How can you effectively conduct customer discovery in a global market?

1 Define your global segments

Before you start reaching out to potential customers, you need to define your global segments. This means identifying who are the people that have the problem you are solving, where they are located, how they access information, and what are their characteristics and needs. You can use tools like market research, online surveys, social media, and analytics to gather data on your global segments. You should also consider factors like market size, growth potential, competition, and regulations that may affect your entry and expansion.

3 Ask open-ended questions

One of the most important tips for conducting customer discovery in a global market is to ask open-ended questions. This means asking questions that allow your interviewees to express their thoughts, feelings, opinions, and experiences, without leading them to a specific answer. Open-ended questions help you avoid assumptions, biases, and stereotypes, and uncover the real pain points, motivations, and behaviors of your potential customers. Some examples of open-ended questions are: What are the biggest challenges you face in your daily life? How do you currently solve them? What are the benefits and drawbacks of your current solutions?

4 Listen actively and empathize

Another essential tip for conducting customer discovery in a global market is to listen actively and empathize with your interviewees. This means paying attention to what they say, how they say it, and what they don't say. It also means showing interest, curiosity, and respect, and acknowledging their emotions and perspectives. Listening actively and empathizing helps you build rapport and trust with your potential customers, and gain deeper insights into their needs and wants. It also helps you avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, and cultural faux pas.

5 Synthesize and iterate

The final tip for conducting customer discovery in a global market is to synthesize and iterate your findings. This means analyzing and summarizing the key insights and feedback you gathered from your interviews, and using them to refine your problem, solution, and value proposition. You should also test your assumptions and hypotheses with experiments and prototypes, and measure your results with metrics and indicators. You should repeat this process until you find a product-market fit that works for your global segments, or pivot to a new direction if needed.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?