Qualitative interview research gets results - evidence that supports decision-making. This guide outlines the use of this approach in the B2B setting.

1. CONVERSATIONS
WITH PURPOSE
Maximizing the value of
interview research
Interview research is an incredibly powerful tool that allows businesses to
gain a rich and nuanced understanding of what really drives buyers, com-
petitors, users, members, and suppliers. But getting the most out of an
interview process requires a thoughtful, systematic, and skilled approach.
The research objectives must be clearly defined, and then the implemen-
tation must be oriented towards the objectives set. There are a number
of pitfalls that can reduce the value of interview research, but they can be
avoided with advance planning.
Copyright © 2012 The Mezzanine Group. All rights reserved.

2. MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF
INTERVIEW RESEARCH
INTERVIEW RESEARCH REMAINS SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW RESEARCH
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT – AND
OFTEN UNDERUTILIZED – WAYS FOR There is more to conducting effective qualitative re-
search than simply calling up a few people and reading
B2B COMPANIES AND ORGANIZA-
a script of questions. We will cover the key elements
TIONS TO GENERATE IRREPLACE-
to a successful interview process, and offer advice on
ABLE INSIGHTS TO GUIDE CRITICAL how to address common challenges in interview re-
DECISIONS. A DEEP UNDERSTANDING search.
OF WHAT CUSTOMERS, BUYERS, US-
ERS, MEMBERS, COMPETITORS, SUP- This white paper is based on the thousands of quali-
PLIERS, INFLUENCERS, AND OTHER tative interviews that we conducted over more than
DECISION-MAKERS THINK CAN DRIVE a decade, across a range of industries, on behalf of
STRATEGY, REFINE TACTICS, AND IM- small, mid-size, and Fortune 500 B2B companies, and
professional associations. It will be of interest to any-
PROVE OVERALL PERFORMANCE.
one seeking to understand how they can enhance their
strategy, operations, customer service, and overall
success by using interviews as a research tool.
For more on the value of interview research, see our
companion white paper titled “Conversations with
purpose: Improving decisions with the power of
interview research,” which explains the benefits of
interviews and when to use them.
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3. WHAT IS REQUIRED TO CONDUCT
INTERVIEW RESEARCH EFFECTIVELY?
1. Define research objectives • If the interviewees are relatively senior, or the
Clearly defined research objectives are one of issues are complex, it is important that the
the most critical aspects of conducting qualita- interviewer be given a level of autonomy to
tive interviews successfully. Without understand- move the interview in the direction they see
ing exactly what information you seek, it can be fit. Without this, the interviews will be uniform
tempting to ask as many questions as possible, and take on the same characteristics as a
searching for as many insights as one intervie- web survey, lacking the flexibility to uncover
wee can provide. This dilutes the research value, unrealized needs or insights. There can be
wasting precious interview time with questions standard elements in each interview, but
that are not core to what the company is trying to good interviewers will understand the con-
understand. text and research objectives and know how
to maximize the time they have with each
Research objectives should be created at the interviewee.
strategic level, and must represent real choices • In-person interviews are often a desired
about priorities in the research in order to maxi- option when conducting qualitative research.
mize the value of the process. Sitting face to face allows an experienced
interviewer to set the pace, read body lan-
2. Determine interview approach guage, and delve deep into the interviewee’s
The interview approach must be thoroughly thought processes and emotions. Though
thought through for a successful process. advantageous, this type of interview can be
impractical to set up.
• What confidentiality will be offered to the in-
terviewees? Can they feel confident that it will • Telephone interviews are usually the most
be respected? practical option. While some of the richness
of an in-person interview is lost, an experi-
• Will you ever reveal the sponsor of the re-
enced interviewer will employ techniques to
search? Why/why not?
adapt and build rapport. Asking some easy
- It may be desirable to reveal the sponsor in questions up front to gauge the interviewee’s
certain circumstances, such as when specific frame of mind is a key tactic. It is worth not-
feedback is sought on satisfaction. ing that some interviewees are more com-
- The potential implications for the sponsor, fortable on the phone than in person. Some
including their client or supplier relationships, may also be more likely to schedule a phone
should be weighed. In some cases, it can be interview over an in-person interview, feeling
beneficial to be known as the sponsor of qual- that it is less intrusive (especially since it can
itative research, as it may build credibility.
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4. SHOULD YOU USE A THIRD PARTY OR
DO IT YOURSELF?
For some purposes, a company or organization can conduct interviews itself, and gain
useful results. This is true particularly when there is a very specific information objective
desired, there is little perceived risk in having the company reach out directly, and where
confidentiality is not perceived to be important to the interviewees. Sometimes, as with
client satisfaction check-ins, there can be a relationship-building aspect to the company
doing this kind of research itself.
