Why “sure” can't be trusted
Saying it costs nothing
Saying yes means no money to pay and nothing more to do.
It's the easier answer
Saying no means explaining, and it may make you feel bad.
People are bad at guessing their future
We answer as the person we want to be, not the person we'll be on the day.
Ask what already happened. It's harder to make up.
What already happened tells you what your new thing has to replace, and whether it can. The conversations below are made up.
A new menu item
Ask about the last time they wanted something like it, and where they got it.
If we had desserts, would you order one?
Sure.
The last time you had something sweet after lunch, what was it and where from?
I don't really. If I do, it's bubble tea in the afternoon, from the shop downstairs.
A new feature
Ask about the last time they had to do that job: how they did it, what they used, where they got stuck.
If the app could book ahead, would you use it?
Yes, that'd be handy.
The last time you had to book a customer, how did you do it?
I message them, then write it in a notebook. Last month I forgot two bookings.
A price
Ask what they use now instead, and what they pay. It's better than asking if the price is too high.
Is this price too high?
No, it's fine.
What do you use for this now, and how much do you pay?
I pay the neighbour's kid to do it. 1,500 baht a month.
New Coke and the missing question
- In 1985, Coca-Cola was going to change a recipe it had sold for almost 100 years. Before changing, nearly 200,000 people did taste tests.
- The result was clear: the new recipe tasted better, than the old one and than Pepsi.
- But when it went on sale, people across the country were angry. Not because it tasted bad, but because something they'd grown up with was gone.
- 79 days later, Coca-Cola brought the old recipe back.
- The taste tests asked “Which tastes better?” Nobody listened to the voices saying “If the old one goes, what do I lose?” Before you change something customers know, ask what they'd lose, not only what they'd gain.
As told by Mark Pendergrast, For God, Country and Coca-Cola (1993)
Which tastes better?
“If the old one goes, what do you lose?”
Show a picture, but don't ask if they like it
A pack, a screen or a menu not made yet: you can show a picture. But “Is it nice?” “Do you like it?” gets “I like it” almost every time.
- “What do you think it is?”
If they understand it as something else, like a gift when it's a snack, it's very good to know now.
- “Who do you think it's for?”
This tells you whether they see themselves in it.
- “What made you think that?”
Always follow up. This answer tells you what to change.
Questions
Is a pre-order better than asking?
If you can, customers paying real money tells you more than “sure”. But it won't tell you why the people who didn't buy didn't buy. You still need to talk.
Can I ask them to score 1–10 how much they'd buy it?
You get a number, but it's still a guess about the future. If you use it, follow up: “You gave it 8. Where did the other 2 go?”
I ask about what already happened, but they've never done it
That's an answer too. They may not be the right people for this new thing, or the need isn't really there yet.