The best part about my job is I get to talk to  lots and lots of people all across the world in different industries and with a variety of different job functions. In every interview, the goal is the same,  to find that one bit of insight that when applied within the product would deliver maximum value for our customers.

Having done this many times over , I know I am good at it and that if given the opportunity to talk to users/customers I can in most instances overtime identify key “insights” that can differentiate and improve the value of our products. I am not a trained psychologist and I don’t think I am better than those who interview for a living. However, I do feel what I do have is “empathy” – a quality that helps me connect with individuals and get them to talk about our products about their jobs in a way that helps me in the end get the answers that I want.

I recently came across a very good talk by “Marc Pachter” – The Art of the Interview. Although the context is slightly different, this particular talk resonated with me. Although, I cannot claim to have achieved the level of empathy that he describes in his talk, it is something that I feel I can always strive for. In concluding the talk he says – The key point (to interviewing) is “empathy” – because everybody in their lives is really waiting for people to ask them questions so that they can be truthful about who they are and how they became what they are.

The art of customer interview for me is the ability to ask that one key question to the customer, which opens him/her up and reveals the true nature of their actions and behaviour. It’s not a question that can be scripted or pre thought but is something that reveals itself if one is truly curious , empathetic and can see the world through the eyes of their customer.