Customer Research

Overview

Customer research systematically gathers insights about target users to inform product and market decisions. This skill covers methodologies for understanding customer needs, behaviors, and preferences.

Research Types

Quantitative Research

• Surveys and questionnaires
• Usage analytics
• A/B testing results
• Market share data
• NPS/satisfaction scores

Qualitative Research

• Customer interviews
• Focus groups
• Observation studies
• Support ticket analysis
• Review mining

Persona Development

Core Elements

Demographics

• Age range
• Job title/role
• Industry
• Company size
• Location

Psychographics

• Goals and motivations
• Pain points and frustrations
• Decision-making style
• Information sources
• Technology comfort

Behaviors

• Current solutions used
• Buying process
• Key triggers
• Evaluation criteria

Persona Template

## [Persona Name]

### Profile
- **Role**: [Job title]
- **Company**: [Size, industry]
- **Experience**: [Years in role]

### Goals
1. [Primary goal]
2. [Secondary goal]
3. [Tertiary goal]

### Pain Points
1. [Major frustration]
2. [Secondary frustration]
3. [Minor annoyance]

### Quote
"[Representative statement capturing mindset]"

### Buying Behavior
- **Trigger**: [What prompts search]
- **Research**: [How they evaluate]
- **Decision**: [Who/what influences]
- **Timeline**: [Typical cycle length]

### Preferred Channels
- [Channel 1]
- [Channel 2]

Jobs-to-be-Done Framework

Focus on what customers are trying to accomplish:

Functional Jobs

• Core task to complete
• Measurable outcomes desired

Emotional Jobs

• How they want to feel
• Social perception goals

Related Jobs

• Before/after the core job
• Supporting tasks

JTBD Statement Format

"When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome]."

Example: "When I'm preparing a market analysis, I want to quickly find reliable data, so I can make confident recommendations to leadership."

Customer Journey Mapping

Journey Stages

1. Awareness

   • How do they discover they have a need?
   • What triggers the search?

2. Consideration

   • What options do they evaluate?
   • What criteria matter most?

3. Decision

   • Who influences the choice?
   • What tips the decision?

4. Purchase

   • What friction points exist?
   • What enables conversion?

5. Onboarding

   • First experience expectations
   • Success metrics

6. Retention/Advocacy

   • What drives continued use?
   • What triggers referrals?

Journey Map Template

Stage	Actions	Thoughts	Emotions	Pain Points	Opportunities
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Purchase
Onboarding
Retention

Data Collection Methods

Interview Framework

Opening (5 min)

• Build rapport
• Explain purpose
• Get permission to record

Current State (15 min)

• Walk me through your typical workflow
• What tools do you use?
• What's working well?

Pain Points (15 min)

• What's most frustrating?
• Tell me about a recent challenge
• What would make your life easier?

Ideal State (10 min)

• If you could wave a magic wand...
• What would success look like?
• How would you measure it?

Closing (5 min)

• Anything else to add?
• Can I follow up?
• Referrals?

Review Mining

Extract insights from:

• G2, Capterra, TrustRadius
• App store reviews
• Reddit discussions
• Twitter/social mentions
• Support forums

What to look for:

• Repeated complaints
• Feature requests
• Competitor comparisons
• Use case descriptions
• Emotional language

Segmentation

Segmentation Criteria

Demographic: Company size, industry, role Behavioral: Usage patterns, buying frequency Needs-based: Problem severity, sophistication Value-based: Revenue potential, strategic fit

Segment Prioritization

Segment	Size	Need Intensity	Accessibility	Competition	Priority
[Name]	S/M/L	H/M/L	H/M/L	H/M/L	1-5

Output Structure

## Customer Research Summary

### Key Segments
1. [Segment 1]: [Description, size]
2. [Segment 2]: [Description, size]

### Personas
[Persona summaries]

### Jobs-to-be-Done
1. [Core job]
2. [Supporting job]

### Journey Insights
- **Awareness**: [Key finding]
- **Consideration**: [Key finding]
- **Decision**: [Key finding]

### Pain Points (Ranked)
1. [Most severe]
2. [Second]
3. [Third]

### Opportunities
1. [Unmet need 1]
2. [Unmet need 2]

### Trend Indicators
- Customer sophistication: INC/DEC/CONST
- Willingness to pay: INC/DEC/CONST
- Switching propensity: INC/DEC/CONST

Best Practices

• Talk to actual customers, not just internal assumptions
• Include churned customers and non-customers
• Distinguish between stated and revealed preferences
• Update research regularly (behaviors change)
• Quantify qualitative insights where possible

Additional Resources

For detailed frameworks, see:

• references/interview-guide.md - Interview techniques
• references/persona-examples.md - Sample personas
• examples/journey-map.md - Complete journey map