How to conduct an empathetic interview with users?
An empathetic interview reduces risk when making business decisions. User Research requires the use of active listening y Behavioral Design to identify unarticulated needs. The goal is to establish a report technique that allows observing the user's real interaction with the product, overcoming response biases through the analysis of non-verbal language and strategic «double-clicking.».
On one occasion, Henry Ford He said: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have told me faster horses.” With this, we can see that generally what we express that we want is a bit limited. Our choices and behaviors operate under cognitive biases that Behavioral Design helps us identify. Often the answer is even in how we react, a fundamental principle of Behavioral Design.
The author of the book Sprint, John Zeratsky, invites us to interview clients and learn as we watch them respond to a product prototype, applying an approach of User-Centered Design (UCD) and delving deeper into the responses people have to a stimulus. To achieve this, John and many other authors emphasize the importance of including empathy in our interviews.
Empathy allows us to connect with how others think, feel, behave, and make decisions. By establishing that bridge, we are allowing ourselves to be guided; and therein lies the key. Some ingredients that at Gerundio we consider fundamental for reducing bias and maximizing the extraction of Qualitative insights during interviews, they are:
Empathetic Interviews: The Research Method for Deciphering User Loyalty and Behavior.
1. Gratitude and comfortable atmosphere
Creating a space (physical or analogous) where both feel comfortable will make the conversation flow better. If you detect something that achieves identification and establishes report, it will be even better. You can connect with something you see in their space and ask them to tell you about it; that will get them to relax and flow.
Active Listening
This is intimately related to humility and staying open. Knowing how to listen is about being attuned to your interviewee: their tone, their way of speaking, and the user's processing speed. This involves using all senses to gather relevant information for the Service Design.
Calderón and Silva (2018) share that active listening consists of:
“...a form of communication that transmits clear ideas without disrupting the receiver; it is carried out freely, taking into account what others think and feel; it demonstrates how attentive a person is during dialogue... analyzing, reasoning, and understanding the information being transmitted.”
3. Connection with the Subtle
As social beings, we filter what we say, but our physical response often escapes this filter. In experience design, body language is a qualitative metric of customer friction; a micro-expression of doubt is an indicator of churn risk that no quantitative survey will capture. It is vital to notice when someone smiles, delve into their non-verbal response, and explore what triggers that behavior.
4. Double-click the generic
Searching for clarity in broad answers allows you to obtain Insights high value and avoid assumptions that lead to costly rework. Everyone's meaning of experiences is different. So it's always recommended to ask: What do you mean by...? to align the user's mental model with the strategy.
5. Exploration and open-ended questions
Use techniques appreciative inquiry And avoid questions that lead to “yes” or “no” answers. Allow users to talk about what's important to them, making sure the openness doesn't become confusing. Basically, it's about setting aside formality to have an honest conversation.
The 3 Pillars of Strategic Interviewing in Gerund
- Bias neutralization: Using open-ended questions to avoid guiding the answer.
- Reaction mapping Micro-expression identification as indicators of Customer Friction, that impact Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
- Semantic deepening: «Double-Click» Technique to Align Expectations with Service Architecture.
Nowadays, is your brand strategy based on what users say or what they actually need? Knowing what motivates people to make decisions and the emotions they experience is the key to building a strong relationship.
At Gerundio, we understand loyalty not as a program, but as a relationship system based on deep understanding. If your current decision-making lacks validated qualitative insights, let's talk about how our Research methodologies can shield your sustainable growth.
