How do you create a product that customers will love?

Imagine a world where your product is not just bought, but admired. Where customers become your passionate fans, recommend you to their friends and look forward to every update. This is not a dream, but a reality that can be achieved with the right strategy. The key to this is a deep understanding of your customers and their needs. This is where CustDev (Customer Development) comes in.

What is it and what is it eaten with?

CustDev (Customer Development) is a business development methodology that focuses on testing ideas for a new product or service among potential customers. Its goal is to understand the needs and desires of customers in order to create a product that they really need.

CustDev is not like traditional marketing research. It’s not about just asking people for their opinions. Instead, CustDev involves active interaction with customers throughout the entire product development process.

• It helps to create a product that customers really need. This helps you save time, money, and effort, as you won’t be wasting resources on developing a product that no one wants to buy.
• helps you improve your product. Customer feedback from CustDev can help you identify problems and solve them before the product is released to the market.
• helps you reduce time to market. If you know what your customers want, you can create and release a product they will love faster.
• helps you create more loyal customers. Customers who have been involved in the development of a product are more likely to be satisfied with it and recommend it to others.

How to work with CustDev?

For example, you are planning to create an online English language school for children, and your goal is to take away work from your main competitor in favour of our product. Where do you start? The answer is simple: study your users!

Why is this so important? User research will help you to clearly understand what parents want for their children when it comes to learning English. This will help you develop a product that truly meets their needs.

To be successful, you need to know who your main competitors are and what they offer. Understanding your users will help you create a brand that resonates with them and sets you apart from the competition

What user segments should you study?

• Parents of school-age children. This is your main target audience. You need to understand their needs, expectations and budget.
• English teachers. You can collaborate with teachers to get their feedback on your product and services.
• Competitors. You need to know who your main competitors are, what they offer and how they position themselves in the market.
• Remember that user research is an ongoing process. You will need to conduct regular research to keep up with the changing needs and expectations of your customers.

Here are some examples of JTBD (Jobs to be Done) that you can use:

JTBD 1: In a situation where a child gets a D in English, the parent wants to hire a tutor so that the child can get A’s and get out in the world.

JTBD 2: In a situation where the family is going to England, the father wants to hire a tutor to help the child speak English quickly.

JTBD 3: In a situation where a parent is planning a child’s development plan for the year ahead, he wants to choose 3-5 useful clubs in a budget of up to 5 thousand per month to ‘take the child to a useful place’ to free up time.

‘Good offer’ and how to find it?

A good offer is a clear and concise statement that convincingly explains the value of your product and encourages people to take action. It’s based on a deep understanding of your target audience’s needs and wants.

Here are the four levels that make an offer ‘good’:

1.What:

• Describe what you offer.
• Be clear and concise.
• Use language that your target audience can understand.

‘Yes, we teach English to children aged 7-12, online’

2.How:

• Explain why your product is better than the alternatives.
• Use facts, data and comparisons.
• Emphasise the unique features of your product.

‘Your child is a genius’, ‘He will not become a “D” student’, ‘You will not get lost in London’

3.Why:

• Appeal to the emotions and motivation of your target audience.
• Explain how your product will help them solve their problems and achieve their goals.
• Create a sense of urgency.

4.Trust:

• Give people a reason to trust you and your product.
• Use customer testimonials, logos, and other social proof.
• Offer a guarantee or refund policy.

‘Already 100 thousand people have used it’, ‘We’ll refund 100% if anything’

Methods of searching for offers

There are two most popular methods of finding a good offer:

Targeted interviews: scripts and questions to create a great offer

Targeted interviews are a great way to get a deeper understanding of your target audience’s needs, wants, and motivations. This will help you create a great offer that will resonate with them and encourage them to take action.

Here are examples of questions you can use during targeted interviews to clarify all 4 levels of your future offer, highlight segments and situations:

1.Qualification questions:

• Is your child learning English?
• How old is your child?
• Have you ever experienced a situation where your child got a D in English?
• Are you currently using an online English school for your child?

2.Questions for Level 1 ‘What’?

• When your child got a D, what did you do? What actions did you take?
• What are you looking for in an online English school?
• What are your expectations of an online English school?

3.Questions for Level 2: How?

• How did you choose an online English school for your child?
• What factors did you consider when making your choice?
• What do you like/dislike about the online school you are currently using?

