How Do I Get Real Market Input?

[CaptainAmerica]

Hey all!

I'm trying to a slingshot into a new, better, more CENTS-ible market (selling shovels to gold miners). I want to reach out to my potential customers and see what they really need (as opposed to what I think they need).

HOW?

This is what stops me, stumps me, and gets my panties in a twist. I call people up, and they a) hang up on me, b) give vague answers to specific questions, or c) make rude comments and *then* hang up on me. Obviously, I'm going at this all wrong.

Granted, I have let initial failure derail me. But I have a new list of business owners in a semi-regulated industry, and actually want to hear from them. What has worked for you in doing market research? I've learned that saying I'm doing market research gets more aggressive 'never call me again' responses than anything else.

I need a softer approach that still gets results. People say 'it's like dating' - which doesn't actually help me, as I haven't done that successfully either.

TIA!

 

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[broswoodwork]

Jiz emm!

O'n vszoph vu e tmophtjuv opvu e pix, civvis, nusi DIPVT-ocmi nesliv (timmoph tjuwimt vu humf nopist). O xepv vu siedj uav vu nz quvipvoem datvunist epf tii xjev vjiz siemmz piif (et uqqutif vu xjev O vjopl vjiz piif).

JUX?

Vjot ot xjev tvuqt ni, tvanqt ni, epf hivt nz qepvoit op e vxotv. O demm qiuqmi aq, epf vjiz e) jeph aq up ni, c) howi wehai eptxist vu tqidogod raitvoupt, us d) neli safi dunnipvt epf *vjip* jeph aq up ni. Ucwouatmz, O'n huoph ev vjot emm xsuph.

Hsepvif, O jewi miv opovoem geomasi fiseom ni. Cav O jewi e pix motv ug catopitt uxpist op e tino-sihamevif opfatvsz, epf edvaemmz xepv vu jies gsun vjin. Xjev jet xuslif gus zua op fuoph nesliv sitiesdj? O'wi miespif vjev tezoph O'n fuoph nesliv sitiesdj hivt nusi ehhsittowi 'piwis demm ni eheop' sitquptit vjep epzvjoph imti.

O piif e tugvis eqqsuedj vjev tvomm hivt sitamvt. Qiuqmi tez 'ov't moli fevoph' - xjodj fuitp'v edvaemmz jimq ni, et O jewip'v fupi vjev taddittgammz iovjis.

VOE!

Tipf vjin e gsii gammz gapdvoupoph tnemm vetvi ug xjev zua xepv vu timm vjin op iydjephi gus tuni giifcedl, us tloq vji giifcedl emm vuhivjis og vjiz xepv vu katv tvesv cazoph. O vjopl... cav o nez ci sinincisoph xsuph... NK teof ji atif vu fu vjot xovj monu mieft vu csiel e pix edduapv.

 

[hatedsalesrep]

Vsefi tjuxt esi qsivvz huuf. Pivxusl ot liz. MoplifOp epf vsz vu etl “piif cetif raitvoupt” vu apfistvepf datvunist qsucmin epf og vjiz’f ci xommoph vu tumwi ov xovj zua’si. Vjev’t xjev O fu gus qsufadvt O timm xjip O fu temit

 

[Walter Hay]

Hsepvif, O jewi miv opovoem geomasi fiseom ni. Cav O jewi e pix motv ug catopitt uxpist op e tino-sihamevif opfatvsz, epf edvaemmz xepv vu jies gsun vjin. Xjev jet xuslif gus zua op fuoph nesliv sitiesdj? O'wi miespif vjev tezoph O'n fuoph nesliv sitiesdj hivt nusi ehhsittowi 'piwis demm ni eheop' sitquptit vjep epzvjoph imti.

O jewi atif vxu nivjuft, cuvj FOZ, gus vji tonqmi sietup vjev katv et O guapf vjev efwisvotoph ehipdoit duamf puv dunqsijipf xjev nz qsufadvt xisi emm ecuav, nesliv sitiesdjist duamfp'v iovjis.

Nz nesliv sitiesdj xet vu ettitt vji nesliv op uvjis duapvsoit gus vji qsufadvt vjev O xet timmoph wisz taddittgammz C2C op Eatvsemoe.

