Is customer service a good competitive advantage

[Andy Black]

“Start.” (@Vigilante)

 

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[LiveEntrepreneur]

Physical or digital product?

Either way you don't have to worry about providing ALL the bells and whistles your competitors have. You just need the core ones your customer base have indicated are must haves. Just build them better.

You can build in other features as and when required.

Microsoft Word is the king of word processors (IMHO). It has so many features, add-ons and integrations that it is a total power house product that has taken decades to develop to this stage.

Yet many people use Google Docs instead because they don't need all those features, have never used more than 10% of Words power. And, quite frankly, find it really complicated and intimidating due to all the tabs and layouts. (Also Google Docs it is free of course).

I've been using Word since I got a hacked copy as a poor student many years ago (sorry Microsoft, I have licences these days). I've used it ever since so am very familiar with it. But I just use it mainly for word processing. I don't need database integration, I don't do mail merges, I am not writing technical manuals nor 80,000 word books.

I have a subscription with a shaving company that send me blades every couple of months. To start with it was a handle and some blades. That was it. Then they added shaving gel, then I was asked if I wanted shaving balm. A couple of months later a facial scrub appeared. Now I have the option to add in vitamins to my order.

I love the company. Their products are good, their service is excellent, their branding on point. I love the fact that they email me a week before my order is due to let me know, plus to give me the option to delay my order if required (say I stop shaving for Movember for example so don't use as many blades).

A little bit of tough love:

You have by now enough opinions to satisfy your need for data so stop all this procrastinating, self doubt and overthinking and go out and actually build something. The only person who can limit your achievement is you and you are doing a grand job at the moment.

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy". – Dale Carnegie

“The stars will never align, and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. The universe doesn’t conspire against you, but it doesn’t go out of its way to line up the pins either. Conditions are never perfect. ‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Pro and con lists are just as bad. If it’s important to you and you want to do it ‘eventually,’ just do it and correct course along the way.” — Tim Ferriss

I understand the theory but it's the action part that's the problem, I try not to overthink it but I always have 1000 questions that I feel I need answered lol. I've been working on it, it's getting better.

Hmm this part "ones your customer base have indicated are must haves". I've been speaking with potential customers, though I haven't really asked what they want. I have asked them what they think of my idea and these ideas are their frustrations. Should I be asking that aswell or am I overthinking again?

 

[RazorCut]

You need to build a minimum viable product. Just ask them what that would look like. What they ACTUALLY NEED and want, not what are nice to haves. Those come later.

So now go away and come back again when you can put up a post similar to below:

"I have identified the core needs of my market niche and have drawn a line under this as I now have all the information I need to build a minimum viable product. I am now building my minimum viable product".

 

[LiveEntrepreneur]

You need to build a minimum viable product. Just ask them what that would look like. What they ACTUALLY NEED and want, not what are nice to haves. Those come later.

So now go away and come back again when you can put up a post similar to below:

"I have identified the core needs of my market niche and have drawn a line under this as I now have all the information I need to build a minimum viable product. I am now building my minimum viable product".

Ok cheers. I'll be dumping the traditional market research I think.

 

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[Andy Black]

Ok cheers. I'll be dumping the traditional market research I think.

The best market research comes from actually getting in the trenches and trying to help people with whatever they want help with enough to engage you, and then one day to pay you.

Then you look at what keeps cropping up, and why it keeps cropping up.

Scale later when you’ve figured out how to help people one at a time. (As per the Mother Theresa quote in my signature.)

 

[LiveEntrepreneur]

The best market research comes from actually getting in the trenches and trying to help people with whatever they want help with enough to engage you, and then one day to pay you.

Then you look at what keeps cropping up, and why it keeps cropping up.

Scale later when you’ve figured out how to help people one at a time. (As per the Mother Theresa quote in my signature.)

ok thanks. Ill be stopping the questionnares/surveys and find out these answers through real interaction with a real product. I think i know what to do.