Conversing is a complex social activity and should not be taken lightly as a step in the product definition phase. Product managers require a right state of mind in order to have a successful conversation. These are the necessary qualities:
Have a clear idea of what are you trying to get from a conversation. While is not possible to have full control of the topics that are going to be discussed, and the outcomes of the conversation, you can certainly direct and steer the flow of the conversation in the direction you want. Make sure you have a list of things that you would like to see discussed, mainly about the hypothesis and assumptions that you want to test.
Conversation needs to flourish by itself. Your job is to create a fertile ground for the conversation to flourish. Give up any intention to control the rhythm and cadence of the conversation. Strive to create the right environment in which people feel comfortable with you, feel respected for their opinions have the freedom to talk about whatever they think is fitting.
Be flexible and ready to adapt to wherever the conversation might lead. Initial objectives change as the conversation evolves. Your follow up questions should change you make sense of the information you hear and as you frame the new knowledge you acquire in the larger context of your research. Due to unexpected answers, or emergin topics, the conversation might switch from one subject to another without warning. Product managers have to be agile and adapt to such changes.
Go for high quality insights, not a high volume of insights. Just because you have a list of topics to touch upon, does not mean you need to rush from topic to topic without giving the respondent ample time to think about the topic. This will make the conversation unnatural and respondents may feel interrogated. Give respondents ample time to understand all the nuances of what you are trying to validate, and let them develop and articulate their thoughts patiently. You may have been working on your topic for weeks or months. Participants in your work session may have have the same context as you do. So don’t expect respondents to show the same thinking agility you have on the given topic. It’s okay not to cover all of them in one session or with one participant. Actually, you will rarely cover everything you want in one session or with one participant. Most likely you will have dozens of chances to test your ideas, so if you don’t cover all of them with the same respondent, don’t worry. Just make sure there is coverage of opinions across all respondents at the end of the conversation phase.
Engage at a personal level, empathizing with the respondents’ feelings, thoughts, needs. They need to feel that you truly care about what they have to say and that they are being helpful to you.
Keep the flow of the conversation going. Help respondents not feel uncomfortable with unintentional pauses, awkward moments, or weird non sequiturs that keep them disoriented.
Be open to criticism about the ideas upon which you have poured many hours. You need to have a thick skin, not get defensive, and stay calm. The best way to react to criticism is to listen and ask for more details. A conversation session is not the right time to defend your product and have people agree with you. So do not frame the conversation as an argument you have to win. Just be ready to ask many questions until you find the root cause of what makes your respondent disagree with what you are saying.
Interpret and learn to read between the lines. When you do so, make sure you repeat what you understood so the respondent can actually agree or disagree with your statement.
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