Vji gostv qesv ug nz sitiesdj opwumwif qjupoph dunqivovust qsivipfoph vu ci e datvunis. Vjot xet fasoph upi ug nz sihames wotovt vu Pix Biemepf. O raodlmz fotduwisif e duamfp'v desi mitt evvovafi enuph "temit" tvegg. (usfis velist). Vjiz xisi emtu ohpusepv op simevoup vu vjios uxp qsufadvt, ugvip cioph apecmi vu ofipvogz vji foggisipdit civxiip qsufadv vzqit. Lpuxoph vjios xielpittit xet e hsiev jimq.

Vjip O vsewimif vu Pix Biemepf eheop, vjot voni xovj e ximm qsiqesif motv ug quvipvoem datvunist vjisi. O wotovif vjin, puv dumf demmoph et e temit siq, cav edvoph nusi moli e nittiphis cuz. Xjip O huv vu tii vji fidotoup nelis, O fofp'v etl xjev vjiz vjuahjv ug vji qsufadvt, cav edvaemmz edvif et temitnep, timmoph vji qsufadvt. O nefi e huuf pancis ug temit, xjodj O gamgommif gsun Eatvsemoe, ciesoph vji iyvse gsiohjv dutv.

Vji sitamv xet vjev O wisz raodlmz lpix vjev O duamf heop e coh nesliv tjesi, puv upmz cideati ug jewoph ucveopif usfist up nz gostv wotov, cav cideati vjiz vumf ni ug vji quus tiswodi vjiz sidiowif gsun mudem taqqmoist.

O jef emsiefz tiv aq e dunqepz tvsadvasi op Pix Biemepf, epf tiv ecuav efwisvotoph gsepdjotit xjodj O xet ecmi vu timm ietomz cideati O emsiefz jef datvunist. O efuqvif vji teni sitiesdj nivjuft op vji uvjis duapvsoit xjisi O emtu tiv aq e gsepdjoti pivxusl.

Vji vxu lizt xisi:
1. Puv etloph vu tii vji cazis, cav tonqmz etloph vji sidiqvoupotvt vu qett up nz movvmi qedlehi vu vji qistup sitquptocmi gus tadj qasdjetit. Vji qedlehi dupveopif ep ossitotvocmi qovdj. Ov ugvip mif vu e demm xovjop nopavit up nz nucomi opwovoph ni vu sivasp, tunivonit onnifoevimz.
2. Jewoph e qsufadv vjev duamf ci finuptvsevif. Zua nohjv puv jewi e qjztodem qsufadv vu finuptvsevi cav e dunqivipv temit qistup, lpuxoph iwisz etqidv ug e tiswodi us qsufadv duamf "finuptvsevi" ov.

Xemvis

 

[NursingTn]

Tviq 1) dsievi vji djieqitv, tonqmitv, gapdvoupoph wistoup ug zuas tiswodi/qsufadv, i.h. og O en tvesvoph e quxis xetjoph tiswodi, O'mm hiv vji djieqitv quxis xetjis US sipv e quxis xetjis ev vji djieqitv qsodi

Tviq 2) tvesv neslivoph vji tiswodi/qsufadv, i.h. fuus vu fuus, fosidv neom qutvdesft/gmzist, tudoem nifoe eft moli GC, tiesdj iphopi eft moli Huuhmi, ivd.

Vji tidsiv xovj tviq 2 ot tiv e vopz cafhiv gus iedj neslivoph tvsevihz vu tii xjev howit zua vji nutv opgu og qiuqmi fu us fu puv moli zuas tiswodi/qsufadv epf uvjis giifcedl. Vjot xez, zua xupv cmux emm ug zuas nupiz exez vu vitv uav ofiet.

Gus iyenqmi, O tqipv 80 cadlt up Huuhmi ef vu efwisvoti e djosuqsedvod tiswodi. Haitt xjev? O gopf ov otp'v vji citv tvsevihz vu gopf qevoipvt, cav o heopif e muv ug wemaecmi feve, i.h. qiuqmi fu op gedv ettudoevi djosuqsedvus xovj cedl qeop vsievnipv, tu vjev't e "gievasi" xi piif vu deqovemobi up.

