Training Program

Module One

New Consultant Skill Building

April 16, 2000

Module 5

Training Program
Agenda

Questionnaire Design
Interview Skill
Interview Note
Basics of Spreadsheet
Appendix: Source of Information

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Questionnaire Design
Questionnaire Format
C:\training\sh\questionnaire.doc
Distributor Interview Questionnaire
General background (fill in after interview):
Store Name:
Address:
Telephone and fax:
Type of player:
Ownership Type:
Size:
Company revenue(1998)
(please specify: annual or
monthly or daily)

Physical location:
Company starting year :
Total number of employees:
Total number of employees in OTC:
Interviewee and Title:
Interviewer:

chain store___ drug store in supermarket___ independent drug store___

state-owned
public
private
JV foreign
other:
Approximate square meter:
Total sales (RMB):
Sales in pharmaceuticals (RMB):
TCM (%):
Western drugs (%):
Typical first half year of total sales (%):
Residential
Commercial

Sales volumes:

Filing and pathing-Header

and Footer
Questionnaire title
Subsection title
Interviewing information
Background of interviewee
organisation
questions

1A. Sales in each category

Total sales of 1998 (RMB)
Total sales of 991H (RMB)
Total sales of business
Total sales of western medicine and TCM
Pain & Fever
G.I
Fungicides (Vaginal treatment)
Multi-Vitamins & Minerals
1B. What are your main categories of western drugs besides the four mentioned above:
1) ________
2) _________
3) _________
2. What is your overall split in sales of drugs:
TCM ____% and Western: domestic ______%

JV ______%

imports ______%

3. Please provide more details for each product category

A. Pain & Fever
3.A How many brands do you carry?
Top 4 brands
1.
2.
3.
4.
Others (specify)

Domestic ______

JV ______

Total Sales 1998 (RMB or Units?)

Imported ______

Total Sales 1999E (RMB or Units?)

B. G.I
3.B How many brands do you carry?

Domestic ______

JV ______

Imported ______

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Questionnaire Design
Designing

Prepare for writing

Understand objectives of:

case
workstream
interviews
Preview blank slides
Determine information to

be gathered from
interviews (quantitative for
graphs, qualitative for
quotes)

Write questionnaire

Translate blanks into

survey content
Develop a logical structure
Obtain feedback from
manager, case team
Consider potential
sensitivities when writing
questions

*Ask the Bain Research and Data Analysis Group in Boston for help in designing complex questionnaires

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Questionnaire Design
How to Write a Questionnaire (1 of 2)
Content

Structure

Write a short introduction (your name, purpose Group questions logically

of Interview, flattery). Mention any contact
prices, costs, market size
name that you may have
Place must-know questions
My name is Ruma Sanyal from Sinotrust.
before nice-to-know ones
I spoke with Ray Gonzalez in your sales
Start with an easy or intriguing
department; he gave me your name as
someone who really understands the
importance of managing supplier
relationships.
Tie each question to a blank slide
Write unbiased questions and offer ranges if
possible
Would you say growth is less than 25%,
25-49%, or 50% or more? Not would you
say growth is, 25%
Avoid jargon
CAGR, ROS
Ask follow-on questions
How? Why?
Ask alienate questions, if needed
What is the growth rate? OR
Is growth rate between 10-20% or 2050%?

question
How long have you been in
the business?
Put most difficult/sensitive
questions toward the end
What is your gross margin
on ceramic tile?
Add prompts for difficult
questions
Can you give me an
example?
Do you think that segment
is growing or shrinking?

Design

Facilitate data entry

number questions
standardize format
Facilitate note taking
add lines/check boxes
leave space after each

question for taking notes

highlight key
words/phrases

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Questionnaire Design
How to Write a Questionnaire (2 of 2)

Each question should tie to a blank slide.

100

China Rental Car Market (MM RMB)

100.0

Leisure

80.0

66
60.0

Leisure

40.0

Business
20.0

$0.0

Questions:

Business

1997

2000

What percentage of the current

market is business? Leisure?

How big do you think the market will
be in the year 2000?
In the year 2000, what percentage of
the market will be business? Leisure?

Rental Car Market: Business(MM RMB)

Situation: You have been asked to assess potential growth opportunities for China rental car
market.
Blanks:
100
100

80

60

Segment D
Segment C
Segment B

40

20

$0

Segment A
2000

What are the customer segments for

the business market?

How much share of the market will
each segment have in the year 2000?
Will there be any new segments in the
year 2000?

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Training Program
Agenda

Questionnaire Design
Interview Skill
Interview Note
Basics of Spreadsheet
Appendix: Source of Information

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Interview Skill
Interviewing Steps
There are five basic steps for conducting an interview

Set up
interview

Provide
introduction

Determine best Say your name Keep

time to call/visit

Get contact

name for the

right person

Schedule
interview

and reason for

Interview

set up

interview time
or start
interview

Take
detailed
notes

Control the
conversation

conversation
moving

Anticipate

responses

Probe
Validate

Capture

data and
quotes

Write

detailed
notes
immediatel
y after each
interview

End
interview

Make sure you

have all key

information before
ending the
conservation

Thank interviewee
Ask if you may call
or visit with followup questions

Ask for more

contacts who can

answer your
questions

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Interview Skill
Interviewing
Before Interview

Review proposal/blank

slide/questionnaire to
understand the objectives of
case and interview
Determine key information
required
Decide whom to call/interview
Decide which are the most
important and which are the
least important interviewees
Decide which interviews to
make first
Establish timeline for
completing interviews
Rehearse/ask an experienced
team member to make the first
interviews to-gather with you ,
if you feel inexperienced

