Yet 'why' is an easy question to ask. It is often used as a short cut by moderators seeking speedy answers to issues which may be difficult for interviewees to articulate.

An interviewing style that reflects a consumer's preferred way of thinking can yield deeper and more valuable insights.

Learning from the field of neuro-linguistic programming can help us here. Identifying early on in an interview whether a consumer prefers to express himself visually ("I can see the solution"), intellectually ("I think I know the answer") or emotionally ("I hate this product") can lead to more powerful results if the researcher mirrors how a consumer thinks.

This is just one example of advanced interviewing practice. For additional suggestions of how Research 360 ^Inc adds value to the research process, see Projective Techniques.