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Customer interviews for content strategists
Kerry-Anne Gilowey Collective · Atlanta GA · 10 June 2016
Talk to the People
@kerry_anne
Why interviews?
Hi! I’m Elizabeth. I use your product.
Uh… hi! Can anyone
hear me?
IS THIS THING ON?!
The voice of the customer.
WHAT INFORMATION DO THEY NEED?
WHAT’S THEIR CONTEXT?
HOW DO THEY SEE THE WORLD?
SURVEYS?
Can’t we just use
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebees/
Sure we can!
It was gr8! |
Question 13: Tell us about your experience with Snuggle Blankies.
Sure we can!
It was okay. Please call me to let me know how much I still owe on my account. Tonight would be fine after 7pm. |
Question 13: Tell us about your experience with Snuggle Blankies.
Sure we can!
The saleslady Anita was very friendly. But I got a better deal at Blankies R Us. |
Question 13: Tell us about your experience with Snuggle Blankies.
Non-verbal cues are valuable.
Crouching customer,
hidden needs.
MUCH LIKE THIS VEHICLE, SMARTS AND ASSUMPTIONS WILL ONLY GET YOU SO FAR.
Interviews for content?
FIRST UP, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “INTERVIEWS”?
FIRST UP, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “INTERVIEWS”?
FIRST UP, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “INTERVIEWS”?
FIRST UP, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “INTERVIEWS”?
Interviews can help us to…
• Shape our content to support the user journey
The user journey
Interviews can help us to…
• Shape our content to support the user journey
• Know what information to include
Key messages
Content types
Instructional content
What information?
Interviews can help us to…
• Shape our content to support the user journey
• Know what information to include
• Decide how to deliver and present that information
Delivery and presentation
Delivery and presentation
Tone
Delivery and presentation
Tone
Terminology
Delivery and presentation
Tone
Terminology
Channels
Delivery and presentation
Tone
Terminology
Channels
Format
Planning and preparation
HOW MANY INTERVIEWS?
GO TO THEM.
They may be working
under difficult circumstances
Or surprisingly easy ones.
USE PROPS.
PERHAPS MORE LIKE THESE.
PACE YOURSELF!
THINK CAREFULLY
ABOUT RECORDING.
SET EXPECTATIONS.
Interviewing basics
50% 50%
Empathy Objectivity
BE WARM. CONNECT.
IT’S NOT A SCIENCE
EXPERIMENT.
MAKE SMALL TALK.
“The more confident you are at talking to different types of people, the better you’ll be at research interviews and truly listening to what people have to say. If small talk isn’t your strong point, maybe it’s an excuse to go to more parties - for research purposes, of course.”
– Cennydd Bowles and James Box (p.29, Undercover User Experience Design)
“NO, REALLY, I’M DOING RESEARCH.”
START WITH A CUP OF TEA
AND A COOKIE.
EXPLAIN THE FINE PRINT.
LISTEN.
Original image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seantubridy/
DON’T INTERRUPT.
... and I mean, I like the blankies and all, but I just
wonder if they couldn’t be a bit bigger. Sometimes I find that my
toes stick out at the bottom and --
Hot today, isn’t it?
BE AWARE OF YOUR BODY LANGUAGE.
MIRROR THEIR FEELINGS.
GET COMFORTABLE WITH SILENCE.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, ASK, ASK,
AND ASK AGAIN.
DON’T SHY AWAY FROM
HUMOUR.
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/
Questions to ask
2+2=?
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR JOB.
MARRIED? CHILDREN? PETS?
HERPTY DERPTY DERP?
NOT SO FAST, LITTLE BUDDY.
IF XYZ, THEN WHAT?
WHO INFLUENCES THEM?
Your customer
Mother-in-law
People on Twitter
Best friend
Facebook friends
Newspapers
Colleagues
Spouse
DON’T BE AFRAID TO GO OFF SCRIPT.
KEEP ASKING WHY.Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidrn/
Sample questions How did you first hear about Snuggle Blankies?
Did you try any other similar companies, like Blankies R Us or Blankie Hut?
What are the most important things you need from Snuggle Blankies?
