Talk to five customers before you build anything: a script
Five short conversations can save you five months. Here is who to talk to, what to ask and what answers mean "go".
The most expensive mistake in a small business is building something nobody asked for. The cheapest way to avoid it is to talk to people who might buy, before you make anything.
You do not need a survey platform or a fancy script. You need five conversations of fifteen minutes each.
Who to talk to
Find people who match your audience and have the problem now. Good places to look:
- Past colleagues or clients who fit the profile
- Local business owners you already buy from
- People in online communities who ask about the problem
- Friends of friends. Ask for introductions
Aim for people who would be buyers, not friends who will be kind. A short message works: “I am researching how [type of person] handles [problem]. Could I ask you three quick questions? I will keep it to 15 minutes.”
The questions
Ask about their life, not your idea. People are polite about ideas and honest about problems.
- “Tell me about the last time you had to deal with [problem].”
- “What did you try? What did it cost in time or money?”
- “What is the most frustrating part?”
- “If a perfect solution existed, what would it do?”
- “Would you pay to fix this? What are you paying for something similar today?”
Then be quiet. Silence invites the real answer.
Listen for these signals
| Strong signal | Weak signal |
|---|---|
| They describe a recent, specific story | “Sounds interesting” |
| They already spend money or time on workarounds | “I might use that someday” |
| They ask when it will be ready | They change the subject |
| They offer an introduction | They only talk about features |
What to do with the answers
Write down the exact words they use. These become your offer copy. If three or more of five describe the same painful problem and already spend money on it, go to the next step: write your offer in one sentence. If fewer than two do, change your audience or your problem and test again. That is a good outcome. You just saved months.
A note on honesty
Do not pitch during the interview and do not pretend to be researching if you are selling. If a conversation turns into a sale, that is fine, but say what you are doing. Trust is the main thing you are building.
- Talk to five likely buyers before building anything.
- Ask about their last experience with the problem, not about your idea.
- Existing spend and workarounds are the best sign of demand.
- Use their words in your offer. Then write the one-sentence offer.
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