What Are Your Observations?

Before you dive too far into your research, you need to have a clear idea of the core questions that you want answered. These aren’t questions that you’re necessarily going to directly ask customers. (You may ask some of them, but you’ll get a lot of the information you’re looking for through observation.) Your research goals will be influenced by the provocative hypotheses you created in Chapter 1, and you’ll want to focus on the relationship between the customer and the industry, segment, or category:

• How and where do customers interact with the current products and services in your industry, segment, or category?

• What steps do they have to take to purchase products and services?

• How does the industry, segment, or category make the customer feel?

• What is the social network of the customer?

• Is the customer loyal to an existing product, service, or brand?

• What is the level of customer support offered?