When conducting customer discovery, it’s important to not only focus on what your potential customers say, but also on their emotions, attitudes, and behaviors. One way to do this is by noting something that you appreciate about each user you interact with. This simple practice can help increase your interest and empathy towards them, and ultimately lead to better insights and understanding of their needs and preferences.
Here are some ways that noting something you appreciate about a user can enhance your customer discovery process:
- Builds rapport: When you take the time to appreciate something about your potential customer, it shows that you value them as a person and not just as a source of information. This can help build rapport and trust, which is crucial for effective communication and collaboration.
- Humanizes the process: By focusing on the human aspect of customer discovery, you are less likely to see your users as mere data points or statistics. This can help you connect with them on a more personal level and better understand their unique perspectives and experiences.
- Increases curiosity: Noting something that you appreciate about a user can help increase your curiosity and interest in learning more about them. This can lead to deeper and more meaningful conversations, which can uncover valuable insights that might have been missed otherwise.
- Encourages active listening: When you appreciate something about a user, you are more likely to actively listen to what they are saying. This can help you pick up on subtle cues and emotions that can provide additional context and insights.
- Promotes empathy: When you appreciate something about a user, it can help you see things from their perspective and understand their needs and preferences on a deeper level. This can ultimately lead to more empathetic product design and development.
Overall, noting something that you appreciate about a user can be a powerful tool for enhancing your customer discovery process. It can help build rapport, humanize the process, increase curiosity, encourage active listening, and promote empathy. So the next time you interact with a potential customer, take a moment to appreciate something about them and see how it enhances your understanding and insights.
Do you want to create a side project that connects with your audience on a deeper level? Our ebook, “Transcending Self-Interest: How Embracing a Higher Purpose Can Drive Successful Traction for Your Side-Project,” shows you how empathy for your users or customers can play a vital role in building a purpose-driven startup.