Getting to Know Your Audience Through Customer Visits
http://www.stc.org/confproceed/1996/PDFs/PG484486.PDF

Kagan, Lisa
STC Proceedings
1996

Abstract:

Getting to know your audience is not an easy task. Telephone interviews and written surveys are helpful, but the most effective way to really understand customer needs is through face-to-face contact. A successful program of customer visits requires thoughtful planning and organization. You need to identify clear objectives, develop a discussion guide, select the appropriate customers to visit, conduct the interviews, and determine how to analyze and communicate the results. You’ll also want to develop an action plan to follow-up on what you learn. We visited 12 customers in 6 weeks. Here is our story. . .