Great Buyer's Journey Customer Interviews

I've been doing a lot of research on conducting great customer interviews.

The thing about customer interviews is customers have their guard up.

Why?

There's an irrational fear they may reveal something unsavory about themselves.

A great technique for transforming a customer from cautious to trusting is to be an active listener.

Active listening means repeating back what you heard the customer say to you. 

It communicates that you're genuinely listening and value what they're saying. It also gives them more confidence to open up and go deeper.

You can use phrases like "So let me feed this back to you to confirm I get what you're saying: {say what they said}. Did I get that right?" 

Often, they'll confirm and expand on what they said, or you'll uncover an opportunity to ask a follow-up question. 

P.S. Active listening is not rocket science, but it works in any important relationship (professional or personal).  Give it a try!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do customers naturally have their guard up during interviews?

Because there's an irrational fear they may reveal something unsavory about themselves, a natural caution that shows up even in low-stakes conversations about their own preferences and experiences.

What does active listening actually mean in practice?

Repeating back what was heard from the customer, confirming understanding directly rather than just moving on to the next question, a technique that communicates genuine attention to what's being said.

Why does repeating back what a customer said help build trust during an interview?

Because it signals genuine listening and value for what they're sharing, which gives them more confidence to open up further and go deeper than they might have otherwise.

What does an active listening phrase actually sound like in an interview?

Something like, "So let me feed this back to you to confirm I get what you're saying: [say what they said]. Did I get that right?" a simple confirmation that invites either agreement or further elaboration.

Does active listening only work in professional customer interviews?

No, it works in any important relationship, professional or personal. The technique itself is simple, not rocket science, but effective wherever genuine understanding and trust need to be built.