While you’re sitting in a big conference room, the big boss says, “We don’t need market research. I know what our customers think.” Around the table, heads nod in agreement. Six months later, that same team is scrambling to understand why their carefully crafted message landed with a thud.
In times like those, when there is no budget for professional market researchers here are 10 killer market research questions for one-on-one interviews. I have found them to be powerhouses!
Questions to Ask Leaders and Staff
What, if any, misconceptions about the organization do you find most frustrating? This question cuts through any superficiality and gets right to the frustration—the gap between how you want to be seen and how you’re actually perceived.
Other than features and benefits, what makes your organization different from others in your space? What is its secret sauce? Taking features and benefits off the table, focuses the discussion on the brand strategy, not the marketing strategy.
You’re at a networking event and someone asks you about <<organization name>>. How do you describe it? This question helps identify inconsistencies in how different teams present the organization. It also can demonstrate if the overall narrative has become outdated, convoluted, or too long.
Let’s imagine that you’ve worked with your ideal client for two years. At the end of those two years, how would you like them to describe working at <<organization’s name>>? This question fast-forwards to a stronger brand. When your respondent describes that ideal two-year relationship, you’re hearing the brand’s future key pillars—the foundation for everything you’ll build.
Your ideal junior employee completes two years of working with you. How would you like them to describe the experience? Similarly, this is a great way to get at the aspirational company culture.
Let’s say that tomorrow you are put in charge. What is the first thing you would do? (And quitting is not an option!) You’d be surprised how many people’s first instinct is to say, “Resign!) The intent behind this question is to get the respondent to think beyond their specific role within the organization and connect it to the bigger picture. It helps identify gaps and disconnects.
Questions to Ask Clients
When it comes to working with <<organization’s name>>, what, if anything, do you know you don’t have to worry about? Answers to this question will highlight the brand’s qualities that clients value most, which may not always align with how the organization positions itself.
When it comes to working with <<organization’s name>>, what, if anything, do you worry about? Similarly, this question highlights where the brand may be failing its clients.
What advice would you give to someone considering working with <<organization’s name>>? Through the question, you can ascertain what perceived shortcomings the organization has.
If <<organization’s name>> didn’t exist, how would that impact your work? This question helps pinpoint what the client values most about the relationship as well as top competitors.
There are, of course, innumerable questions we could add to this list, but these have served us well as part of the ASK Phase of our Ask, Build, and Connect methodology. If you would like help with asking your own questions, let us know.