4.Questions for level 3: Why?

• Why is it important for you that your child learns English?
• What goals do you want to achieve by teaching your child English?
• What would you like your child to be able to do with the help of English?

5.Questions about trust:

• Who do you trust the most when it comes to learning English online?
• What factors influence your trust in an online English school?
• What would you like to see in an online English school to help you trust it?

In addition to these questions, you can also use the ‘5 Whys’ method to gain a deeper understanding of your respondents’ motivations.

For example:

• Why is it important for you that your child learns English?
• Why do you want your child to learn English online?
• Why are you not happy with your current online English school?
• Why do you think our online English school can help you?

It is important to remember that focus interviews are not interrogations. Your goal is to create a supportive atmosphere where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings. Listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and write down the answers. After the interview, analyse your data and identify key themes. This information will help you create a great offer that will resonate with your target audience and encourage them to take action.

Where to find contacts and how to conduct interviews?

In fact, finding an audience is not that difficult, because we have many ways to communicate.

Here are some ways to find people to interview:

1. Create a Facebook post asking people to participate in an interview. Use Facebook groups where your potential customers are. Connect with people on Twitter and LinkedIn.
2. Reach out to people who are looking for a job or offering services that you are interested in. Post an ad on job boards where people are looking for people to interview.
3. Conduct interviews with people waiting in line at stores, cafes, or other places where your potential customers are. Or talk to people who have just bought something in stores that sell your products or services.
4. Ask your friends if they know people who could help you find participants to interview.
5. Look for forums and groups on the Internet where people who are interested in your topic are communicating. Ask the moderators to post your advert for interview participants.
6. Create a survey and ask people to share their contacts if they are interested in participating in the interview. You can post the survey on your website, social media, or other websites where your potential customers are.
7. Create a newsletter and ask your subscribers to participate in the interview. You can offer them something in return, such as a free e-book.

How many respondents do you need? The number of interviews you need to conduct depends on your goals.

• The first 5 interviews will help you get a general idea of the problem you are researching.

• The first 20 interviews will allow you to start noticing patterns and trends.

• 200 interviews will give you statistically significant results.

Rules for a successful interview

Here are some more tips to help you conduct a successful interview:

1. Create a friendly atmosphere. It is important that your interlocutor feels comfortable and relaxed. Be friendly, behave sincerely and with a smile. Create an atmosphere of trust where the person is willing to share their thoughts and feelings.
2. Start with a story or situation. This will help break the ice and get the other person interested. You can talk about your own experience or use an example that relates to the topic of the interview. Ask questions to stimulate the conversation and learn more about the other person.
3. Focus on the other person, not yourself. Remember that the purpose of the interview is to learn more about your interviewee, not about yourself. Ask open-ended questions that encourage reflection and detailed answers. Listen actively and pay close attention to what your interviewee is saying.
4. Only interview potential clients. Before starting the interview, it is important to make sure that your interlocutor is really your potential client. To do this, ask qualifying questions to see if the person you are interviewing meets your criteria.
5. Have clear hypotheses. Before the interview begins, you should have clear hypotheses in mind that you want to test. This will help you focus the conversation and get the information you need.
6. Ask questions about the past, not the future. People remember better what has already happened than what they plan to do. Ask questions about how your interlocutor has solved this problem in the past. This will help you better understand their behaviour and decision-making.
7. Ask open-ended and clarifying questions. Do not limit yourself to simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. Ask open-ended questions that encourage reflection and detailed answers. Use clarifying questions to get more information and better understand your interlocutor’s point of view.
8. Verify information. Not all people are sincere, so it is important to verify the information they give you… Use verification questions and compare answers with other sources of information.
9. Suggest next steps. At the end of the interview, you can ‘close the deal’ by offering a solution to your interviewee’s problem. This will help you to keep in touch with them and continue the conversation.

It is important not only to get the information you need, but also to make your interlocutor feel valued.

Now that you know how important it is to have a deep understanding of your customers, you can confidently move forward and develop a product they will love. Be sure to build relationships with your audience! Make your customers a part of your team, listen to their feedback and respond to it, striving to constantly improve your product. Don’t forget that your customers are not just customers, but your partners in the success of your business.

Learn more about how to interact with your audience in the article: 20 sales channels for your business