Have you ever had to call 0800-SNUGGLE?
What was the worst thing about your experience with Snuggle Blankies?
What was the best part of your Snuggle Blankies experience?
Was there anything you found confusing?
Is there anything else we haven’t covered that you’d like to mention?
Sample questions How did you first hear about Snuggle Blankies?
Did you try any other similar companies, like Blankies R Us or Blankie Hut?
What are the most important things you need from Snuggle Blankies?
Have you ever had to call 0800-SNUGGLE?
What was the worst thing about your experience with Snuggle Blankies?
What was the best part of your Snuggle Blankies experience?
Was there anything you found confusing?
Is there anything else we haven’t covered that you’d like to mention?
Sample questions How did you first hear about Snuggle Blankies?
Did you try any other similar companies, like Blankies R Us or Blankie Hut?
What are the most important things you need from Snuggle Blankies?
Have you ever had to call 0800-SNUGGLE?
What was the worst thing about your experience with Snuggle Blankies?
What was the best part of your Snuggle Blankies experience?
Was there anything you found confusing?
Is there anything else we haven’t covered that you’d like to mention?
Difficult situations
1. THE QUIET ONES
So hey, how was your day at
school?
Fine.
2. THOSE WHO WON’T OPEN UP TO YOU
“IF I ASKED YOU TO NAME ONE
THING YOU DIDN’T LIKE,
WHAT WOULD THAT BE?”
3. THORNY TOPICS
CHANNEL YOUR INNER
DOCTOR
4. THE UNEXPECTED
5. VERY ANXIOUS
PARTICIPANTS
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/
STAY CALM YOURSELF
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenjavier/
What to listen for
I want a faster horse,
please.
READ
“OBVIOUSLY...”
Obviously you’re just a small, hairless cat.
Obviously the blankets aren’t big
enough for me because I’m very tall and have
extra-long toes.
Obviously all blankets are
basically the same.
What words do they prefer?
blanket vs blankie
warm vs snug
mail vs post
shipping vs delivery
What type of language
do they relate to?
What type of language
do they relate to?
I like a really comfy, schnuggly-wuggly
blankie.
What type of language
do they relate to?
I have a preference for deep pile
microfleece bedding material.
WHAT ARE THE STORIES THEY’RE TELLING THEMSELVES?
Blankie feels a bit
weird.
WHAT ARE THE STORIES THEY’RE TELLING THEMSELVES?
Blankie feels a bit
weird.
I’m probably just the wrong
shape for blankies.
WHAT ARE THE STORIES THEY’RE TELLING THEMSELVES?
Patterns and trends
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO THEM?
Blah blah blah SOFT blah blah
FLUFFY blah blah SOFT blah blah
blah WARM blah
blah SOFT blah blah.
HOW DO YOU FIT INTO THEIR WORLD?
HOW DOES YOUR CONTENT MAKE THEM FEEL?
WHAT ARE THEIR
QUESTIONS?
HOW DO THEY SEE THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR
ORGANISATION?
HOW DO THEY SEE THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR
ORGANISATION?
Artifacts and action steps
MAKE NEW PERSONAS
REFLECT THEIR WORLDVIEW
MAP THEIR JOURNEY
CHOOSE YOUR CHANNELS
Blog
SMSFacebook
EmailFace to face
Call centre
Snail mail
WRITE VOICE AND TONE GUIDELINES
MAKE TERM LISTS
CORRECT INCORRECT
blankie blanket
snug warm
mail post
shipping delivery
USE SPECIFIC, REAL QUOTES WITH STAKEHOLDERS
“I want to throw my phone out of the window when I try to order a blankie on your site. I can’t see the buttons properly, and the boxes are too small to type in!”
– Elizabeth, customer for four years
PLAN YOUR CONTENT
ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS
The statement
“I’m a bit worried
about ordering a
Snuggle Blankie
online because I
might not like it
when it arrives.”
The underlying question
What happens if I
don’t like my
blankie when it
arrives?
The result
Can I return my blankie if
I don’t like it?
Yes, absolutely. Just put it
in the envelope provided
and you can return it to us
free of charge. We will
refund you, or you can
choose another blankie.
