How to Conduct the Most Effective User Interviews
As a Product Manager, I’ve been given the amazing opportunity to work on products that reach millions of users.
One of the best parts of my job is speaking with users. I conduct one-on-one interviews with them, which allows me to ask specific questions about their experiences with the products I’m working on. The interviews provide insights, such as improvements I can make in the future and a deep understanding of users’ genuine emotions in relation to those products. All of this enables me to establish connections and build strong relationships with these customers.
Whether you’re a product manager, business owner, or anyone else looking to gain valuable user insight about your customers, look no further than the following information. Here are 10 of the top tips and insights you’ll need to make the most out of your user interviews.
01. Reach out at the most optimal time
When is the best time to contact users? The simple answer: Always. However, I have found that these options, above all, will give you the upper hand:
02. Find your ideal users
Ideal users can give you the most valuable information in relation to the product you are working on. For example, if a user has tried out many of your products or has worked with you for years, they will be able to give valuable, long-term feedback. These users can come from various outlets:
03. Prepare before you talk
In order for you to maximize your time, make sure you come prepared. After all, you don’t want to cost your customers valuable time or have them think of you as unprofessional. There are a few steps you can take to make sure that you’re equipped to make the most out of the interaction.
04. Schedule a conversation
Let the users decide what the most convenient time is for them to talk. This is important as it puts the power in their hands, which will make them more inclined and enthusiastic about speaking with you. While planning a time, make sure you have a long enough slot planned in order for you to ask your questions, plus additional time for the users to ask their own questions and give feedback.
05. Set your agenda and stick to it
It’s critical that the conversation is valuable and fluid to both you and the user in the interview. Just like any formal meeting, it should have a structure and provide a meaningful outcome for both parties involved. Here are some tips for how you can use your time effectively:
06. Choose your contact method
I always prefer to speak with users verbally as opposed to messaging platforms such as text or email. Although email is great for documentation, you could misunderstand the user’s tone or intention. With an audio or video call, or an in-person interview, you’ll get the best indication of how the user actually feels about your product. And although meeting with users face-to-face is certainly the best option, it requires the most planning and allocated budget (while video and audio calls are free).
07. Offer rewards
Each user that you speak with has invested their precious time to speak with you. Reward them with a discount code, a feature they weren’t able to access before, or even a gift card to purchase anything they want from your store. They’ll appreciate receiving something that they weren’t expecting, and it may encourage them to speak to you again in the future.
08. Follow up after the interview
The conversation shouldn’t stop at the end of the interview (or even after the user has received a gift from you). That’s because these ideal users are most likely your most engaged customers, which means that they are likely to come back and purchase more. In order to make sure of it, you should follow up with them after the conversation.
I’ll give you an example: I launched a new product months after having a conversation about it with a customer. I knew this was a golden opportunity for me to reach out to the user again and share the news. She was more than happy to speak with me and test it out.
This sort of interaction will allow your customers to feel valued in the sense that they have played a key role in the creation of your product. And overall, you’ll do your business a huge favor, as it takes less effort and cost to reach out to returning customers than find new ones.
09. Talk as often as you can
I can’t emphasize this enough: Talking with users is something everyone who works with products and services should do at least twice a week (if not more). Much like any type of training, talking will often improve your speaking skills to the point where conversations flow naturally and results become more effective. Also as you’re engaging with your users regularly, you’ll have their interests in mind when you design new products and you’ll be better equipped to make user-focused decisions. For me, doing this has helped me to reveal different (and even personal) sides of my users which has helped me address their needs better.
10. Share this valuable information with your colleagues
I often share the results of my user conversations with fellow colleagues. Doing so allows us to work together and provide users with the most complete information possible. It also enables transparency across the whole team, so that everyone knows how our users feel. This in turn, emphasizes the importance of user interviews. Then, in the future, everyone will hopefully be able to start executing these valuable conversations themselves.
Originally published at Wix Blog on April 8, 2019.
