Market research interviewers are trained to ask questions to get you to reveal your true feelings about a product or service. They do this by phrasing their questions in ways that make it hard for you to give accurate answers.
This is because they want to hear what you would say if you had no idea of what the interviewer was looking for. Here are some common examples of these types of questions:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Be vigilant during market research interviews to identify potential tricks and manipulations. |
| 2. Watch out for leading questions designed to influence your responses. |
| 3. Be cautious of interviewers using persuasive language to sway your opinions. |
| 4. Recognize when interviewers may be cherry-picking data to support their agenda. |
| 5. Stay aware of potential bias or framing of questions that can impact your answers. |
| 6. Ask for clarifications if you feel confused or uncertain about a question. |
| 7. Avoid rushing through answers; take your time to provide thoughtful responses. |
| 8. Don’t be afraid to challenge assumptions or ask for more context when necessary. |
| 9. Be honest and transparent in your responses, even if it may challenge the interviewer’s perspective. |
| 10. Practice active listening to ensure you fully understand the questions being asked. |
| 11. Stay focused on the research objectives and avoid getting sidetracked by irrelevant topics. |
| 12. Watch out for leading body language or facial expressions that may influence your answers. |
| 13. Take note of any potential attempts to steer your responses in a particular direction. |
| 14. Use critical thinking skills to analyze questions and provide well-reasoned answers. |
| 15. Trust your instincts and don’t feel pressured to conform to the interviewer’s expectations. |
1. Explain In Your Own Words What You Just Said
This is a favorite of market research interviewers because it puts you on the spot and makes you answer the question before thinking about it, which is often where all the good stuff comes from. It’s also easy to deflect by simply saying, “I’m not sure I can explain what I just said, but I’ll give it a shot.” Then go off on a tangent.
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2. Tell Me More About That
This is a great question for getting people to talk about things they’re passionate or knowledgeable about, for example, if you’re trying to get into medical school or become a journalist or pursue an MBA, this could be an excellent opportunity for you to talk about why these pursuits are important to you.
However, if those aren’t things that interest you or make up your identity as a person (or as an employee), then don’t go off on rants about them! Just try to focus on answering the question and keeping it simple.
3. What Do You Think Is The Most Important Thing To You?
This is a trick question because the interviewer is looking for an answer that will give them insight into your values and priorities, but they don’t care about your answer.
They just want to know that you have a consistent set of values so that they can use them later on in the interview when it’s time for them to ask questions about those values.
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4. Are you good with numbers?
This question isn’t really about your skills or experience with numbers it’s about whether or not you’re willing to lie about your abilities.
If you say yes and then get stuck on a math question later in the interview, they’ll know they can’t trust anything else you say throughout the rest of it.
If you say no, though, they’ll assume that there’s something wrong with your thinking process and won’t hire you anyway. So either way, if this is asked early enough in the interview process it could work against us!
5. What If You Could Start Over?
What if you could start over? What would you do differently, how would you do it differently, and what would you keep the same? This is the ultimate question for a market researcher because it can reveal whether or not someone will use your product.
It allows them to see the potential flaws in your product and make sure that those flaws are fixed before they go into production. A good market researcher will ask this question multiple times throughout an interview so that they can get a broader look at their target audience’s needs and wants.
6. Would You Use This Product If It Were Free?
This question is one of the most common interview questions in market research, but it’s also one of the most tricky to answer. You might think that the right way to answer this question is by saying “yes” this is incorrect.
Interviewers want to know if there is something about their product or service that would make you want to buy it even without a discount. If you say yes and your interviewer believes you’re just being nice, then they’ll know that what they have isn’t worth buying unless there’s some kind of deal attached.
This question tests whether or not you’re an honest person who can give an honest opinion when given an opportunity (or if they were right when they thought you were lying). It also tests whether or not their product or service has any value outside of its retail price point (which could mean either too high or too low).
To properly respond with these answers in mind:
First off, don’t be afraid of giving negative feedback! Honestly answering this question shows consideration for both yourself and others involved in making decisions about how money gets spent on goods and services like theirs.
Second, understand why these things matter so much before answering them incorrectly out of fear this will help both parties involved avoid mistakes down the road!
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7. Have You Ever Used This Type Of Product Before?
