how to speak custdev - emerge education

How To Speak CustDevA Founder Centric Module

One day...

www.foundercentric.com

One day...A customer wakes up, turns on their

computer, logs in to their email using a new program they use and love.

Their free trial is over. The site asks them to pay. They say no.

Why?

Image by wstryderImage by wstryder

Image by wstryderImage by wstryder

2 stages of learning

Learn Confirm

2 stages of learning

Observe Experiment

2 stages of learning

Collect Analyse

Does anyone care at all?

Do we understand

them?

Does anyone care at all?

Do we understand

them?

Will anyone pay for it?

Are we building the right product?

Jared Spool

“The best designers carefully move from exploration to refinement, making sure they spend enough time exploring before locking themselves into a design approach.”

Question

How much of what you believe about your customers is wrong?

Cust Dev Compass

aka. How To Be Wrongaka. How To Bring Yourself The Bad News

Sooner

EXERCISE

Always Know Your Big 3.

Tweetable TextHow do authors pre-build their customer list?How do authors test copy and learn about their readers?How do authors prioritise their time when writing?

LeancampWhat awareness channels can we partner with?What do people learn at Leancamp that they apply?What do famous thought-leaders get out of conferences?

Establishing Credibility

Credibility Setup

“I’m researching how teachers deal with...”

Lying bastards.

Everyone will tell you what you want to hear, especially if you want to hear it.

Your Mom

Dear son,You are the best and your idea is awesome. You should do it - I will buy one.

Getting actionable

facts.

Pricing, tricks, advisors, politics,

introductionsOnly available in pre-product conversations!

Rule Of Thumb

Talk about their life, not your idea.

Softball Questions

Get them comfortable talking.

Softball Questions

How’s it going with... ?

Job Obstacle Goal Current Solution

Signals

Decision Trigger

Interest Trigger

Person Excited: ): | : ( #

?

Remiss Upset Measurement

Recording The Right

Stuff.Their words - not yours!

One phrase per card.Pair up. One interviewer, one notetaker.

Anchor Questions

To explore a signal.

Anchor Question

Interesting. Tell me more about that.

Anchor Question

Can you help me understand... ?

Rule Of Thumb

Direct the conversation to specific, past events, not general, current or future.

Deflection Questions

To bring the conversation back to actionable information.

Question

I’d love to tell you more, but it’ll help if I can understand you better first. What where you saying about... ?

Past, Facts, Specifics

The Mom Test

Question Arsenal

Softball, Anchor, Deflection

Good or bad questions?

❝

❞

Would you buy a product which solved this problem?

❝

❞

Would you buy a product which solved this problem?

❝

❞

How do you currently deal with this problem?

❝

❞

How do you currently deal with this problem?

❝

❞

How have you dealt with this problem?

❝

❞

When does this problem pop up?

❝

❞

When does this problem pop up?

❝

❞

When’s the last time that happened?

❝

❞

What makes this time-consuming or go off-track?

❝

❞

What makes this time-consuming or go off-track?

❝

❞

Has this ever been more time-consuming than normal or gone off-track?

❝

❞

Please show me how you...

❝

❞

Please show me how you...

❝

❞

Please tell me how you ...

❝

❞

Please tell me how you ...

❝

❞

Talk me through the last time you had this problem.

❝

❞

Talk me through the last time you had this problem.

❝

❞

What did you try to do about it?

❝

❞

What did you try to do about it?

❝

❞

How much would you pay for this?

❝

❞

How much would you pay for this?

❝

❞

How much money does this problem cost you?

❝

❞

How much money does this problem cost you?

❝

❞

How much money has this problem cost you?

❝

❞

What’s your budget?

❝

❞

What’s your budget?

❝

❞

Can I ask why?

❝

❞

Can I ask why?

❝

❞

What would need to happen before you could really start using it?

❝

❞

What would need to happen before you could really start using it?

❝

❞

Ever had any problems or delays getting something like this going?

❝

❞

Who else should I talk to?

❝

❞

Who else should I talk to?

Compliments Are Not Signals.

❝

❞

Sounds great. I love it!

❝

❞

Sounds great. I love it!

❝

❞

Brilliant -- let me know when it launches!

❝

❞

Brilliant -- let me know when it launches!

Compliment?Stalling tactic?

They don’t care. :(

❝

❞

There are a couple people I can intro you to, when you’re ready.

❝

❞

There are a couple people I can intro you to, when you’re ready.

Partial commitment?

Validate by going for full commitment.

❝

❞

I would definitely buy that!

❝

❞Your Mom

I would definitely buy that!DANGER!

Rule Of Thumb

Advancement to the next step is a signal you are ready to Confirm.

Advancement

Permission to contact againClear next meetingIntroductionsCommitment to run a trial Pre-purchase

Facts Commitment

2 stages of learning

Collect Analyse

2 stages of learning

Learn Confirm

Thx!Salim Virani @saintsal

salim@foundercentric.com