Consulting Journal: Techniques

Techniques: Noting responses

by David Blakey

You may find a market research technique useful.

[Monday 28 January 2008]

In this article, I shall show you a technique that market research interviewers use. I shall then describe how you can use it in consulting.

The technique

The technique is probably the simplest action that you will learn to do as a consultant. It is writing a forward slash or stroke, /.

Market researchers often interview people about their impressions and thoughts. As an example, a client may be considering a new print advertsiising campaign. The market reaearchers may be engaged to obtain the opinions of a sample of interviewers. Here is a sample question from a typical interview.

How do you think that this advertisement will change the attitudes of people?

The interviewee may answer: You could easily flick past this ad, without really looking. The instructions to the interviewer will be Probe fully. This means that the interviewer must continue to prompt the interviewee for more information until the interviewee has nothing further to say. The conversation may go like this.

Q: How do you think that this advertisement will change the attitudes of people?
A: You could easily flick past this ad, without really looking.
Q: And why is that?
A: Advertising with people in it is more interesting.
Q: Is there anything else about this ad that affects its impact?
A: No.

When the market reasercher records this, one of their techniques is to write it like this.

You could easily flick past this ad, without really looking./Advertising with people in it is more interesting./.

Each slash indicates where the interviewer probed for more information. The final slash followed by a period shows that the interviewer probed but the interviewee has nothing more to add. Some interviewers make the period a larger dot, as in /• The technique does not show the content of the interviewer's probe question; it does show that there was a probe question.

Using the technique

Imagine using this technique in consulting.

Q: Why do you want a CRM?
A: To improve our customer service.
Q: How will it improve it?
A: By making information available in a central database.
Q: And how will that improve customer service?
A: It will get information out of individuals' heads, so that anyone can deal with any customer.
Q: Any other improvements?
A: No, that's it, really, getting it out of people's heads and into a databcse.

Without using this technique, your notes may be

CRM
Improve customer service.
Central database.
Out of individuals' heads
Anyone can deal with a customer

With this techniques, those notes would be

CRM
Improve customer service / Central database / Out of individuals' heads / Anyone can deal with a customer /.

This has two advantages.

First, you can record someone's responses as a chain of answers, linked by your probes.

Sometimes, your probing will gradually lead them to an idea. You will be able to see how your probes led from a vague concept to a firm resolve.
Sometimes, your probing will reveal a basic motivation. This is so in the example above. What the client actually wants to do is to capture and use knowledge, which they justify as improving customer service and which they believe can be achieved by implementing a CRM.

Limitations

This technique is best used for recording new thoughts. If your client has had time to think about the subject, it is likely that they have already probed their own reasoning. The technique is not suitable for recording a monologue.

If you have to ask probing questions, then the technique can be a good way of recording the client's thoughts.

You can, of course, use it for parts of a meeting. Your client may talk at length about a topic, and you can make notes. If you spot some gaps, you can begin probing and begin using the technique.

Advantages

Look again at these notes.

CRM
Improve customer service.
Central database.
Out of individuals' heads
Anyone can deal with a customer

Using these notes, you might write a report that would repeat the client's justification for a CRM.

CRM
Improve customer service / Central database / Out of individuals' heads / Anyone can deal with a customer /.

With the same notes in this format, you would be more likely to concentrate on what the client actually wants.

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Q:	How do you think that this advertisement will change the attitudes of people?
A:	You could easily flick past this ad, without really looking.
Q:	And why is that?
A:	Advertising with people in it is more interesting.
Q:	Is there anything else about this ad that affects its impact?
A:	No.

Q:	Why do you want a CRM?
A:	To improve our customer service.
Q:	How will it improve it?
A:	By making information available in a central database.
Q:	And how will that improve customer service?
A:	It will get information out of individuals' heads, so that anyone can deal with any customer.
Q:	Any other improvements?
A:	No, that's it, really, getting it out of people's heads and into a databcse.