Wouldn't you love to create a product concept or advertisement that results in your target audience wanting to try your product or service? Do you need to create a new product or service that delights your target audience?

A conversation with your target audience is the best way to gather critical information to create superior products, services and communications. For many working in market research, marketing and product development, it is important to really connect with people through communications about products or services. In order to do this, we have to uncover their needs, beliefs, motivations and aspirations.

Laddering: An Example

Laddering is a technique used by interviewers to fully explore a subject. A miner may be an appropriate metaphor to explain the benefit of laddering. A miner uses a ladder to descend into the earth to find precious stones. At the end of the day he ascends a ladder to return back home, a place of dreams, aspirations and hopes. With laddering, the interviewer asks questions to go "down" to explore the details or factors that contribute to a subject. The interviewer may also ask questions to go "up" to understand the emotions and aspirations related to the subject.

To move from theory into practice, let's think about automobile safety. The interviewer may ask, "What features of a car make you feel safe?" Responses may include ABS brakes, seat belts, air bags and steel reinforcement. To explore the higher order benefits of a safer car, the interviewer may ask, "Why is a safe car something you want to have?" Answers may include: "It will keep me safe in an accident," or "It will protect my children."

Laddering How To's

Laddering seeks to establish the links between the attributes of a product / service and a consumer's values and aspirations. This approach will help identify the product attributes that will result in the consumer's desired outcomes, emotions and values. This exercise can work by starting "at the bottom" of the ladder with attributes or "at the top" with values.

When laddering up from an attribute, a moderator may ask, "what does ____ do for you?" or "Why is ___ something you want to have?"

When laddering down from a value or aspiration a moderator may ask, "what types of things lead to ____" or "what is it that gives you ___"

Laddering with Real People

There have been times when I have conducted an in-depth interview effortlessly and there have been some that felt like pulling teeth to get the person to respond.

These experiences raises the question, will some respondents yield better results than others when using laddering? I believe the answer is yes. Myers-Briggs Personality Type theory would suggest people with a preference for Extraversion (Extraverts) could make for an easier laddering experience than those with a preference for Introversion (Introverts).

Extraverts prefer to speak as a means of thinking (thinking out loud). In addition, extraverts tend to be more social, talkative and expressive. In contrast, Introverts prefer to think before speaking. Those with a preference for introversion may be more quiet, reflective and thoughtful.

Given this understanding, interviewing extraverts may be more desirable. Nobles Research has a few screening questions that may aid in identifying people with a preference for extraversion. Since 50% of the population has a preference for introversion it is very likely you may interview an introvert. A little more patience may be required as they will prefer to think before they speak; however, the output could be very rich.