Sponsor confidentiality: In order to obtain objective data on many topics
(for instance, brand perceptions or competitive intelligence), it is critical for the
sponsor of the research to be kept confidential, which is not possible if they are
conducting the research themselves. This also avoids tipping the sponsor’s
hand to competitors.
Interviewee confidentiality: Only a third party can credibly state that confi-
dentiality will be maintained. This encourages interviewees to be more forth-
coming with genuine impressions and opinions, and therefore the interview
results can be taken more seriously.
Objectivity: To get the full value from a research process, a fresh set of eyes
is often needed. An outsider can see patterns that insiders might miss, and
insiders may shy away from tricky findings that a competent and professional
external research or firm should be comfortable addressing.
Capability: Designing, conducting, and analyzing the results of interviews are
specialized research skills that most companies and organizations do not pos-
sess. Interviewers must be able to fully grasp the business context and the
research objectives, adjust to the styles of the interviewees, and adapt the
interview questions to the responses received. Most companies and organiza-
tions do not have these skills in-house.
Network: An external firm may have a larger and more diverse network than
the company or organization itself, as well as relationships with experts in vari-
ous industries, which it can bring to bear on securing interviews.
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5. WHAT IS REQUIRED TO CONDUCT
INTERVIEW RESEARCH EFFECTIVELY?
3. Determine who to talk to 4. Decide how to attract interviewees
While it may seem obvious, defining the inter- Providing an incentive can be extremely effective,
view target often requires research to under- especially for the majority of individuals who will not
stand exactly which person in an organization participate out of goodwill alone, and need to justify
will be able to give you the answers you are the time they spend with you. Which incentive to use
looking for. Identifying the relevant influenc- depends on your target population, so understanding
ers and decision makers will generate higher their motivation is key:
quality and more impactful interviews. • Cash: This can be very effective, and is the most
common approach when the sponsor is not being
Clear research objectives will help ensure that revealed or if the target group does not have a
the right people or roles are targeted. While strong affinity for the sponsor. (On occasion, an
the CEO may be the ultimate decision maker, interviewee may waive the fee or ask for it to be
he or she isn’t necessarily the one whose donated to charity.)
opinion matters most. For example, the of-
• Sharing results: If the target group is known for
fice manager may be the key user of a piece
being interested in research or if they work in an
of software, thus his or her satisfaction and
industry where very little market research exists,
recommendation may be the critical factor that
offering to share some of the findings can be a
the C-suite uses to make a decision.
powerful incentive, particularly for a brief targeted
interview. The time it takes to prepare this specific
The number of people to interview depends in
report must be built into the project’s timing and
large part on the population you are trying to
budget.
speak with. In our experience, approximately
twelve to fifteen interviews per group or seg- • Goodwill: There are some interviewees who will
ment will generate valuable insights. Addi- respond without a specific incentive, but they are
tional interviews per group can provide more typically only found among groups where volun-
insights, but sometimes begin to get repetitive tary roles are common and there is a perceived
in terms of the major themes. If the group is shared interest in the success of the organization
highly diverse, more interviews are neces- (such as professional associations). In this case
sary to generate a sample of enough people it is critical to create a communication plan so the
with specific characteristics. To determine stakeholders are informed about the results of the
how many people to interview, it is important research project to which they have contributed.
to have hypotheses about the population and
their perspectives.
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6. WHAT IS REQUIRED TO CONDUCT
INTERVIEW RESEARCH EFFECTIVELY?
5. Design the interview guide • It is possible to have interviewees evaluate
materials, such as a website or marketing ma-
The interview guide translates the research
terials, if they are sent via email or if the inter-
objectives into language that will resonate
view is conducted in person.
with the interviewees, to elicit the maximum
responses from them. Some key points to re-
6. Identify and prepare interviewers
member when developing the interview guide:
Capable interviewers are critical to research suc-
• It is a guide, not a set of rules. In qualita-
cess. The more strategic and sensitive the research,
tive interviewing, a slavish adherence to
the more experienced and skilled the interviewers
the interview guide will result in missed
must be. Regardless of the topic, the interviewers
opportunities to follow up on interesting
should be thoroughly briefed on the business or
disclosures and inhibit a natural-feeling
organizational context of the research, the back-
conversation.
ground of the interviewees, and the research ob-
• The context of the interview, including jectives. They should be aware of which questions
confidentiality and incentives, must be part are expected to elicit the richest information, and
of both the beginning and the end of the which might be perceived as intrusive or sensitive.
interview.
• Start with more general, open-ended ques- Practice runs are recommended to gauge the flow
tions to allow the interviewee to ease into of the interview and to ensure the interviewers are
the discussion. familiar with the content. The first interview con-
ducted can be observed by other interviewers, who
• Place more complex or sensitive questions
may provide helpful feedback as well as benefit
toward the end of interviews so the inter-
from seeing a preview.
viewer has had a chance to build rapport
and trust.
