Do
- DO ask about your customer's life, not about your idea. Don't directly pitch your idea or product, instead, understand your customers' problems, needs, and behaviors first. This approach enables you to build something that actually solves their problems.
- DO focus on the specifics of the past. Talk about actual behaviors, decisions, and actions rather than hypothetical scenarios or future plans.
- DO listen more than you talk. Learning from your customer is key, so let them do most of the talking while you gather insights.
- DO deflect compliments. Compliments often contain little useful information and can sometimes be misleading. Instead, aim for concrete and actionable feedback.
- DO anchor the conversation. If the conversation is steering into hypotheticals or vague statements, bring it back to specifics and real-life situations.
- DO understand, not obey, customer feature suggestions. When customers suggest a feature, dig deeper to understand the underlying need or problem they're trying to solve, instead of adding it to your to-do list directly.
- DO push for a commitment or advancement. A good meeting conclusion includes a clear next step or commitment from your customer or investor, not just compliments.
- DO slice your customer segment. If you're getting inconsistent feedback, your customer segment may be too broad. Narrow down to a specific group with similar needs and motivations.
Don’t
- DON'T ask for opinions or hypothetical scenarios. People tend to be overly optimistic about future behaviors, which can lead to misleading feedback.
- DON'T fall into pitch mode. Over-enthusiastically explaining your idea can lead to polite responses and compliments, which don't provide useful feedback.
- DON'T assume all compliments mean success. Compliments can often distract you from the truth and provide no tangible insight.
- DON'T let customer suggestions dictate your product development. Customers often provide solutions based on their perception of the problem. It's crucial to understand their underlying needs before jumping into solution mode.
- DON'T let a meeting end without a clear next step. If a meeting concludes without a commitment or advancement, it could mean that the conversation was not productive.
- DON'T aim to get everyone as your customer. Not everyone will benefit from your product or service. Focus on a specific target market and solve their unique problems.