Before you spend on stock, rent or a website, talk to fifteen people who could be customers. Ask about what they did the last time they had the need, not about what they might do in future. Then look for what repeats.
Why ask at all
Most businesses start from something the owner likes and believes they can do well. The ones that last start from what customers want and will pay for. The only way to know the difference is to ask, and to listen to answers you did not hope for.
Who to ask
- People who have the need now, in the place you plan to sell.
- Not friends and not family. They will be kind, and kindness is not information.
- A mix: some who buy from a competitor today, some who do without.
What to ask
Ask about the past. The past is a fact. The future is a guess.
- When did you last need this? What happened?
- What did you do about it? Where did you go?
- What did you pay?
- What was good about it? What was annoying?
- How often does this come up?
- If it could be different, what would you change?
What never to ask
- “Would you buy this?” People say yes to be polite. It costs them nothing.
- “Do you like my idea?” You are asking for approval, not for facts.
- “How much would you pay?” Ask what they paid last time. That is the real number.
How to do it
- Say who you are and why you are asking. Ask whether they have five minutes.
- Do not describe your product first. Let them describe their problem.
- Write down their words, not your summary of them.
- Thank them. Do not sell.
Reading fifteen conversations
Fifteen is not a survey, and you cannot turn it into percentages. Look for three things:
- What repeats. If nine people mention the same annoyance, that is your opening.
- What they already pay. This sets the range your price must fit.
- What nobody mentioned. If no one brought up the thing your idea fixes, the need may be yours and not theirs.
If the fifteen answers are all different, your customer is defined too widely. Narrow it and ask again.
Then visit the competitors
Go to five as a customer. Write down what they sell, what they charge, when they are open, how long you waited, and what was missing. “Nobody else does this” is rarely true. Somebody is solving the problem today, even if badly.