User Interviewing for Introverts

Tips, tricks and strategies to get the most out of your user interviews if they don't come naturally to you. Presented for ProductCamp PDX 2020

Transcript

1. User Interviewing For Introverts Brian M. Levine Senior Product Manager Springbrook Software Brian.Levine@sprbrk.com @ProdMgmtBrian
2. About Me • 15+ Years of PM and BI experience in enterprise FinTech, Investments, B2B SaaS, and B2C mobile • Former focus group moderator, 1000’s of hours focus groups, IDI’s, UX interviews • Fly-fishing, skiing, my dogs, punk rock/HC • Mostly an introvert Agile UX Technical Business Intro- version Extro- version
3. Why Talk to Customers? • Build the right thing • Put opinions to the test • Validate assumptions • Discover new opportunities • Silence the HIPPOs “Good teams engage directly with end- users and customers every week, to better understand their customers, and to see the customer’s response to their latest ideas. Bad teams think they are the customer.” - Marty Cagan, Silicon Valley Product Group ” “
4. Why Introverts Struggle With User Interviewing Challenge Result Aversion to small talk Interviewee resistance Finite appetite for conversation Abbreviated conversations, low resolution insights Overthinking, daydreaming or ignoring conversational cues Bogging down on a single topic, awkward/no transitions Tend to take people at their word, trusting Opinions go unchallenged, no “why?”
5. Where Introverts Can Succeed Strength Result Good listeners Interviewee feels heard Focused on a single thing at a time Findings are on-topic Overly-observant In UX, leads to great insights Daydreamers/abstract thinkers Good for painting a conceptual picture
6. Personal Challenges Challenge Strategy to overcome it I tend to avoid talking to people I don’t know well at all costs I let users/clients schedule time with me rather than the other way around I find myself “over it” quickly, want to end convo Set goals verbally at the top of your conversation to encourage yourself, set an ending I struggle to build a rapport early I have a script for the beginning of every user interview that is 100% the same, word-for-word, every time I have a long warm- up period I precede every user session with short, low-stress casual conversations Your introversion may present itself differently, but these are my issues.
7. Tips and Tricks • Tell your interviewee exactly what you hope to get out of the conversation • Apologize or preface with points about what you need and how it might feel stilted (ex. ‘I have some notes I’ll read from, apologies if this feels a little robotic…’) • Never, ever wing it (ever) • Try it first with internal clients, sales folks, user proxies, new employees, low- stakes clients, partners, friends etc. Most users actively want to share their stories, but it’s up to us to get them to share the right story.
8. Role-Playing and Some Tools • Scripts help and keep things moving if you get stuck or overwhelmed • Make yourself notes or plan for answers that aren’t on-script • Using topical cues for filler and transitions instead of small talk • Ex. ‘We just covered the sign-in screen and I appreciate that feedback, let’s move to the purchase screen now.” Rinse, repeat.
9. Key Points • Play to your strengths (Active listening, observance, abstract thinking) • Use respect for your interviewees’ time as a motivator (i.e. if they schedule their session with you, don’t cancel or reschedule) • Consider stacking your client-facing conversations on a single day or week to give yourself time to recover • Build teams for growth, but don’t overbuild too early I find that making your interviewee do most of the talking is the best way to get things rolling and build momentum so you can focus on listening and thinking.
10. What Questions Can I Answer For You? Contact Info @ProdMgmtBrian Brian.Levine@sprbrk.com