Hey friend,

So I was talking to a client earlier this week about growth.

“We need more customers!”

Don’t we all.

“Ok,” I said. “Where do you think they’re going to come from? Whose problem are you not solving yet? And . . . why aren’t they already using you?”

Eek, that’s a hard one. It could be a lot of things.

• People aren’t aware you exist.
• People are aware you exist, but prefer your competitor.
• People are aware you exist, and might be even interested, but aren’t in a hurry to take action.
• People tried to take action, and got stuck in your acquisition process.
• People took action, experienced your product, and then were filled with regret and returned the product, unsubscribed, left a crappy review, etc.

I could go on. And on. Being asked to stimulate business growth is daunting.

But . . . there's a disarmingly simple yet profoundly impactful strategy that's often overlooked: the power of actually talking to your customers.

At the beginning of every engagement, we try to figure out one thing. It’s the first ‘domino’  that knocks over all of the other ones that lead to positioning, then a messaging framework, and then a full blown messaging playbook to build messaging that scales, and so on.

We work to figure out who the ‘best fit’ customers are.

To figure out your “best fit” customers, the best place to start is with the customers you already have, and specifically the ones that you would call your best. Best can mean a lot of things:

• They pay on time
• They stick with you for long periods of time
• They read all of your emails
• They’re fun to work with

Whatever it is, they’re the type of people you want to work with more often.

Now, what to talk about?

How about the BIG 4??

1. What’s working?
2. What’s not working?
3. What could we do to make what’s not working work?
4. What else?

Of course you might have a more specific set of questions you need information about, but the Big 4 are a great place to start, and they leave enough room for your customer to have the conversation that they want to have.

It's not just about gathering feedback; it's about listening to the customer’s stories for insights that can transform your business from the inside out. Also - this isn’t the time to collect data points; it's about engaging in genuine dialogue that brings to light insights no survey can capture.

Here’s what we like to use customer interviews for:

1. Uncover Hidden Desires and Pain Points

Real conversations can unveil desires and challenges that your product could solve.

Engaging in real conversations with your customers allows you to delve deeper into their experiences, uncovering not just superficial preferences but the deep-seated desires and challenges they face. These insights are gold mines 💰 for marketing copy, sales sequences, and customer experience design. Hello friction-free purchase journeys!

2. Build Trust and Loyalty Through Genuine Engagement

Trust isn't built through transactions; it's nurtured through conversations (and timing is important). Talking to your customers can turn satisfaction into loyalty.

Talking directly to your customers does more than just provide insight; it builds the relationship. They know you really care! This genuine engagement shows that you value them not just as sales statistics but as real people who contribute to your business’s direction. Hello passionate advocates!

3. Adapt and Innovate with Agile Feedback Loops

Innovation thrives on agility. Direct conversations with customers can create feedback loops for rapid, impactful changes to your product.

Direct customer conversations create agile feedback loops that traditional market research methods can't match. This real-time input allows for quick pivots and adaptations, ensuring your product or service remains relevant and ahead of the curve. Hello product-led growth!

The point is this: your best customers have already crossed the threshold. They’ve opened their wallets and paid you. Don’t be afraid to ask them why!

If you can figure out what your current best customers love (and don’t love) about you and your product, you’ll have the keys to go find similar customers to fuel your growth. AND, you’ll know what their pain points are, what solutions they’re looking for, how to differentiate against your competitors, and how to keep improving your product.

Pretty cool, huh? Need help, just reach out.

Or just wanna say, hey!? Hit reply and say hola.

Thanks for reading to the end! I’m thankful for you.

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