How to find interview partners for your buyer persona
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2025 5:25 am
When searching for potential interview partners, consider the following recommendations:
1) Offer incentives to the potential customer. It's not always necessary to offer incentives to engage (e.g., if a customer wants to talk to you anyway). However, it's a good idea to offer a reward to people with whom you haven't yet established a relationship. For example, in the form of a gift card (an Amazon or iTunes gift card is a good idea).
2) Explain right from the start that this isn't a sales pitch. This is especially important when speaking to people who aren't yet customers. Explain that you're simply doing research and would like to learn something from them. This isn't about an hour-long sales pitch, but about getting to know these people, their work, their lives, and their challenges.
3) Make it as easy as possible for the other person to say yes. Make as little work as shareholder data possible for your potential interviewers. You should suggest various dates, but keep them as flexible as possible. Send them a calendar invitation with a reminder to ensure the interview takes place.
How many people should you interview if you want to create a buyer persona?
buyer persona2Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Start by conducting at least 3-5 interviews for each persona you want to create. If you already know your personas well, that might be enough. You may need to conduct 3-5 interviews for each type of interviewee (customers, prospects, and people who are new to your company).
You've conducted enough interviews when you can predict how each interviewee will react. After a while, you'll notice patterns emerging in the interviews. If you can predict what your interviewee will say next, you've interviewed enough people to recognize and internalize these patterns.
20 interview questions for personas
Finally, it's time for the interview! After thanking the interviewer and engaging in the usual small talk, you can begin with the first question. As you develop your personas, you can ask a variety of questions.
We've compiled some questions from these categories below. Of course, you can and should adapt this list by adding or removing questions to tailor the interview to your target audience.
Position of the persona
1) What is your job title? What is your job title?
2) How do you rate your performance?
3) Can you describe a typical working day for you?
4) What skills do you need for your job?
5) What knowledge and tools do you rely on?
6) Who do you report to? Who reports to you?
To the organization in which the persona works
7) What industry does your company operate in?
8) How big is your company (in terms of revenue and employees)?
Goals of the persona
9) What are you responsible for?
10) What does it mean to be successful in your position?
1) Offer incentives to the potential customer. It's not always necessary to offer incentives to engage (e.g., if a customer wants to talk to you anyway). However, it's a good idea to offer a reward to people with whom you haven't yet established a relationship. For example, in the form of a gift card (an Amazon or iTunes gift card is a good idea).
2) Explain right from the start that this isn't a sales pitch. This is especially important when speaking to people who aren't yet customers. Explain that you're simply doing research and would like to learn something from them. This isn't about an hour-long sales pitch, but about getting to know these people, their work, their lives, and their challenges.
3) Make it as easy as possible for the other person to say yes. Make as little work as shareholder data possible for your potential interviewers. You should suggest various dates, but keep them as flexible as possible. Send them a calendar invitation with a reminder to ensure the interview takes place.
How many people should you interview if you want to create a buyer persona?
buyer persona2Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Start by conducting at least 3-5 interviews for each persona you want to create. If you already know your personas well, that might be enough. You may need to conduct 3-5 interviews for each type of interviewee (customers, prospects, and people who are new to your company).
You've conducted enough interviews when you can predict how each interviewee will react. After a while, you'll notice patterns emerging in the interviews. If you can predict what your interviewee will say next, you've interviewed enough people to recognize and internalize these patterns.
20 interview questions for personas
Finally, it's time for the interview! After thanking the interviewer and engaging in the usual small talk, you can begin with the first question. As you develop your personas, you can ask a variety of questions.
We've compiled some questions from these categories below. Of course, you can and should adapt this list by adding or removing questions to tailor the interview to your target audience.
Position of the persona
1) What is your job title? What is your job title?
2) How do you rate your performance?
3) Can you describe a typical working day for you?
4) What skills do you need for your job?
5) What knowledge and tools do you rely on?
6) Who do you report to? Who reports to you?
To the organization in which the persona works
7) What industry does your company operate in?
8) How big is your company (in terms of revenue and employees)?
Goals of the persona
9) What are you responsible for?
10) What does it mean to be successful in your position?