11 Powerful Questions to ask in B2B Customer Discovery Interviews

Original post: https://twitter.com/robertbalazsi/status/1393125654661636098

To validate your idea, you have to "get out of the building" and talk to people. But what should you ask? I compiled 11 questions to ask in customer discovery interviews, and why they work.

1. Can you walk me through a day in your work?

Used for building rapport during the conversion. Listen for the jargon used; they can be used for good marketing copy later on the landing page.

2. What does success look like to you?

Inspired by the JTBD (Jobs-To-Be-Done) framework, it focuses on the desired outcome, not the process.

3. What are the 3 biggest challenges you face working as a <position>?

We're gone problem hunting. People usually face several challenges, so it's worth exploring at least 3 of them.

4. If you had a magic wand, what would you change?

This "magic wand" question is a classic. You'd be surprised how many unexpected answers you'll get if the only limit is their imagination. And those can fuel innovation.

5. Why is this a significant problem?

You're trying to find out the impact this problem has on the customer's job. What if he/she can't solve it adequately? How is the company impacted?

6. Can you tell me about the last time this problem happened?

The problem you're trying to solve must be a recent one. If he/she tells you this happened years ago, ask about a more recent problem.

7. How are you currently solving this problem?

Now you're exploring the technology landscape. If the customer currently uses a word processor or spreadsheet, it is great problem to automate.

8. What are some of the shortcomings of <competitor>?

If there is a market, there will be competitors. But no technology is one-size-fits-all, so you're learning about the things you could solve better.

9. How much time and money are you spending each month solving this problem?

This question is great for crafting a powerful marketing copy later, which could read something like "Save 50 hours of work every month".

10. Who else in your company shares this problem?

The more people are impacted, the more critical the problem is. It also sheds light on the decision-making hierarchy of the company, allowing you to address different stakeholders accordingly.

11. What are some of the blogs you read, podcasts you listen to, communities you are part of?

You used to search the internet to research this. But what's a better way to find out where they learn and hang out than to ask them, right?

Finally, a couple of notes regarding these questions:

• You never mentioned a solution, only asked about their problems.
• Note how each of them is an open question and not a yes-or-no question?
• They ask about the past or present, but not the future (no "Would you use <product X>" questions). People are terrible at predicting the future.

What are your thoughts? Any other questions you found particularly useful when conducting interviews?