Member-only story
Ask smarter questions to level up your user interviews
… or do you think you’re already a master at gathering product insights from your users?
Let’s cut to the chase. You’re confused why 1) customers aren’t signing up in droves to use your product, and 2) for those that do, they churn before very long.
And you’re especially confused because whenever you talk to someone about your ideas, people say they love ‘em.
My guess is you’re not having very valuable conversations with these folks.
- Part of the issue may be that you’re talking more than listening.
- Another part may be that you’re hearing more than listening.
- And the final part may be that the questions you ask are just plain useless for getting you the insights you’re looking for. [No link this time — that’s this article!]
Your product can only be as good as the insights you attain from your customers. Yet, you’re walking into user interviews armed with nothing but the hope that you’ll stumble upon some game-changing revelation.
The sad part is that you know quite well that it takes more work than that.
Maybe you just don’t know how to step up your game. Or maybe you just need a little push.
If this sounds like you — let’s talk.
6 reasons your questions aren’t cutting it
First up, we need to talk about how unprepared you are going into these conversations with your users. Then, we’ll talk through how to make your questions shine — with examples!
1. Lack of Preparation: From stumbling blocks to stepping stones
Be real with me. Are you winging it in your user interviews? Walking (or dialing) into meetings without a solid game plan?
I’m sure you’re quite good at thinking on your feet, but that’s really not gonna get you what you need out of these conversations.
Smart questions don’t just magically appear out of thin air, especially when you’re trying to squeeze valuable insights out of users who are only even on the call because…
