FT Essential Guide to Developing a Business Strategy

Appendix: Structured interviewing

A structured interviewing programme of customers, suppliers, competitors and industry observers is the essential research for a strategy development process. It is the most methodical and potentially enlightening way to obtain the basic information needed to derive your firm’s competitive position – and from there to draw up your business strategy.

Here’s how to do structured interviewing of customers:

• Select a representative range of interviewees.
• Prepare your storyline.
• Prepare a concise questionnaire.
• Interview them, through email, telephone or face-to-face.
• Thank them and give them some feedback.

The interviewees

The interviewees should represent a broad cross-section of your business, including:

• Customers ...