You do not need a hundred interviews. Five to ten conversations with the right people will surface most of what matters, and the pattern usually appears by number six.
The right people
- Customers who bought recently — the decision is still fresh in their memory.
- People who considered you and chose something else. The most useful and least contacted group.
- Customers who churned, if you can get them. They will tell you things nobody else will.
- Non-customers with the problem, when you are exploring something new.
Talking only to happy customers produces a comfortable and misleading picture. The people who said no know something you do not.
Getting the yes
Short, specific, and no pitch. Ask for a small, bounded amount of time and be honest about why.
Subject: 15 minutes about how you handle invoicing?
I am trying to understand how small studios actually handle invoicing —
not selling anything, just learning. Would you have 15 minutes this week?
Happy to work around your calendar.
Response rates are better than people expect, because being asked for your expertise is flattering and fifteen minutes is genuinely small.
Do not pay for opinions if you can avoid it
Incentives bring people who want the incentive, and they change the tone from a conversation to a transaction. Where you do need them for hard-to-reach professionals, make it a donation or a real thank-you rather than a survey payout.
Try it
Write your list of ten names today: recent buyers, lost deals, and one churned client. Send five requests this week using the template above.