Interview results must be captured, ideally verba-
• Some questions should be open ended tim, for later analysis. Additional impressions of the
to allow the interviewee to fill in the gaps. interviewers, such as the tone and emphasis of
This also provides the interviewer with comments, should also be recorded.
the latitude to probe deeper, perhaps with
tailored follow-up questions.
• Closed-ended and quantitative questions,
such as rating a company’s service on a
scale of 1 to 10, can be included, but avoid
making these questions overly complex.
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7. WHAT IS REQUIRED TO CONDUCT
INTERVIEW RESEARCH EFFECTIVELY?
7. Secure the interviews It often takes time, but with enough persistence, in-
terviews can be secured with even the most elusive
The methodology for requesting interviews will
individuals. In some industries, people will respond
depend entirely on the target population and the
to a request immediately; in others, it can take up
incentive being offered. A communications plan
to twenty touch points to secure the interview. Flex-
for securing the interviews should be developed,
ibility should be built into the timeline to allow for
including a number of different methods to reach
variations in responsiveness.
out to and persuade potential interviewees.
• Email versus phone calls: Typically there
For an interviewer, leveraging one’s profession-
should be email contact with telephone follow-
al network can be very effective and will result in
up, but this should be adapted based on the tar-
insights that are richer and deeper than a cold
get interviewees.
call since the interviewee has already estab-
lished trust in the interviewer. Online networks • Messaging: The initial invitation should be
like LinkedIn can be enormously helpful in draw- carefully crafted in order to interest the potential
ing from professional connections. interviewees. It should provide clarity as to the
interview’s purpose and expectations and the
Industry associations or networking organiza- incentive offered for participation.
tions are helpful in finding people from specific • Timing: Some industries or professions are
industries or with specific designations. Web- known for having particular times of the day,
based research into certain companies or sec- or days of the week, when they are easier to
tors can also be used to identify potential inter- reach.
viewees.
• Seasonality: Not all industries are seasonal,
but it’s important to be aware of those that are.
Trying to reach a retailer during the Christmas
LEVERAGING ONE’S PROFES-
season is probably not the best approach.
SIONAL NETWORK WILL RE-
SULT IN INSIGHTS THAT ARE
RICHER AND DEEPER THAN A
COLD CALL.
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8. WHAT IS REQUIRED TO CONDUCT
INTERVIEW RESEARCH EFFECTIVELY?
8. Monitor and course correct as required • Look for overall trends as well as influential
standalone interviews.
It is important to evaluate the quality of the
– Especially with industry expert interviews, or
questions being asked and the consistency
research objectives looking at trends or future
and efficacy of the answers being provided.
developments, a lone voice can provide valu-
Comparing notes between interviewers and
able insights.
observing interviews, when practical, helps en-
sure that everyone is following protocol. It also
• Triangulate the results using multiple sources:
allows interviewers to share tips about what is
working with the target group. Every industry is – For really tricky topics, when no single
unique, and the approach needs to be tailored interviewee can give you the answer you
to the specific elements and idiosyncrasies of seek, findings can be triangulated from mul-
the target industry. tiple interviews at different levels of seniority.
Sometimes secondary research can also help
9. Perform systematic and rigorous with triangulation.
analysis – Use judgement and common sense:
Occasionally, interview results are reported A key skill of an experienced qualitative inter-
back without any analysis provided. The ques- viewer is common sense; the ability to listen
tions asked are listed, with responses cap- to an answer and know whether it is reliable.
tured in point form. However, a huge part of In the analysis stage, the original interviewer
the value in conducting interview research lies can add this form of analysis to go beyond the
in taking a systematic, intelligent approach pure content or quotes from the interview.
to analyzing the results to understanding the Findings should be analyzed based on the re-
implications of the research findings. search objectives, but serendipitous findings
An effective methodology for analyzing the should also be reported. These are findings that
results of interview research includes these were not part of the original brief, but emerged
steps: through the interviews and should not be ignored.
Implications can be developed based on these
• Review single interviews as a whole to see
findings that help facilitate discussions about the
comments in context.
next steps that should be taken based on the re-
• Compare answers to the same question search conducted.
across the population and by segment
(where applicable).
• Think about what you would expect to hear
from certain questions. Is that what you
heard? What didn’t you hear that might
have been anticipated?
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9. COMMON PITFALLS AND
SOLUTIONS
There are a number of common mistakes in qualitative interview research, and these are some sug-
gested methods to either address or avoid them.
PITFALL: LEADING THE WITNESS
• While it can be tempting to try to get the interviewee to confirm your hypothesis, this undermines
the process, jeopardizing the quality of results.