If you’re asked this question, be careful. It could be a trick. Sometimes interviewers ask to see if you are familiar with the product and its competitors. If so, they’ll use that information to find out what you know about them and compare it to what other candidates have said. For example:
- Do you know how many features there are?
- How would you compare this product with others like it?
- Is there anything else we should know about this category in general?
8. Now, Let’s Say You Saw This In A Store Would It Catch Your Attention?
Here’s one that is particular to market research interviewers: “Now, let’s say you saw this in a store would it catch your attention?” This question is designed to get you thinking about how you react to products and services, not necessarily whether or not the product or service works.
Your answer will provide insight into strong emotional reactions towards certain features of a product. For example, if I ask an interviewer about my favorite clothing brand (which happens to be Nike), then they might ask me why I like it and what makes me buy more products from them (other than their ads during football games).
9. How Would You Describe The Color Palette?
When you’re describing colors, you have a lot of leeways to play around with your answers. You can be creative and specific. If there’s an orange in the picture, describe it as “a crayon-like orange that has a hint of brown, but not quite enough to make it muddy.
It’s vibrant and inviting because it’s so strong.” Or you could describe the same orange as “the color of fire hydrant paint.” You can also give them more context by relating the colors to something else in the picture or thinking about how they would fit into a brand identity system.
“There are three colors here: red, blue, and green all primary colors found in nature (red apples, blue skies). This palette evokes feelings of healthiness because these are foods that we need every day.”
10. Did You See Any Other Colors That May Also Work Well With This Design?
The interviewer is trying to get you to say that the color is important, and if he can get you to say that, then he knows that he can easily change it in the future. Colors are important; however, not as important as other aspects of a product.
If you have an amazing idea and want to build something great but the color doesn’t work out, then change it! But if your product isn’t quite right yet and needs some more work (i.e., it’s not ready for prime time), don’t let color distract from its overall usability or experience by focusing on something easy like color.
When asked this question during my interview process with another company, I replied: “I wouldn’t change anything about this design.”
I was asked this same question twice more throughout my interviews at that company and each time I gave them different answers based on what they were looking for in an answer (and whether or not they had changed their mind since their previous interview).
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11. Did Anything In The Picture Stand Out To You, Either Positively Or Negatively?
The interviewer will likely ask you if anything in the picture stood out to you, either positively or negatively. This is a trick question because an interviewer can’t know what happened inside your head when you looked at the picture and reacted in any way.
The only thing they can do (or expect) is for you to say something that helps them understand what it was about the product or its presentation that made an impression on you.
It doesn’t matter if it was positive or negative; all they want is information about how consumers respond to their products, so give them as much detail as possible!
12. Which Three Words Best Describe The Shape?
Market research interviewers are cunning, and they’ve learned that there are a few ways to trick people into giving them the answers they want. Here’s one: They’ll ask you to describe an object in as few words as possible.
Don’t be fooled! You don’t have to give them a list of three words; instead, pick the word you think best describes the object’s shape.
For example, if it’s round and square-ish, say “round.” If it’s tall and thin with straight edges on all sides except for one part where two pieces of material meet end-to-end at an angle, say “rectangle.”
13. How Would You Describe The Target Audience For The Product(S) Shown Here?
The target audience for this product is people who are interested in new technology. The target audience for this product is people who are interested in saving money on their energy bills.
The target audience for this product is people who are interested in new technology and saving money on their energy bills.
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14. How Did Looking At These Products Make You Feel?
This is a trap. It’s the interviewer’s way of getting you to say things like “I liked the color scheme,” “The layout was very busy and hard to read,” or “I didn’t see anything I liked at all.”
These are useless answers because they don’t tell us anything about what people will think when they look at these products in the real world.
What should you do? Instead of answering this question specifically, try generalizing your response by saying something like: “When viewing products like these I’m always looking for ways to improve them and make them easier for people who aren’t designers to use.”
15. How Long Would It Take For You To Get Online And Buy One Of These Products Today?
When it comes to answering this question, there are many different ways you can approach it. Here are some examples:
- Based on your current priorities, what would the most significant benefit of buying this product be?
- If you were able to purchase the product today, how long would it take for you to realize its benefits?
- How soon after purchasing this product could I expect that my life would be changed for the better?
