Welcome to the Dreamit Dose. In the next five minutes, we'll talk about
talking to customers, why they tend not to tell the truth to startups,
and the one thing you need to say to make sure you don't get a false positive.
Let's dive in.
So as many know, it's absolutely critical that as early as possible
You start speaking with customers.
Even before you have a product. Even before you have an MVP.
You can even test your positioning.
As Steve Blank likes to say, get out of the building.
Now when you get out of the building two big questions are,
who should you be meeting with and what should you be asking them?
First, let's talk about who you should be meeting with.
I want you to think about there's three big classes of people to meet with.
The person who benefits, the person who approves, and the person who pays.
Those in many organizations can be three different people.
You should actually be talking to all three.
Let's say you were selling a health tech solution to a hospital.
The physician might be the person who benefits from the solution,
but it's not the person who necessarily pays. You need to meet with both of them.
A really simplified example of that
think about when a grandmother is holding her toddler and the toddler
has a nice ice cream cone in their hand and they're really enjoying that.
The person who benefits, the toddler, is different than the person who
approves and pays. In this case the grandmother.
Two different people.
You'd need to actually de-risk and ask both of them questions
about the solution and idea you've come up with.
By the way, I know I'm going quickly please make sure to leave your questions
in the comments section and make sure to subscribe. We have a lot more coming.
So, what's the most important thing to say to customers and early meetings?
You can't hurt my feelings. Wait what? That's it? Yep that's it.
Big problem with startups and meeting with early stage customers what they want to do.
They want to give you a pat on the back. You don't want a pat on the back.
You want to be punched in the face.
Remember, you're an early stage startup you say here's this idea,
here's the concept we're working on, and they're going yay startups.
Shark Tank, you go, love what you're doing. Bright shiny object.
Everybody wants to be nice to you. Everybody wants to be positive to you.
It's a little bit like when you're a parent you're walking in Central Park in New York City
you've got your beautiful baby. Maybe not so beautiful in your arms.
You walk around you show your baby to people
and they go oh your baby is so cute. Whoever says their baby is not cute?
That's the way they look at you as a startup. And it's the most dangerous thing.
Because if you get false positives. Oh, it's terrific. It's great.
I love what you're doing. You go.
That is a false positive. And we see startups all the time.
They don't say those magic words. They don't release the pressure in the room.
They don't say look I have one ground rule when I'm talking with you
as I described this idea, as I show you the early prototype, as I show you the product.
My one rule is, you can't hurt my feelings.
If you wouldn't use it, if you don't like it,
if you don't think it's worth the money,
you're doing me a favor, punch me in the face.
Let me give you a great example from two weeks ago.
We met with a B2B startup. They've been working on their idea for two years.
It's focused on solving a particular problem for a corporation.
And we sat there for 30 or 40 minutes, talked about their primary assumptions,
talked about them speaking with customers,
and in 30 minutes we realized there's nothing here.
When they talked to those customers, and share their idea
with all their startup enthusiasm and vigor and energy,
did they ever say, by the way would you really use this?
Does it solve a big and urgent need for you?
And remember that one ground rule, you can't hurt my feelings.
These guys have been working on this company for two years,
and in 30 minutes we kind of ripped through the whole thing
and it just didn't seem like anything was there.
Why didn't somebody tell them that as they're working on this idea?
That's it. That's how you avoid false positives.
Meet with customers early and often.
Get in there make sure to meet with people who purchase,
people who actually benefit, people who approve.
Make sure to let them know, you can't possibly hurt my feelings.
Because what's most important you want the punch in the face, not the pat on the back.
That's your Dreamit Dose in five minutes.
Looking forward to answering your questions in the comments section.
See you next time.