Webinar Summary
Introduction to the Workshop
This webinar, led by Hannah Shamji, explores key principles and strategies for effective customer research. Drawing from her experience as a psychotherapist and customer researcher, she shares foundational principles, proven strategies, and actionable techniques for gathering and analyzing customer data.
1. Understanding Customer Research
- Customer research is a specialized skill distinct from general marketing or product development.
- Common misconceptions about customer research can lead to poor insights and ineffective strategies.
- Businesses should approach research with a clear objective to ensure valuable outcomes.
2. Five Rules for Effective Customer Research
- Start with Business Objectives – Define the business decision first before creating research questions.
- Choose the Research Method Last – Select methods only after defining research questions to ensure alignment with goals.
- Always Validate Your Findings – Collect sufficient responses (100+ surveys or 10-15 interviews) to confirm true patterns.
- Focus on What People Do, Not Just What They Say – Prioritize behavioral data over stated preferences for reliable insights.
- Ask About the Past, Not the Future – Frame questions around past and present experiences for more accurate data.
3. Hannah’s 4 Levels of Customer Data Framework
- Level 1: What Customers Say – Surface-level opinions that may not reflect real behavior
- Level 2: What They Think and Feel – Subjective interpretations that can be inconsistent.
- Level 3: What They Do – Measurable behaviors that provide objective insights.
- Level 4: Why They Do It – The deeper reasoning behind customer decisions.
4. Pricing Study Approaches
- Future-oriented pricing studies often yield unreliable results.
- Understanding current spending behaviors provides more accurate insights.
- Identifying past solutions used by customers helps reveal pricing expectations.
- Assessing expected price ranges can help align product pricing with customer perceptions.
- Observing actual purchase intent through small commitments ensures more reliable data.
5. Balancing Surveys and Interviews
- Surveys – Effective for gathering broad data (levels 1-2) and validating trends.
- Interviews – Essential for deeper insights (levels 3-4) and understanding customer motivations.
- Combination Approach – Start with one method and validate findings with the other.
6. Strategies for Effective Customer Research
- Gather insights from active feedback sources.
- Use surveys to validate findings across a broader audience.
- Conduct in-depth one-on-one interviews for richer understanding.
- Position interviews as exclusive opportunities to increase participation.
- Prefer individual interviews over focus groups to reduce bias and improve data reliability.
7. Conclusion
- Applying Insights to Real-World Research
- Connecting with Experts for Continuous Learning
- Suggested Readings & Resources
Meet the Speaker
Hannah Shamji is a highly skilled customer researcher and strategist who has been helping businesses unlock valuable customer insights to drive growth. With a background in psychotherapy, she blends behavioral psychology with research methodologies to extract deep and actionable insights. She has collaborated with numerous companies to refine their customer research approaches, ensuring they make informed and data-driven decisions. Learn more about her work at Hannah Shamji’s Website.