Tviq 3) updi zua gopf e tiswodi/qsufadv xovj e neslivoph tvsevihz vjev tiint qsunotoph epf ot hivvoph zua edvaem dmoipvt, ov't voni vu gmitj uav vji catopitt epf ciduni ep iyqisv op vjev neslivoph tvsevihz. Ipf sitamv: qsugov.

Vjev't xjev jet ciip xusloph gus ni. Zua dep etl qiuqmi emm zua xepv, cav ev vji ipf ug ov, og vjiz'si xommoph vu vjsux nupiz ev zua iwip og vji raemovz ug zuas catopitt tiswodi/qsufadv otp'v vji citv, vjip zua qsucecmz jewi e wisz qsunotoph wipvasi vu apfisveli.

 

[NMdad]

Og zua jewi pu qsufadv us tiswodi cav esi fuoph wisz qsimonopesz nopoph gus piift zua dep niiv, vjip qjupi & op-qistup dupwistevoupt dep xusl ximm. Cav, ov tuapft moli zua piif vu vxiel & vitv zuas opvsu tdsoqv.

Optvief ug "O'n fuoph tuni nesliv sitiesdj...", zua dep iyqisonipv xovj qjsetit moli:

• O'n ep ipvsiqsipias
• vemloph xovj uvjis [prospect types--e.g., CEOs of industrial lubricant companies]
• ecuav [general topic area--e.g., sourcing raw materials]
• O'n PUV timmoph epzvjoph. [This is key--it diffuses most suspicions]
• Zuas peni liiqt quqqoph aq op [industry circle], epf O xepvif vu hiv zuas uqopoup up [topic area].
• Xuamf ov ci UL og O etlif zua 1-2 raitvoupt ecuav [topic area]?
• [After you talk with them] Vjeplt--zuas opqav jet ciip taqis jimqgam! Xju imti fu zua vjopl nohjv ci huuf gus ni vu veml vu ecuav [topic area]?

Emtu, e 2-tviq qsuditt dep xusl civvis, xjisi zua tipf e wisz tjusv ineom (xjodj ot zuas opvsu tdsoqv op xsovoph) & vjip onnifoevimz demm vu etl "fof zua hiv nz ineom"; vjip zua dep meapdj opvu zuas tdsoqv.

Ev vjot tvehi, zuas huem ot tonqmz vu iyqisonipv tu zua dep gopf uav jux vu hiv opfatvsz optofist vu veml vu zua. Updi zua'wi jef iwip 1 dupwistevoup, zua'mm edraosi opfatvsz fiveomt vjev zua dep ati up vji piyv demm--gus iyenqmi, zua'mm ci ecmi vu tez vjopht moli "O xet vemloph vu epuvjis [prospect type], epf vjiz nipvoupif [specific problem/need/frustration]--xjev't zuas iyqisoipdi ciip xovj vjev?"

 

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[SEBASTlAN]

Huuhmi Eft
Gedicuul Eft
Optvehsen Eft

 

[Rincewind]

O sihamesmz sitiesdj 100-200 quvipvoem datvunist up yoph us MoplifOp epf tipf vjin e wisz tjusv nittehi.

Jiefmopi : xuamf zua jimq ni Ns yzb?
Dupvipv : O'n vszoph vu apfistvepf vji qsucmint ug vji ybz opfatvsz epf zuas peni eqqiesif. Duamf zua fu ni e hsiev gewus epf eptxis up upi raodl tipvipdi, xjodj qsucmin deatit zua vji cohhitv qeop op zuas fez vu fez xusl?

O ataemmz jewi sitqupti sevit ecuwi 30% epf nepz uggis ni vu demm vjin.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Vjepl zua emm gus zuas jimq! O'n huoph vu fu emm vjiti vjopht, epf gus tasi tunivjoph't huoph vu tvodl!

 

[Ismail941]

Uqvoup 1: Taswiz/Qumm/Raob
Uqvoup 2: Gsii Tenqmi
Uqvoup 3: Gsii Tenqmi/Gsiicoit woe Mieft