features or argue if they express dislike or preference for a competitor. This will taint the authenticity of their feedback. Keep the roles clear: you’re here to listen and understand, not to change their mind.
Don’t Ignore Non-Verbal Cues (if in person/video): Sometimes what’s not said is as telling as what is said. If a participant hesitates, frowns, or becomes especially animated at certain topics, gently inquire. “I noticed you smiled when mentioning that tool – what do you like about it?” or “You looked unsure about that last part – is there something about it that concerns you?” Ignoring these cues means leaving insights on the table. (Of course, be sensitive; you don’t want them to feel watched or analyzed like a lab specimen.)
Don’t Forget to Follow Through: If an interviewee asks you to send them info or you offer to share an outcome (“I can send you a summary of what we learn from all interviews later”), make sure you do it. Also, compile your findings and act on them. The worst thing is to gather insights and let them collect dust. Show the value of the time both you and participants invested by driving improvements or decisions with the data.
Don’t Ask Leading Questions: Avoid phrasing that suggests a “correct” answer or steers the participant. For example, “Don’t you think this design is user-friendly?” is leading – it implies the design is user-friendly. A better phrasing is “How do you feel about this design?” Leading questions can bias your results, yielding what you want to hear instead of the truth.
Don’t Interrupt or Put Words in Their Mouth: Give the interviewee time to think and respond. Silence can be okay – people often continue speaking if you give them a moment. Don’t jump in to finish their sentences or assume you know what they mean. Let them articulate it, then clarify if needed. Cutting someone off can make them shut down or prevent you from hearing something valuable they were about to say.
Don’t React Negatively to Criticism: If the interviewee says something negative about your product or company, resist any urge to defend or correct them. For example, if they say “I find your customer service poor,” don’t respond with “Actually, we have a great support team.” Instead, ask for details: “I’m sorry to hear that. Can you tell me what happened or what made it poor in your experience?” Use criticism as a chance to learn – negative feedback is often the most actionable.
Don’t Use Jargon They Don’t Understand: Tailor your language to the participant. If you’re talking to a general consumer, don’t throw around internal terminology or acronyms. Even in B2B, be cautious – not every industry term is universally understood the same way. Speak plainly and clarify any term that might be unclear. If the participant seems confused by a question, rephrase it simply rather than pressing the original wording.
Don’t Ask Double-Barreled Questions: These are questions that ask two things at once, for example: “What do you think of our pricing and the new features?” If a participant responds, you won’t know which part they’re addressing. Break such questions into two separate ones (“First, how do you feel about our pricing?… Okay, and what do you think of the new features?”).
Don’t Overlook Confidentiality: At the start, mention that their responses will be kept confidential and used for research purposes only. And then make sure you honor that. Don’t attribute quotes by name in your reports (unless you have their explicit permission). This is especially important in B2B where an interviewee might be sharing company insights. Maintaining trust is key to ethical research and to encouraging honest sharing.
Don’t Stick Rigidly to the Script: While preparation is a must, reading off your questionnaire like a robot can make the interview stiff and limited. If a participant veers into a relevant tangent, don’t cut them off just to get back on your next written question. You might miss something valuable. Use the guide, but let the conversation flow naturally. Some of the best insights can come from unexpected follow-up questions or participant-led topics.
Don’t Try to Sell or Defend: Remember, a research interview is not a sales call. Even if you’re speaking with a potential customer, your job in this context is to learn, not to convince them of anything. So don’t pitch features or argue if they express dislike or preference for a competitor. This will taint the authenticity of their feedback. Keep the roles clear: you’re here to listen and understand, not to change their mind.
Don’t Ignore Non-Verbal Cues (if in person/video): Sometimes what’s not said is as telling as what is said. If a participant hesitates, frowns, or becomes especially animated at certain topics, gently inquire. “I noticed you smiled when mentioning that tool – what do you like about it?” or “You looked unsure about that last part – is there something about it that concerns you?” Ignoring these cues means leaving insights on the table. (Of course, be sensitive; you don’t want them to feel watched or analyzed like a lab specimen.)
Don’t Forget to Follow Through: If an interviewee asks you to send them info or you offer to share an outcome (“I can send you a summary of what we learn from all interviews later”), make sure you do it. Also, compile your findings and act on them. The worst thing is to gather insights and let them collect dust. Show the value of the time both you and participants invested by driving improvements or decisions with the data.
