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:
chain store___ drug store in supermarket___ independent drug store___
state-owned public private JV foreign other:
•Filing and pathing-Header
Size:
Company revenue(1998)
Approximate square meter:
Total sales (RMB):
and Footer
(please specify: annual or
monthly or daily)
Sales in pharmaceuticals (RMB):
 TCM (%):
•Questionnaire title
 Western drugs (%):
Typical first half year of total sales (%): •Subsection title
•Interviewing information
Physical location: Residential Commercial
Company starting year :

•Background of interviewee
Total number of employees:
Total number of employees in OTC:
Interviewee and Title:
Interviewer: organisation
Sales volumes: •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? Domestic ______ JV ______ Imported ______
Top 4 brands Total Sales 1998 (RMB or Units?) Total Sales 1999E (RMB or Units?)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Others (specify)

B. G.I
3.B How many brands do you carry? Domestic ______ JV ______ Imported ______

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 Questionnaire Design
Designing

Prepare for writing Write questionnaire

• Understand objectives of: • Translate blanks into

• case survey content
• workstream • Develop a logical structure
• interviews • Obtain feedback from
• Preview blank slides manager, case team
• Determine information to • Consider potential
be gathered from sensitivities when writing
interviews (quantitative for questions
graphs, qualitative for
quotes)

*Ask the Bain Research and Data Analysis Group in Boston for help in designing complex questionnaires
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Content
• Write a short introduction (your name,
purpose of Interview, flattery). Mention any
contact name that you may have
– “My name is Ruma Sanyal from Sinotrust.
I spoke with Ray Gonzalez in your sales
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 20-
50%?
Questionnaire Design
How to Write a Questionnaire (1 of 2)
Structure Design
• Group questions logically • Facilitate data entry
– prices, costs, market size – number questions
• Place “must-know” questions – standardize format
before “nice-to-know” ones • Facilitate note taking
• Start with an easy or intriguing – add lines/check boxes
question – leave space after each
– “How long have you been question for taking notes
in the business?” – highlight key
• Put most difficult/sensitive words/phrases
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?”
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 Questionnaire Design
How to Write a Questionnaire (2 of 2)
Each question should tie to a blank slide.
Situation: You have been asked to assess potential growth opportunities for China rental car
market.
Blanks: 100
100 100
100.0

Rental Car Market: Business(MM RMB)

China Rental Car Market (MM RMB)

Segment D
80.0 Leisure 80

66 Segment C
60.0 60
Leisure
Segment B
40.0 40
Business
20.0 Business 20 Segment A

$0.0 $0
1997 2000 2000
Questions: • What percentage of the current • What are the customer segments for
market is business? Leisure? the business market?
• How big do you think the market will • How much share of the market will
be in the year 2000? each segment have in the year 2000?
• In the year 2000, what percentage of • Will there be any new segments in the
the market will be business? Leisure? 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
Provi Contr Take
Set
de ol the detai End
up
intro conve led inter
inter
ducti rsatio note view
view
on n s
• Determine best • Say your name • Keep • Capture • Make sure you
time to call/visit and reason for conversation data and have all key
Interview moving quotes information before
• Get contact ending the
name for the • set up • Anticipate • Write conservation
right person interview time responses detailed
• Schedule or start
• Probe notes • Thank interviewee
interview immediatel
interview
• Validate y after each
• Ask if you may call
or visit with follow-
interview
up questions
• Ask for more
contacts who can
answer your
questions

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 Interview Skill
Interviewing

Before Interview During Interview After 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
• Introduce yourself politely and • 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
interviewee’s 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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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
Interview Note
Note Taking
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
• filing and sourcing
 Customer switch to new competitors
• Interviewing information
Key findings
 The sales team is not so professional
 The company positioning is not clear • Highlighting summary
Customer Segmentation
 Beida Hospital is one of the largest and the famous hospital in Beijing • Highlighting key findings
 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)

Maintenance cost
 The chiller system is still within warranty

Operating cost • Interview findings

 Estimated energy cost: 365 days*Rmb5,000=Rmb1.8MM
 # of staff: 9; average wage=Rmb800/month, labor cost=Rmb
Purchasing process/criteria

 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: C:\sino\training\module1\[regression.xls]GDP Enter:=cell(“filename”)

author: simon hu
creation: 99/05/01 Enter: =now()
version: 04/17/00
source: SSB, EIU, CRAA and Bain analysis
•Filing and sourcing
assumption:
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
GDP growth: 7.80% 7.60% 7.80% 8.30% 8.40%
•Assumptions
Population growth: 1% 0.98% 0.92% 0.92% 0.92%
US to RMB rate: 8.3
•Calculations
China GDP CAGR
year 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998E 1999E 2000E 2001E 2002E (93-98E) (98E-02E)

GDP(US$ Bn) 599 547 711 824 902 999 1075 1159 1255 1360 11% 8.0%

market trends
Air-con(RT) 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%
household(RT)
Commercial(RT) 358,400 546,000 903,921 1,196,165 1,426,037 1,646,109 1,880,121 2,113,761 2,381,769 2,675,520 35.6% 12.9%
Electric(RT) 1,324,664 1,276,156 1,266,711 1,451,559 1,273,453 1,202,848 1,270,046 1,262,184 1,253,165 1,243,281 -1.9% 0.8%

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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

General industry facts suppliers, customers, or
competitors

• Government agencies
Type of information Sources
• Trade associations
• General information Investor relations,
• Magazine editors Public relations

• Authors of articles • Cost data Purchasing

• Plant size and operations Manufacturing,
• Source cited in article Maintenance
• Number of employees Personnel
• Investment analysts
• Automation, new Engineering,
technology Manufacturing, R&D

• Sales plans, distribution Sales, Marketing,

strategy Customer service

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