How do you design effective surveys and interviews for product marketing research?

Make sure defining research goals is a collaborative exercise. It should never be done in a silo, so make it point to involve senior management, product, sales and marketing in the process (I know it's easier said than done in market research!). One piece of advice for more focused research goals? Start with the desired outcome. And remember to avoid the following: - objectives that are too broad (just like with any other marketing objectives) - Double-barreled objectives. Two objectives do not become one. In the same way, double-barreled questions should be avoided at all costs. (we'll go over this shortly) - Assumptions and biases (When your research goals are biased, the rest of your research will likely be too)

I have found that when we do this research we can be blinded by what we are looking for. What is even better is if you can look for the 'black swans' What are we not expecting to find. I have found some amazing insights when taking this view

Don't just do one type of survey: do F2F, phone and SurveyMonkey-type: all as part of the consensus. The biases will become apparent when the data rolls in. Face to face gets you the rich contextual data you really need.

Refrain from defaulting to surveys. Yes, surveys can be the cheapest option. Yes, surveys can be the easiest to conduct. But they should be used when you need to quantify behaviour, a challenge etc. If, after defining your methodology and designing your questions, you realize that your survey has more open-ended questions than it should, then it's time to look at other or additional options. There's still time. And if you need to include surveys, please make sure you design your sample early on, whether for a segmentation, pricing study or a simple survey. You do NOT want to realize that your sample is too small when you start analyzing or that you have to weigh your data. Weighting data or topping up a sample can only get you so far.

As a product marketer, one of the most important aspects of my job is to understand our users' needs, motivations, and pain points. To do this, I partner closely with our product and stakeholder teams to identify the research objectives and determine the most effective methods for collecting qualitative data. We work together to develop open-ended questions that will provide valuable insights into our users' experiences with our product. By asking the right questions, we can better understand our users' needs and preferences, identify areas for improvement, and develop targeted solutions that meet their needs.

Designing clear and relevant questions takes more work than most people think. To expand on what makes leading, loaded, jargon-filled or double-barreled questions so dangerous. 1) Leading questions leave no room for objectivity. 2) Loaded ones are filled with assumptions about habits or perceptions. 3) Questions with jargon turn the most eager respondents away. 4) Double-barreled questions make it difficult to answer either question honestly. Then, you have questions full of double negatives and mismatched scales that leave you scratching your head. Remember, the more a respondent has to think about your questions, the less likely they are to answer them.

Being able to quickly re-write questions and adapt is crucial to ensure the accuracy of the data collected in research. If the questions are unclear or do not generate the desired responses, it is important to be able to adjust them on the fly. This allows for a more efficient and effective research process, as the research team can quickly make changes based on the feedback they receive from the participants. This adaptability can also help to ensure that the data collected is relevant and actionable, as the questions can be refined and adjusted to focus on the most important aspects of the research objectives.

Reporting and sharing out your data is the most important part of research. It's important to consider your audience and their specific goals when you share out. Where you can, tailor your findings to be as relevant as possible to your audience and encourage active participation to help the learnings really stick.