How to start a moderated research interview?

An insightful moderated interview is an uninterrupted conversation where the participant communicates without inhibitions. I polished most of these methods as I conducted interviews. I confused my participants sometimes and asked them the right question at the wrong time. Most of these situations just were laughed off, all thanks to a good introduction to the interview

Let me share with you some of my best learnings.

• Start the conversation with a greeting & a smile. Greet the participant in a friendly manner to begin establishing a positive rapport.
• Explain the purpose of the interview.
  “Thank you for making the time for this interview, we appreciate it. I am XYZ, and these are my team members (introduce them). We conduct research to understand our consumer's needs better so we can learn how to make better products and services for them”
• Tell them the common understanding of their commitment
  “This interview is expected to last x minutes, We might ask you to show us how you do things around here, maybe demonstrate how you file an application online, etc.”
• Permissions
  “Explain to the respondents that you need their permission to take photos and videos and ask them if they are ok with it. Wait for a clear response from them agreeing to this.”

If the respondent feels unsure and you are not expected to share this data in public, then give them reassurance that this is for internal purposes.

This data must then be marked “not for public/client use”
Else, let them know that we can use this data with our clients and maybe use some photos for public reporting.

Paraphrase this on the recording before starting.
“We would need to record this interview, I understand from our recruiter that you are OK with this?”

Then after starting the recording:
“Thank you for joining us in this interview, we appreciate your time today. I am confirming you are OK with this recording for our internal/client use and maybe some public reports.”

• Standard Disclaimers
  Explain to the respondents that there are no right or wrong answers. That we only want to learn about their own experiences and hear their point of view.
  “This interview is actually more like a conversation. There are no real direct questions and so there are no right or wrong answers. We want to hear about your experiences and learn your opinion on certain matters. So, please speak freely about your experiences and beliefs.”

Keep it always simple and honest!