If you had the chance to ask your customer what they want, which of these questions would YOU use?

Hi Nick

I'd be less likely to respond to the middle two - I can see someone thinking, "If he's asking me about how much I budget, or how much I'd spend, then he's going to try and sell me something" Which you are, but it's not very subtle :-)

The first one is okay, but may not get you much in the way of specifics.

The last one I find quite wordy and vague and again, I probably wouldn't respond to that.

I've received questions like that from lists I subscribe to, and if the question is short, succinct and to the point, I do answer.

Another possibility - "what do you find most difficult about......" similar to the first one but I find "difficult" a better choice of word than "concern" - I'm concerned about a lot of things but it's the things I find difficult that motivate me to action..

Just some random thoughts from a list member who does answer questions :-)

Audrey

Yeah, maybe instead of mentioning you may try and sell them something, phrase it more like, "I'm developing a solution that may be able to help you", and then add that in return for doing the survey, the product will be discounted. So, you're telling them up front you're going to sell them something without actually saying you're going to sell them something.

I'm no expert on this, and I guess it's just semantics, but I'm just thinking how I'd respond if I received such a request.

HI Nick,

Your questions are far too specific, far too leading and far too transparent to result in useful insightful responses in terms of qualitative data.

"Big marketing companies" do indeed try to minimise risk but it is done by far more than "simply" surveying their audience with a list of leading questions. We use a plethora of techniques ranging from mood boards, to psychographics, ethnography, role playing, pshychology and good old fashioned stimulous/observation.

As any marketer knows, customers do not purchase based upon a rational, logical or even common sense basis. Otherwise, for example, we'd all be wearing clothes bought from supermarkets and not from Armani. So no, I do not agree that they would pay someone they do not know or trust a fee of $97 for a solution to cut down a $500 dollar expense for a product that they DO know and trust and that has worked for them time and time again in order to save some money based on a new, unproven and unknown entry to the market.

Think like your customers do...would you do this?

I also do not agree, that,

"that means, as a list owner you can ask your customers what they want and you can then go and find ways to provide it...and watch your conversions and fanbase shoot through the roof."

It's just not this simple! When we say "ask your customers what they want" we don't mean "literally" ask them! Because rarely, if ever, will you get true, honest answers. People are naturally suspicious of questions from salesmen!

There is a key difference between gleaning qualitative insights that can result in better or new products from your customers through observed behaviours and "defences down" responses to situations and opinions rather than direct questioning. By way of a trite but apposite example, if you asked 10 people in a group situation what would they do if they found a wallet full of money most would say that they'd hand it in to the police whilst polishing their halo. But if you actually observed the same people by setting up a hidden camera and letting them "find" it while alone the results would be very different.

As a marketer part of your job, your responsibility, is to articulate the problems that your customers are having better than they can as part of selling them the solution! In fact, you need to be able to do this before you can create the solution and really before you even decide to enter the niche! Through observation you discover what they really want, need or struggle to do. Never directly ask them. Never even come close to the "M" word!

A far better technique is to engage your customers in a much more realistic and naturalistic dialogue that is framed in a specific context and has some form of emotional component that will engender defences down responses or polarised opinions. In this way honesty and therefore real insights comes to the fore. As such, useful data can be recorded.

Some examples:

For question 1: you should already know what these are. Frame the greatest concern in a situation. Paint a picture. Tell a story. Try to give it an air of controversy. Make it polarising. Post it on your blog, forum, send it to them via email and invite feedback. Learn from the feedback. This is a simple but effective process for most questions you would have.

For question 2: look at already existing products that are selling well. These may be simply similar not only identical to the ones you are planning. Observe the metrics. The sales processes. The on page tactics. Learn from them. Refine them. Make them work better for you.

For question 3: Never ask directly any question concerning money. Few, if any, customers think about setting a budget for a solution to a problem. By definition, they are not aware of the issue until they are faced with it. How can they know how much a solution is worth to them until they are having to deal with the problem? This leads their thoughts into "insurance mindset territory" and nobody likes to pay insurance premiums, despite being grateful if they ever need to claim. The closest real answer to this question you will glean is from what I suggested as an example for question 2. Or for example, like in the question 1 advice, by framing your own annoyance at paying an inflated price for a solution that did not work and telling your story to your customers and inviting dialogue. Many, by way of response and participation in that dialogue, will relate their own stories and the amounts that they have paid. Observe. Learn. Apply.

For question 4: Show don't tell. Observe don't ask. Put up an number of page variants, direct traffic and test the behavioural metrics. Again, following the method set out above in response to question 2 will also reveal many insights. There are so many things to learn from competitors. Both successful and unsuccessful ones.

In all honesty, if you don't already have a pretty concrete idea of the answers to questions 1-3 you should not be considering investing the time and trouble on the niche. After all, surely these would be amongst the first questions a marketer would have before doing anything.

That said, I hope that some of the steps set out above prove beneficial and insightful. They are more work, of course, but infinitely worth it.

Good luck with it.

Thomas

Generally speaking, surveys are of minimal use. The questions are usually biased in ways that are unknown to the questioner, and the answers are not necessarily realistic because they are answered without concern for real world circumstances.

Most companies I've worked with in the past that do a lot of marketing don't pay attention to surveys for guidance, instead they pay attention to behaviors. Behaviors are a far more accurate representation of what someone is willing to do than their answers to a question.