How Peel Helps with Market Research Interviews
How Peel Helps with Market Research Interviews
Peel’s platform can help you uphold the “do’s” and avoid the “don’ts” of market research interviews by automating and enhancing many aspects of the process:
Bias-Free Question Delivery: Peel’s AI-driven agents follow the script you design without deviations or unintended leading phrasing. That means every participant gets the question in the same neutral way, reducing the risk of a researcher accidentally leading someone or reacting emotionally. Peel ensures a consistent, non-judgmental tone throughout the interview, so participants feel free to be candid.
Scalable Participant Engagement: One big “do” is to talk to the right people – and sometimes that means reaching out to a lot of potential interviewees. Peel can handle reaching out and engaging many participants simultaneously via voice or chat, something a human team would struggle to scale. For example, Peel can call dozens of customers at once (those who opted in) and conduct interviews, effectively scaling your qualitative research efforts.
Automatic Probing and Follow-Ups: Peel’s conversational agent is designed to probe answers when they are short or unclear. If a participant gives a one-word answer, the AI can automatically ask a follow-up like “Can you tell me more about that?”. This aligns perfectly with the “do probe for depth” advice, ensuring you get richer data without relying on each interviewer’s skill.
Immediate Transcripts and Theme Detection: With Peel, interviews are transcribed in real time and key insights are aggregated for you. Instead of sifting through pages of notes, you can quickly see common themes or frequently mentioned words right after the interviews conclude. Peel might highlight, for instance, that the term “usability” came up in 60% of the conversations. This helps you avoid the “don’t” of losing important info; you won’t overlook non-verbal hesitation either, because Peel can note pauses or sentiment changes in transcripts through sentiment analysis.
Participant Comfort and Flexibility: Peel enables asynchronous interviews where participants can respond at their own pace. This means a user can start an interview on their phone, pause, and finish later. It respects their time and comfort, which was one of our do’s. And because it’s an AI, participants might actually feel more comfortable sharing criticism (knowing they’re not hurting a person’s feelings in real-time), potentially leading to more honest feedback on sensitive “don’t want to offend” topics.
Enhanced Focus for Researchers: By letting Peel handle the mechanics of asking questions and recording answers, you as a researcher can spend more time on the analysis and action – which is the end goal. Peel basically helps with “don’t forget to follow through” by freeing your bandwidth from note-taking and coordination, so you can concentrate on implementing changes based on the findings.
In short, Peel acts like a diligent research assistant that never leads, never forgets a question, and always listens. It helps make every interview count by ensuring best practices are baked into the process, yielding high-quality, unbiased insights that you can trust and act upon.
Peel’s platform can help you uphold the “do’s” and avoid the “don’ts” of market research interviews by automating and enhancing many aspects of the process:
Bias-Free Question Delivery: Peel’s AI-driven agents follow the script you design without deviations or unintended leading phrasing. That means every participant gets the question in the same neutral way, reducing the risk of a researcher accidentally leading someone or reacting emotionally. Peel ensures a consistent, non-judgmental tone throughout the interview, so participants feel free to be candid.
Scalable Participant Engagement: One big “do” is to talk to the right people – and sometimes that means reaching out to a lot of potential interviewees. Peel can handle reaching out and engaging many participants simultaneously via voice or chat, something a human team would struggle to scale. For example, Peel can call dozens of customers at once (those who opted in) and conduct interviews, effectively scaling your qualitative research efforts.
Automatic Probing and Follow-Ups: Peel’s conversational agent is designed to probe answers when they are short or unclear. If a participant gives a one-word answer, the AI can automatically ask a follow-up like “Can you tell me more about that?”. This aligns perfectly with the “do probe for depth” advice, ensuring you get richer data without relying on each interviewer’s skill.
Immediate Transcripts and Theme Detection: With Peel, interviews are transcribed in real time and key insights are aggregated for you. Instead of sifting through pages of notes, you can quickly see common themes or frequently mentioned words right after the interviews conclude. Peel might highlight, for instance, that the term “usability” came up in 60% of the conversations. This helps you avoid the “don’t” of losing important info; you won’t overlook non-verbal hesitation either, because Peel can note pauses or sentiment changes in transcripts through sentiment analysis.
Participant Comfort and Flexibility: Peel enables asynchronous interviews where participants can respond at their own pace. This means a user can start an interview on their phone, pause, and finish later. It respects their time and comfort, which was one of our do’s. And because it’s an AI, participants might actually feel more comfortable sharing criticism (knowing they’re not hurting a person’s feelings in real-time), potentially leading to more honest feedback on sensitive “don’t want to offend” topics.
Enhanced Focus for Researchers: By letting Peel handle the mechanics of asking questions and recording answers, you as a researcher can spend more time on the analysis and action – which is the end goal. Peel basically helps with “don’t forget to follow through” by freeing your bandwidth from note-taking and coordination, so you can concentrate on implementing changes based on the findings.
