customer interviews for content strategists
TRANSCRIPT
Customer interviews for content strategists
Kerry-Anne Gilowey CS Forum 2016 · Melbourne, Australia · 6 October 2016
Talk to the People
@kerry_anne
Why interviews?
Snuggle Blankies Inc.
Snuggle Blankies Inc.
Snuggle Blankies Inc.
Snuggle Blankies Inc.
Snuggle Blankies Inc.
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?
Crouching customer,
hidden needs.
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”?
Interviews can help us to…
• Shape our content to support the user journey
Interviews can help us to…
• Shape our content to support the user journey
• Know what information to include
Instructional content
Key messages
Content types
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
Tone
Terminology
Channels
Format
Planning and preparation
HOW MANY INTERVIEWS?
GO TO THEM
They may be working under
difficult circumstances.
USE PROPS
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 COFFEE AND A TIM TAM
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?
GET COMFORTABLE WITH SILENCE
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, ASK, ASK,
AND ASK AGAIN.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, ASK, ASK,
AND ASK AGAIN.
?
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, ASK, ASK,
AND ASK AGAIN.
? ?
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?
Facebook friends
Spouse
NewspapersPeople
on Twitter
Colleagues
Mother-in-law
Best friend
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 1800-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 1800-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 1800-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?
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.
blanket vs blankie
warm vs snug
mail vs post
shipping vs delivery
WHAT WORDS DO THEY PREFER?
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?
Blah blah blah SOFT
blah blah FLUFFY blah blah SOFT blah blah blah
WARM blah blah SOFT blah blah.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO THEM?
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?
What now?
REVISE YOUR PERSONAS
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.
Thanks for listening.
Kerry-Anne Gilowey [email protected]
@kerry_anne
Do get in touch and tell me your stories!