During Interview

Introduce yourself politely and

After Interview

Write interview note immediately

confidently
after interview
Refer to contact of authority
Call or visit again if any key
Use terminology with which the information missing
person is familiar
Prepare for next interview
Move quickly from question to
question
Switch conversation to relevant
topics
Determine what the interviewee
will be able and willing to answer
Ask for clarification
Force interviewees to be specific
Understand reasons behind
interviewees opinions
Prompt with ranges when
specific information is not
available
Ask for explanation of terms
Rephrase interviewees
statement to ensure total
understanding

*Ask the Bain Research and Data Analysis Group in Boston for help in designing complex questionnaires

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Training Program
Agenda

Questionnaire Design
Interview Skill
Interview Note
Basics of Spreadsheet
Appendix: Source of Information

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Interview Note
Note Taking

During Interview

Begin writing as soon as

interviewee begins answering

Write down key words or phrases
However, do not let note taking
interrupt the flow of the
connection
Fill in questionnaire as much as
possible

After Interview

Schedule breaks between

interviews to write notes

Recall and fill in questionnaire
unfilled during interview
Make qualitative notes. For
example, take notes to remind
yourself about the interviewer.
This will help you in choosing who
to call back, if there in needy
Interview note summarize
interviewee opinions or insights
which questionnaire does not tell

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Interview Note
Interview Note Format
C:\case\sh\word\LJ
Interviewee:
Mr. Dai zhong, Marketing Manager
Organization:
XXX Company
Telephone:
010-66043399-2250
Address:Changqiao, Ping An Street, Beijing
Interviewer:
Zhang Jiangyan
Date:
2000-04-16
Summary
The root cause for loyalty is

Customer switch to new competitors

Key findings

The sales team is not so professional

The company positioning is not clear

Customer Segmentation
Beida Hospital is one of the largest and the famous hospital in Beijing

It purchased and installed 2 units of Broad absorption chillers 97

The chiller is of ______RT each

The chillers cover existing building of _______square meter

It is planning to install electric chillers for another hospital area

They are of _____ RT

And cover existing building of ______square meter

Purchasing cost

Total expenditure: Rmb20MM

Chiller purchasing cost: Rmb4.7MM(two units)

Pipeline construction: Rmb1.6MM

Other cost related to pipeline(building dismentle and compensation for residents movement):

Rmb1.4MM
Installation charge: Rmb12MM (including pump/water tank/labour)

filing and sourcing

Interviewing information
Highlighting summary
Highlighting key findings

Maintenance cost

The chiller system is still within warranty

Operating cost

Estimated energy cost: 365 days*Rmb5,000=Rmb1.8MM

# of staff: 9; average wage=Rmb800/month, labor cost=Rmb

Purchasing process/criteria

Interview findings

Purchasing process
The villa visited design institutes to consult the AC system design

Manufacturers came to the villa to present their products

Based on discussion with institutes, it decided to use absorption chiller

It compared the product attributes among Broad, Suangliang Trane, Sanyo and a local brand based

on purchasing criteria and other working requirement

It visited many end users to refer to their advice about brands advantages and disadvantages

Sanyo was selected

The customer decided absorption chiller because

It has a very good gas supply and supply network within villa area which makes it easy to operate
absorption chiller
It would have to pay high fee for electricity expansion within the area

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Training Program
Agenda

Questionnaire Design
Interview Skill
Interview Note
Basics of Spreadsheet
Appendix: Source of Information

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Training Program
Spreadsheet Format
filename:
author:
creation:
version:
source:

C:\sino\training\module1\[regression.xls]GDP
simon hu
99/05/01
04/17/00
SSB, EIU, CRAA and Bain analysis

Enter:=cell(filename)
Enter: =now()

Filing and sourcing

assumption:
GDP growth:
Population growth:
US to RMB rate:
China GDP
year
GDP(US$ Bn)
market trends
Air-con(RT)
household(RT)
Commercial(RT)
Electric(RT)

1998
7.80%
1%
8.3

1999
7.60%
0.98%

2000
7.80%
0.92%

2001
8.30%
0.92%

2002
8.40%
0.92%

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998E

1999E

2000E

2001E

599

547

711

824

902

999

1075

1159

1255

1360

11%

8.0%

1,683,064 1,822,156 2,170,632

2,647,724 2,699,490 2,848,957

3,150,167

3,375,944

3,634,935

3,918,800

11.1%

8.3%

358,400 546,000 903,921

1,324,664 1,276,156 1,266,711

1,196,165 1,426,037 1,646,109

1,451,559 1,273,453 1,202,848

1,880,121
1,270,046

2,113,761
1,262,184

2,381,769
1,253,165

2,675,520
1,243,281

35.6%
-1.9%

12.9%
0.8%

Assumptions
Calculations
CAGR
2002E (93-98E) (98E-02E)

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Training Program
Agenda

Questionnaire Design
Interview Skill
Interview Note
Basics of Spreadsheet
Appendix: Source of Information

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Training Program
Appendix: Sources of Information
Typically, there are several sources for the information you are seeking.
Specific facts about
suppliers, customers, or
competitors

General industry facts

Government agencies
Trade associations
Magazine editors
Authors of articles
Source cited in article
Investment analysts

Type of information

General information
Cost data
Plant size and operations
Number of employees
Automation, new
technology

Sales plans, distribution

strategy

Sources
Investor relations, Public
relations
Purchasing

Manufacturing, Maintenance
Personnel

Engineering, Manufacturing,
R&D
Sales, Marketing,
Customer service

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