Use what buyers tell you to choose what to check next

Talking to people who have bought something similar to your idea can help you decide what to investigate. Their answers describe their experiences. They do not promise that anyone will buy from you.

You can do this before you have a business or customers. Ask someone who buys the kind of item you are considering whether they would be willing to talk about a recent purchase. Explain why you are asking and let them decline.

Ask about a purchase they remember

Suppose you are considering making birthday cards. You could ask where they bought their last card, why they chose it, and whether there was anything they wanted but could not find.

Avoid putting your preferred answer into the question. “Why did you choose that card?” lets the person explain. “Wouldn’t a handwritten name make the card better?” pushes them towards agreeing with your idea.

Keep what they said separate from what you think

Here are two fictional answers from different card buyers:

• “I wanted my sister’s name on the front, but I could not find it.”
• “I chose a card I could collect that afternoon. I had forgotten the birthday.”

The first person mentioned a missing name. The second mentioned getting a card quickly. Those are the things the people actually said.

You might wonder whether cards with handwritten names would interest the first person. That is a question to investigate. They have not said they prefer handwriting, what they would pay, or whether they would buy your card.

Look at differences as well as similarities

Write what each person actually says. Keep answers that do not support your idea. You do not need names or contact details in these notes.

Group answers about the same need, such as adding a name or getting a card quickly. Keep the different reasons visible. Two people buying cards may want different things.

If several people mention the same difficulty, you have a reason to ask more about it. A few conversations do not establish how many people share that difficulty or would pay for a particular solution.

Choose the next question from what you have heard

For the first fictional buyer, a follow-up could be: “When you could not find the name, what did you buy instead, and why did you choose it?” Their answer may explain which alternative they accepted and why. Record the answer without turning it into a sales promise.

For your own idea, write three short notes: what the person said, what you are wondering because of it, and the question you will ask next. Keep the quotation and your guess separate.