Steve Blank - Talk to your customers

The value contribution and the customer segments are elementary for your success. Only if these work hand in hand, you'll have the chance to overcome fewer hurdles and obstacles and develop a product that is needed.

In our last article, we discussed the value proposition in detail (hypotheses as very vague assumptions), we found out that we should develop and bring the smallest possible product onto the market, and then gradually pick up on customer needs and develop them in a targeted manner. We also showed how important this is for all kinds of resources (money, labor, time...). Afterwards we thought about our potential customers and at the end we created a perfect " model customer ", in order to organize the development purposefully from the outset and to generate less costs and save time.

A long time ago we also dealt with the topic of a business model (How is your business model) and how important it is to create hypotheses as adequate as possible (hypotheses and assumptions) in order to create an assumption in which direction we will develop ourselves and our product. Furthermore, we have dealt with how important it is that we constantly obtain customer feedback and that sales is a matter for the management.

In this article, I'm all about raising your awareness to this very issue once again. You have to internalize these aspects and adapt your actions if necessary. You have to develop a strategy based on this and be focused. When you present to your customers, whether in their office or at trade fairs or events, when they have questions, are interested - yes, even critical - when they have a glow in their eyes, then you have done a lot right.

For me there is nothing better than receiving mails from customers who have questions, especially the critical ones are very exciting for me. When customers don't understand something and I can explain it briefly in a live chat. On the one hand I get the aha effect and on the other hand I take along an experience which I can discuss with my development department. So I can only repeat myself over and over again!

Talk to your customers!

We get countless offers from the outside world to test our product for us and to give us feedback or to establish a customer service in our company's name. This is never the same and especially in the early stages an absolute no-go! YOU have to understand what's going on outside, YOU have to take the kick in the ass as well as the pat on the back!

See you next time. Good luck out there!

This article is written by our CEO, Bernd Korz. With his experience as an entrepreneur, he shares his vision about the lessons provided by Steve Blank. Join us every week for a new article on Steve Blank’s lectures.

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