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a professional or a participant, we hope you found this list both entertaining and informative. If you’re interested in learning more about the world of market research, check out our blog where we cover the latest trends, findings, and news!
Further Reading
Phone Interview Questions and Answers: Get prepared for your phone interview with this comprehensive guide offering common questions and expert answers to help you succeed.
15 Things You Should Avoid in a Job Interview: Discover the common mistakes to steer clear of during job interviews to make a lasting impression on potential employers.
Funny and Weird Interview Questions: Uncover amusing and unusual interview questions that some companies use to assess candidates’ creativity and problem-solving skills.
People Also Ask
What Is The Job Of A Market Research Interviewer?
A market research interviewer is responsible for conducting interviews with customers and potential customers. The interviewer will ask the customer questions about their experience with a product or service, and then record that information on a questionnaire.
The interviewer may also be asked to conduct focus groups, where they interview a group of people at once.
What Is The Role Of A Market Research Interviewer?
A market research interviewer conducts surveys and interviews, identifies potential customers, and gathers information from them to determine the viability of a new product or service.
What Are The Job Duties Of A Market Research Interviewer?
Market research interviewers must conduct surveys and interviews, identify potential customers, and gather information from them to determine the viability of a new product or service. They must also analyze results, interpret data, and present findings to clients.
What Education Do I Need To Get A Job As A Market Research Interviewer?
To become a market research interviewer you will need some post-secondary education in marketing or business management along with experience working with customers or clients.
What Are The Qualifications Needed To Become A Market Research Interviewer?
To become a market research interviewer, you must have excellent communication skills as well as good listening skills. You must be able to work independently as well as with others in teams.
Market research interviewers need to have strong attention to detail and be able to think creatively when problem-solving issues that arise during an interview.
What Kind Of Training Do I Need Before Starting This Job?
Aspiring market research interviewers should take classes in marketing and communications at their local community college or university.
These classes will teach them how to listen effectively, write down what they hear correctly without misunderstanding what was said, and how to conduct themselves professionally when working with clients or colleagues who may be more senior than them in rank or position within an organization’s hierarchy (i.e., CEO).
What Is The Most Important Quality That A Market Research Interviewer Should Have?
An interviewer should be able to empathize with the participant, keeping in mind that they are human beings, not just another data point. The interviewer must be able to understand and respect the participant’s views and opinions, as well as their background and experiences.
This understanding will allow for a more accurate portrayal of the participant’s attitudes and beliefs which is ultimately what market research is all about!
What Skills Do You Need To Become A Good Market Research Interviewer?
For starters, it helps if you’re a people person! Market researchers need to be able to get along with others very well to conduct interviews effectively.
They also need good listening skills, so that they can listen carefully enough during an interview so as not to miss anything important; this will help ensure that all relevant information is collected accurately.
And finally (but certainly not least), it’s also very important for an interviewer to have excellent writing ability to write up reports accurately after each interview session has ended.
What Do I Need To Know?
You should always be friendly and respectful when conducting market research interviews. It’s important to remember that you are interacting with real people who may be trying to juggle many things in their lives at once so please don’t take up too much of their time.
Who Should I Interview?
It depends on what kind of information you want to gather. For example, if you’re looking for feedback on a new product line from parents who have young children, then your best bet would be to speak with other parents in the same age range who have children around the same age as yours.
If instead, you want feedback on an existing product line, then it might make more sense for you to speak with customers who have purchased items from that line before (and even those who haven’t).
Why Do Companies Hire Market Research Interviewers?
Companies hire market research interviewers because they need to find out how consumers feel about their products, services, or marketing campaigns to improve them.
This can include finding out what features customers want on new products or how they use certain products. It can also involve gauging public opinion on political issues or new legislation that could affect their business.
What Kind Of Education Is Required?
To become a market research interviewer, you must have at least a college degree in marketing or business administration. Some companies may prefer candidates with advanced degrees in these fields or related disciplines such as sociology or psychology.
In addition, some employers require that applicants complete a training program before starting full-time work as an interviewer.
Do Most Market Research Interviewers Have Experience Working In This Industry?
Yes! Most interviewers have at least 2 years of experience working as an interviewer for a company that conducts market research studies on behalf of clients such as advertising agencies, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, media publishers, and retailers such as Target and Walmart).
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.