The art of asking the right question

We strongly believe in the value of qualitative methods for exploring needs and testing ideas. However, it can sometimes be challenging to formulate good questions, which is why we have compiled question inspiration within four areas: exploring new opportunities, finding the right challenge, checking and strengthening the hypothesis, and verifying, testing, and prioritizing.

Before you get started, it can be helpful to begin by writing a roadmap for your questions. The roadmap doesn't need to be a battery of pre-formulated questions but more like a game plan with different question areas you want to cover. Then, narrow down a few main questions to start with. Context is also crucial, having a thorough understanding of what you're investigating. What has been done before, what do you know, and what don't you know?

Quick overview: know or don't know?

Take inventory of your knowledge about customer needs using the know/don't know method.

Stand in front of a whiteboard and create a column for know and one for don't know. Then fill in, for example, we know what our sales figures look like, but we don't know why customers buy more of x and less of y.

By dividing into know/don't know, you quickly get an overview of where there are knowledge gaps and where you need to dig deeper. Also, consider what you know, on what basis do you know that it's so?

Phrase your questions

Asking open questions is crucial. But how can we guarantee that people are truthful?

It's about what we say and what we think. For example, if someone is asked "What would you prefer to eat for lunch?" and answers "a healthy salad", but then usually opts for something quick and easy like a burger for lunch. You must understand what drives decisions by asking questions like:

What do you choose when you have plenty of time?
...when you have little time?
...when you know what's available?
What would make you choose something else?
Tell me about the last time you did that?

Questions to explore new opportunities

Always start from where you are in development. Explain to the customer why you need help. "Now we're here, and that's why we'd like to ask you..." It makes it easier and more urgent for the customer to contribute.

What do you think about this?
What opportunities or challenges do you see ahead?
What is most important to you regarding this? Why?
If you could decide, how could we do it/meet it?

Questions to find the right challenge

Here you get to ask exploratory questions that challenge the customer to think quite freely and also start from themselves and their personal needs and opinions. It's about pinpointing the right needs to solve.

How can we do what we do better?
How can we develop?
What do you think about ____?
What do you miss?
What is a ____ to you? How would it affect you if ____ didn't exist? What would you do instead?
Tell me about a time when ___
Tell me about a positive experience with ___

Questions to check the challenge and our hypothesis

Have you interpreted the customers correctly? Formulate your hypothesis and ask the customers if it's accurate.

We understand that many are interested in this __.
We thought of addressing this __.
What do you think about it?
If we were to do this ___, what would you do most of then?
If we do this ___, what are your expectations?
Do you think we should offer some sort of subscription? If so, what is important to you?

Questions to verify, test, and prioritize

When iterating and further developing, you need quick feedback from customers. Ask what customers think so you're more likely to make the right prioritizations.

We thought like this about___. What do you think about it?
We would like to help our customers with this ___. Then we thought about doing this ___. What do you think?
How can we improve our ___?
Why did you buy ____?
What is most important to you when buying ___ online?
What would make you not buy the next version of ____?
How could it be easier for you to use our tool/product?
If you had to choose between these ____, what is most important to you?

Handling negative feedback

Those who have had a negative experience often have strong ideas about how something could be improved. It's good to acknowledge what's said and shift to the present instead. For example: "That wasn't a good experience. How would you like it to be if it was good?" Or "What would you have done instead?".

The art of asking the right question
Quick overview: know or don't know?
Phrase your questions
Questions to explore new opportunities
Questions to find the right challenge
Questions to check the challenge and our hypothesis
Questions to verify, test, and prioritize