Personal In-Depth Interviews
- Personal In-depth Interviews are used where there is a need to avoid contamination of respondents or where the subject is highly sensitive. In business-to-business markets, in-depth interviews may be the only option due to the dispersion of respondents around a country or geographical region.
Carried out face to face or over the phone, the interviewer follows lines of questioning appropriate to the respondent, probing particular areas of interest and/or knowledge with flexibility to change the line of questioning if needed.
We address the following issues when conducting primary insight research from B2B decision makers, influencers and key stakeholders:
We ask questions of the most relevant respondents: The decision making unit within B2B organisations is complex and the most appropriate person to answer our questions is often not the one we approach initially.
We ensure the survey consists of a commercially representative sample: This is not always the same as strict statistical significance. In many B2B markets, a small proportion of customers or buyers may account for a very high proportion of total sales so it vital to canvass the views of commercially significant companies.
During project planning, we ensure that the sample plan will achieve a robust result, whilst also being realistic to fulfil.
We ensure the researcher conveys an appropriate level of professionalism and expertise: Securing the cooperation of senior business decision-makers is more than just about having a business-like approach.
We ensure that extensive time is devoted to briefing all researchers on the study about any jargon or technical background relating to our clients’ industry.
Personal In-depth Interviews are used where there is a need to avoid contamination of respondents or where the subject is highly sensitive. In business-to-business markets, in-depth interviews may be the only option due to the dispersion of respondents around a country or geographical region. This can be done face to face or over the phone and the interviewer follows lines of questioning appropriate to the respondent, probing particular areas of interest and/or knowledge with flexibility to change the line of questioning if needed.
To avoid issues when conducting in-depth research, questions must be directed to the most relevant respondents such as decision makers; the survey or questionnaire must consist of a commercially representative sample; and researchers must have an appropriate level of professionalism and experience, as well as a good understanding of the industry. Hence, in depth interview in research can help yo avoid these issues.