Talking to customers: A guide to getting real insights
As someone deeply intrigued by the stories behind people’s lives and their cultural diversities, I have always found my job — centered around listening and talking to people — both exciting and satisfying. My journey began as a qualitative researcher, where I discovered my passion for understanding the detailed reasons behind people’s interactions with products, and have since been committed to uncovering their unique needs and the challenges they encounter.
This passion for understanding has led me to a crucial realization: below the surface of every product interaction lies a wealth of insights waiting to be discovered. Let’s explore this through a practical scenario, one that many of you might find relatable in your professional journey.
First step: Understanding the problem
Imagine yourself in the role of a product owner for a grocery-selling app. Recently, you’ve been facing a decline in conversion rates. Despite the app functioning flawlessly, as confirmed by your tech team, the numbers tell a different story. What could be causing this downturn? Your team huddles around the table, throwing in a few assumptions:
- Assumption 1: New competitor impact
Maybe a new player in the market is offering big discounts, attracting your customers away with attractive deals.
- Assumption 2: User experience concerns
Could there be usability or interface issues causing a less satisfying user experience, nudging customers towards alternatives?
- Assumption 3: Marketing strategy effectiveness
If there has been a shift in consumer behavior or preferences, your marketing efforts may need adjustment, and competitors are effectively reaching your target audience with more appealing campaigns, potentially impacting user engagement with your product.
The power of “talking to your customer”
As we dig deeper into these assumptions, it’s crucial to recognize that they are, at their core, hypotheses needing validation. The real challenge lies not just in identifying potential issues but in confirming and understanding them. This is where the power of direct customer engagement becomes pivotal.
The key to unlocking these mysteries and validating your assumptions is simpler than one might think — it’s about getting back to basics and talking to your customers. “I’ve always believed that ‘Talking to customers is the shortcut to understanding.’ This approach has been invaluable in gaining insights because direct conversations provide clarity that data alone cannot.”
User research methods that worked for me
When engaging in conversations with your customers, selecting the right method is crucial. Each method serves a unique purpose and can be tailored to the specific information you’re seeking:
In-depth interviews
- Best used for: Personal and professional topics.
- Advantages: These one-on-one conversations allow for a deep dive into individual experiences and perspectives. They are particularly effective when you need detailed understanding and personal narratives.
- Outcome: Gaining in-depth insights into individual experiences and attitudes.
Focus groups:
- Best used for: Generating a broad range of ideas and opinions.
- Advantages: Focus groups bring together a diverse set of individuals, offering a platform for debate and discussion. This setting often reveals contrasting views, with some participants supporting certain ideas while others may oppose them.
- Outcome: These dynamic interactions often lead to a richer understanding of various viewpoints, helping to validate assumptions or identify new trends and ideas.
At times, qualitative findings may not be sufficient for decision-making. In such cases, the validation of your findings on a larger scale can be achieved through surveys.
Surveys:
- Best used for; When a larger sample size is required for more generalized yet trustful data.
- Advantages: Surveys can reach a wider audience, gathering data from a more extensive cross-section of your customer base. This method is particularly useful when you need to quantify trends or validate findings from interviews and focus groups.
- Outcome: Achieving a broader, more quantifiable understanding of customer opinions and behaviors.
The choice of method depends on the specific type of information you’re seeking and the depth of insight you require. Utilizing these methods effectively will ensure that your decisions are informed and grounded in the real experiences and needs of your customers.
Beyond validating assumptions
Talking to customers goes beyond just validating assumptions. It opens up avenues for deeper understanding and practical application in various aspects of your business:
- Understanding users’ needs and pain points
Direct conversations with users provide valuable insights into their needs, expectations, and pain points. This information is critical for designing products that truly meet customer requirements. - Enhancing product usability
Talking to customers often highlights usability issues. Addressing these can significantly improve the user experience, leading to a product that’s not only functional but also intuitive and user-friendly. - Informed decision-making
Customer feedback guides decision-making processes. Whether it’s about adding new features, making changes to existing ones, or developing entirely new products, insights from users provide a foundation for informed choices. - Gaining a competitive edge
Understanding customer needs better than competitors can offer a significant advantage. By continually engaging with users, businesses can stay ahead in terms of innovation and responsiveness to market demands.
My experience at Tamara
Now, let me share a real-world example from my experiences, particularly with a company that excels in this approach — Tamara. At Tamara, we noticed a decline in our main app feature ‘Farah’s’ conversion rate. Various assumptions emerged, ranging from the feature’s low visibility in the interface to less appealing discounts. To get to the bottom of this issue, we took the most straightforward approach: talking directly to our customers. This involved engaging with active users to explore usage drivers and triggers, with churned users to understand their reasons for discontinuation, and with those who had never used the feature to assess its recognition and recall.
Our findings primarily highlighted issues related to the feature’s accessibility and visibility. Consequently, we initiated efforts to enhance the entire shop tab interface to better highlight the feature. Before rolling out the new design, our designer, Ravi Mahfunda, conducted a concise 5-minute test and a first-click test. These tests compared the revamped design with the previous version. The results were promising: the new shop tab layout significantly enhanced the visibility of the ‘Farah’ feature, which we anticipated would lead to an uptick in its conversion rate.
Encouraged by this feedback, Tamara launched the new design. This update led to a measurable increase in the feature’s conversion rate by 3x. So, the next time you face a problem with your product, remember: the solution might just be a conversation away.
Now, a question may arise: What does the perfect or insightful conversation look like? A truly meaningful conversation is like a dance between ideas, a harmonious exchange where thoughts flow seamlessly and mutual understanding is achieved. It goes beyond mere words; it’s about active listening, genuine curiosity, and a willingness to explore different perspectives.
Final thoughts
In an ideal conversation, participants feel heard and valued. It’s not just about expressing oneself, but also about creating a space where others feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. The perfect conversation involves a balance between talking and listening, acknowledging diverse viewpoints respectfully, and a genuine interest in gaining insights.
In conclusion, directly engaging with your customers is the most efficient way to gain genuine insights. Analyzing and implementing adjustments based on these conversations aligns your product with the authentic needs and expectations of your users.
