Tricks of the Trade

Something we love at Silver Scribe Research is face-to-face qualitative interviews. Meeting a consumer in their environment and learning about their products or work culture can produce some of the richest, most valuable data. Especially now, when your competitors are also doing research with AI, live, in-context data collection could be what keeps you differentiated in the market and true to your customers' needs. A good interviewer can start seeing patterns after as few as 5 interviews in a cohort.

Today I want to share some tricks I've learned over the years that have consistently improved my data.

1. Start with friendly conversation rooted in your surroundings. When you can connect personally with something you observe, use it! If I'm entering a home and see dog toys or interesting art on the walls, I ask about them because I genuinely care about both. The goal is for the participant to feel at ease quickly, like two friends just catching up.

2. Ask the question, then let the silence breathe. Give participants time to think, and don't fear the pause. Uncomfortable silences are completely fine! Take a sip of your coffee, jot down a note, and let the pause feel natural.  People will naturally fill them, often with the most candid and useful responses.

3. Budget enough for incentives. If you're conducting qualitative interviews, make sure your budget reflects the value of participants' time. $5 is simply not enough for an hour-long interview.  I have been part of studies that offered $400 for 2 hours of time in participant’s home and vehicle.  If you don’t have a large budget, consider gamifying the incentive.  In one study, I offered a minimum of $5 for participating, but there were a variety of monetary values up for grabs in the form of the old Punch-a-Bunch game from Price is Right.

If sitting through those silences isn't your thing, we're happy to help with your interviewing and research needs!