SOLUTION: REMAIN NEUTRAL; CONSIDER USING A THIRD PARTY
• Questions should be open-ended and neutral, giving interviewees as much latitude as possible
to speak about what is important and critical to them. In the best interviews, the interviewee
does most of the talking and is helped along by the interviewer only through questions such as,
“Can you tell me more about that?” or “How did you arrive at that conclusion?”
• Where the interview topics are sensitive, or where there are concerns that the results may not
be taken as objective, consider using a third party to increase the credibility of results.
PITFALL: TAKING WHAT INTERVIEWEES SAY AT FACE VALUE
• Taking interviewees’ comments entirely at face value is not always advisable. Their level of
credibility and authority in dealing with a particular topic, as well as their candour, need to be
evaluated carefully by interviewers. This is particularly important in industries where suspicion
is high and competitive posturing is suspected, or where jargon is commonly used.
SOLUTION: BE SKEPTICAL
• One of the most important jobs of an interviewer is to maintain a healthy level of skepticism
throughout the interview. Answers should be probed deeply, especially if the credibility of the
interviewee isn’t well known. Interviewers should listen for what is not being said as well as
probe to understand interviewees’ potential motivations and perspectives on the interview
itself.
• It is absolutely critical to ask interviewees to define their terms. This may be accomplished
simply by asking, “What do you mean by that?” to avoid inaccurate assumptions.
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10. COMMON PITFALLS AND
SOLUTIONS
PITFALL: INTERVIEWER FATIGUE
• Each interview must be approached as a blank slate with optimism and positive energy. But if
the same key themes keep coming up, the interviewer can lose their edge and end up leading
the witness or moving too quickly through the interview.
SOLUTION: CHANGE IT UP
• To guard against leading the witness, one successful tactic is for interviewers to periodically
observe each other and provide feedback. Additionally, alternating interviewers can help create
better research findings by ensuring that each interview is approached with fresh eyes. These
tactics require more than one skilled interviewer, which may necessitate using a third party if
internal resources are not available.
PITFALL: NOT RECOGNIZING OPPORTUNITIES
• Even an experienced interviewer can fail to recognize when an interviewee is entering into an
area that can be expanded upon and probed.
SOLUTION: PREPARATION AND INTERVIEWER SKILL
• Since every industry has its own nuances, an extensive briefing should be provided to each
interviewer before they begin conducting interviews so they have a understanding of industry
dynamics and research objectives. Choose an experienced interviewer who can put the inter-
viewee at ease, build credibility, adapt to the flow of the interview, and ask different questions or
probe more deeply on specific areas based on the answers provided.
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11. COMMON PITFALLS AND
SOLUTIONS
PITFALL: SAMPLE BIAS
• When interviewees are from an internal group, such as employees, clients, or members, specific
individuals may be selected for interviews who are not representative of the entire population.
SOLUTION: RANDOM SAMPLING
• Random sampling, or randomly selecting interviewees from certain categories, such as large
clients, small client, lost clients, new clients, etc., will avoid this kind of bias in the sample.
PITFALL: RETICENCE AND SUSPICION
• Some industries or workplaces are characterized by high levels of suspicion, and it may be
particularly difficult to secure interviews or obtain rich information from them.
SOLUTION: TRIANGULATE AND BUILD TRUST
• Speak with multiple people within an industry — people likely won’t tell you about their own
company, but they will talk about what they observe in the marketplace.
• Use a third party research firm so there is confidence that confidentiality will be maintained.
• If the group of interviewees is accessible enough, perform regular research and report the
results to build trust.
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12. CONCLUSION
INTERVIEW RESEARCH IS A POWER- Taking the time and dedicating the proper resources
FUL TOOL TO UNLOCK INSIGHTS to this process will make it possible to obtain a de-
FROM CUSTOMERS, SUPPLIERS, US- tailed picture of various stakeholders’ perspectives
ERS, MEMBERS, AND COMPETITORS. while providing the opportunity to uncover unex-
HOWEVER, IT TAKES SIGNIFICANT pected findings which may have strategic implica-
SKILL AND MANAGEMENT TO REAL- tions. Consider carefully whether the value of these
IZE ITS FULL VALUE. conversations can be best realized by using internal
resources, or whether a third party should be en-
gaged to ensure the quality of the results.
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14. ABOUT THE MEZZANINE GROUP
The Mezzanine Group is a Toronto-based Business to Business
strategy and marketing company.
For more than ten years, we’ve helped executives in small and
mid-sized companies, large enterprises and professional
associations achieve growth through effective strategic plans
and marketing implementation.
We know growth - we were named one of the fastest growing
companies in Canada for four years by PROFIT Magazine.
The Mezzanine Group
www.themezzaninegroup.com
416 598 4684
info@themezzaninegroup.com