The two most valuable tips for making the right questions in a market research
Have you ever heard this quote? We might agree that it is powerful and exposes the importance of questioning everything if yes or no. This question is related to objectives, curiosity, and action! The more you ask questions, the more answers you get, and the more possibilities of possible actions come to your mind. However, asking random questions will take you to random actions. How to make sure you’re asking the right questions to find the right step?
In this article, you will find three tips on properly formulating your questions. The best thing is – you can apply it in your daily life or even to your marketing research!
TIP #1)
You ask a question, expecting an answer that will drive you to action.
That’s a pretty straightforward statement that illustrates a cycle:
QUESTION > ANSWER > ACTION
The first thing to have in mind while thinking about what’s the right question for me is: is the answer to this question leading me to action? Example:
Question: are you going to John’s coffee shop tomorrow?
Answer: Yes
Possible action: I might go to see you there / I won’t go because you’re there
While thinking about your questions to someone or even on your marketing research, question yourself: independently on the answer to this question, will it lead me to decide on what path to follow or what action to take? You’re one step closer to validating your inquiry if the answer is yes!
TIP #2)
A question without an objective is just a wonder
As mentioned before, questions drive action. However, if you ask a question without a clear objective in mind, how will you decide on what path to follow?
In the previous example, I asked if you’re going to the party tonight because I want to have a surprise for you, and with this objective, I need to know if you’re there or not.
However, the same question, “are you going to John’s tomorrow” would not work if I wanted to know if the food is good if you’re taking someone with you and what time you would be leaving. Again, my objective was to see if you were going or not.
Before asking your question to someone, ask yourself – what I want to know from this person, and why is this answer vital to me?
In marketing research, you will probably answer a question to a customer or, if you’re the customer, ask someone to answer your question. To avoid any conflicts, it is essential to formulate them well and make sure all parties understand the objective behind them.
A validation step for moving forward with your question is placing the objective of your marketing research:
To answer this question I am going to conduct an _______ among ______ to learn about __________ measured by ________.
This simple template is powerful and might help you reshape your question or simply make sure yours is already hot to go.
One of the biggest mistakes in marketing research is not having a clear objective, and the main reason for having this objective unclear is the wrong question.
Now that you know the power of questions and master the two main tips to formulate them, it is time for practice.
Following this research objective:
“To answer my client question, I am going to conduct an online survey among marketing professionals that works in startups to learn about their main challenges measured by their marketing funnel conversion rates (impressions, clicks, signs ups, effective sales).”
What’s my client’s question?
Answer in the comments your guests and I’d be more than happy to reply:
- Where do marketing startups professionals seek information?
- In which phase do startups struggle the most to convert leads?
- Do startups founders consume marketing content online?
Share your insights below!