In short, Peel acts like a diligent research assistant that never leads, never forgets a question, and always listens. It helps make every interview count by ensuring best practices are baked into the process, yielding high-quality, unbiased insights that you can trust and act upon.
Jan 26, 2024
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Active studies
21
Invitations sent
3456
Participants
340
Insights gathered
48
Dashboard
Information about your current plan and usage
Wednesday, 17 May 2024
10:30 AM
1k
5k
9k
3k
7k
12:30 AM
11:30 AM
01:30 PM
02:30 PM
03:30 PM
Insights
7546
Insight count in the past 30 days
Insights
Jeff Sussex
Called “Books-API” with the JavaScript webhook and commented.
“Books-API was readily available with proper documentation and reliability of a proper API. It was just a webhook away from application.”
Nether Stone
Called “Books-API” with the JavaScript webhook and commented.
“Books-API was readily available with proper documentation and reliability of a proper API. It was just a webhook away from application.”
Vector Sam
Called “Books-API” with the JavaScript webhook and commented.
“Books-API was readily available with proper documentation and reliability of a proper API. It was just a webhook away from application.”
James Anderson
“Common Amazon Seller Pain Points:
1.High fees
2. Inventory management
3. PPC costs
4. Amazon support
5. Competition”
Integrations
Study invitations
Total Invitatitions sent: 1500
Completed
36%
Unfinished
38%
Unopened
25%
Incentives
May 2024
$400/$1,000
Gift card budget used
410/500
Activated Participants
7.5k/10k
Unclaimed gift cards
Gift Card budget
$1000/mo
Start saving time today
Engage Smarter with AI-Powered Conversations
Try Peel for free or schedule a personalized demo to see how it can streamline your customer interactions.
Active studies
21
Invitations sent
3456
Participants
340
Insights gathered
48
Dashboard
Information about your current plan and usage
Wednesday, 17 May 2024
10:30 AM
1k
5k
9k
3k
7k
12:30 AM
11:30 AM
01:30 PM
02:30 PM
03:30 PM
Insights
7546
Insight count in the past 30 days
Insights
Jeff Sussex
Called “Books-API” with the JavaScript webhook and commented.
“Books-API was readily available with proper documentation and reliability of a proper API. It was just a webhook away from application.”
Nether Stone
Called “Books-API” with the JavaScript webhook and commented.
“Books-API was readily available with proper documentation and reliability of a proper API. It was just a webhook away from application.”
Vector Sam
Called “Books-API” with the JavaScript webhook and commented.
“Books-API was readily available with proper documentation and reliability of a proper API. It was just a webhook away from application.”
James Anderson
“Common Amazon Seller Pain Points:
1.High fees
2. Inventory management
3. PPC costs
4. Amazon support
5. Competition”
Integrations
Study invitations
Total Invitatitions sent: 1500
Completed
36%
Unfinished
38%
Unopened
25%
Incentives
May 2024
$400/$1,000
Gift card budget used
410/500
Activated Participants
7.5k/10k
Unclaimed gift cards
Gift Card budget
$1000/mo
Start saving time today
Transform Your Customer Conversations Today
Experience the power of AI-driven conversations with a free trial
Active studies
21
Invitations sent
3456
Participants
340
Insights gathered
48
Dashboard
Information about your current plan and usage
Wednesday, 17 May 2024
10:30 AM
1k
5k
9k
3k
7k
12:30 AM
11:30 AM
01:30 PM
02:30 PM
03:30 PM
Insights
7546
Insight count in the past 30 days
Insights
Jeff Sussex
Called “Books-API” with the JavaScript webhook and commented.
“Books-API was readily available with proper documentation and reliability of a proper API. It was just a webhook away from application.”
Nether Stone
Called “Books-API” with the JavaScript webhook and commented.
“Books-API was readily available with proper documentation and reliability of a proper API. It was just a webhook away from application.”
Vector Sam
Called “Books-API” with the JavaScript webhook and commented.
“Books-API was readily available with proper documentation and reliability of a proper API. It was just a webhook away from application.”
James Anderson
“Common Amazon Seller Pain Points:
1.High fees
2. Inventory management
3. PPC costs
4. Amazon support
5. Competition”
Integrations
Study invitations
Total Invitatitions sent: 1500
Completed
36%
Unfinished
38%
Unopened
25%
Incentives
May 2024
$400/$1,000
Gift card budget used
410/500
Activated Participants
7.5k/10k
Unclaimed gift cards
Gift Card budget
$1000/mo
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Ready to optimize the performance of your business? Get Sellify now!