Why Qualitative Researchers Ask “If You Were Giving Advice to X…”

Hint: We don’t expect brands to take action on “advice” from consumers, but this question helps us understand what is important to them, providing a jumping-off point for us to continue to probe. Occasionally this question raises a flag for clients who wonder why we ask it.

Let me explain.

Here are a couple of examples:

“If you were giving advice to the CEO/product team/brand manager, what would you tell them?” or “If they could only focus on one innovation idea, what would you tell them to focus on?”

It sounds casual, even hypothetical. But it’s actually one of the most powerful tactics in qualitative research.

Why this type of question works:

• It Flips the Perspective
  When you ask someone directly about their own behavior or opinions, they often default to polite, socially desirable, or “safe” answers. Asking them to step into an advisor role moves the focus away from themselves. It frees them to be candid and even bold.

• It Surfaces Real Priorities
  Consumers reveal what truly matters to them when they’re invited to tell a company what to do differently. It’s a shortcut to the issues that are top-of-mind, not just what’s prompted in a discussion guide.

• It Taps Hidden Expertise
  Many people are more experienced with a product or category than they realize. Framing them as advisors invites that expertise out — the hacks they’ve developed, the pain points they’ve normalized, the unmet needs they’ve stopped voicing.

• It Generates Actionable Language
  The verbatim responses to this kind of question are often gold. They’re phrased in the customer’s own words, which makes them more persuasive inside an organization than abstract satisfaction scores or summary charts.

From Polite Answers to Strategic Intelligence

This tactic is one way we move from surface-level feedback to deeper human truths. When respondents imagine themselves as advisors, they unlock motivations, frustrations, and aspirations that otherwise stay hidden.

It’s a reminder that qualitative research isn’t just about “asking questions.” It’s about designing conversations that make people feel safe enough to reveal what they really think — and framing those conversations so their answers become immediately useful to decision-makers.

How Brands Can Apply This Thinking

• In customer interviews, give people scenarios where they advise rather than just react.

• In internal meetings, ask your team “what advice would our best customers give us right now?” to stress-test strategies.

• Pair this technique with data analytics to see whether the advice lines up with behavioral patterns.

Bottom Line

The question “If you were giving advice to X…” may sound like a throwaway. It’s not. It’s one of the fastest ways to transform ordinary conversations into strategic intelligence you can act on.

These are the kinds of conversational pivots we use every day to go beyond data points and uncover the human truths that drive markets. #qualitativeresearch #qualresearch #mrx