What do you do if your product or service isn't resonating with potential customers?

If your product or service is leaving customers cold, it's time to listen and adapt. Gather feedback through surveys, focus groups, or even casual conversations. See if you've misunderstood your target audience's needs or if your messaging isn't clear. Be willing to refine your offering or how you present it to truly resonate with those you want to reach.

When a product fails to gain traction, a thorough investigation into the reasons behind customer apathy is crucial. Multiple culprits can contribute, including, but not limited to, pricing strategies, messaging misfires, or even unforeseen socio-political factors. (Identifying the contributing factor is essential). Leveraging customer insights to refine an appropriate course of action should be the next step. I strongly recommend a qualitative, in-person approach for gathering these insights initially. Reaching out to customers/users within the target demographic allows you to reiterate the product's value proposition and gather feedback to inform immediate or future product changes.

Primeiro é necessário entender as necessidades do meu cliente, a partir disso, vou poder encaixar o meu produto/servi?o para que fa?a sentido a ele, muitas das vezes deixamos de ouvir atentamente para focar nas características do produto, algo mais técnico. N?o há problema em reconhecer, que as vezes o meu produto por mais que seja melhor, n?o é o que o cliente procura.

When your offering doesn't click, it's a call to pivot, not to quit. True success lies in listening—truly listening—to your audience. What are their fears? Their dreams? Engage deeply, beyond surface-level needs. Our greatest lessons come from feedback, not failure. Tune in, adapt, and watch as your product transforms into the solution they've been seeking.

First, perform root-cause analysis of why your product/service isn't resonating with prospects. Determine if you have a "messaging or positioning" problem, and/or if your product/service truly isn't addressing the biggest pains/needs of a prospect. In my experience, sales and marketing teams struggle to differentiate their product/service because their messaging is far too " product centric" and isn't "problem centric" enough where it focused on "how it solves a critical business problem" Start by reverse engineering both closed won deals and closed lost deals. What worked, what didn't, common prospect pain points, look at the deal metrics. There insight is within the data.

The easy way out: pivot. The honest way: check if your service and product are actually needed and if they actually solve a problem. If you have no customers and no one buying then either your p & s are shite or you are selling to the wring customer. If you have customers but for some reason you are not getting g more growth - focus on those you have and ask: why me / us??? Additional benefit: those are your customers so likely other similar ones will have the same issue

First and foremost, dive into the feedback. This step is crucial—it’s about listening not just to respond, but to understand. Engage with your customers through surveys, social media interactions, or direct conversations. Look for patterns: What aspects are not resonating? Is there confusion about the value you offer, or perhaps expectations are not being met? Remember, feedback is a goldmine of insights that paves the way for meaningful improvement. The key is to approach the situation with an open mind and a heart ready to serve.

Armed with insights, it's time to look at your offerings with a fresh set of eyes. Revising doesn’t always mean a complete overhaul; sometimes, it’s about refining the edges. Maybe it's tweaking your messaging to more clearly communicate the value, adjusting the features based on user preferences, or enhancing the customer experience to meet the needs uncovered in your feedback analysis. As you make these revisions, keep your audience informed—let them know you’re evolving based on their input. This not only shows you’re attentive and responsive but also deepens the relationship with your audience by involving them in your growth process. Remember, every piece of feedback is a stepping stone to greater alignment with your audience.

This step is about more than just announcing updates; it's about re-engaging your audience and rekindling their interest in your refined product or service. Be Transparent: Start by sharing the journey. Let your audience know you listened to their feedback and took action. Highlight Benefits: Focus on the benefits of the changes. Make the connection clear, showing that their feedback has led to tangible enhancements that enrich their experience or solve their problems more effectively. Invite Feedback on the Changes: Encourage your audience to share their thoughts on the revisions. This shows that you value their input not just as a one-time event but as an ongoing conversation. In the end, thank your customers for their feedback.

Even meticulously planned products can encounter unforeseen challenges. Factors like faulty initial data or evolving customer needs can lead to a product that quite frankly misses the mark. I recall a close friend, despite executing well, shut down when customer behaviour shifted significantly post-launch. Market realities are unpredictable and change quickly. Entrepreneurs who embrace the concept of "failing forward" however difficult, often find their greatest successes after course corrections. Taking learnings from the initial launch can inform a strategic relaunch, potentially leading to a product that perfectly aligns with current market demands at best or agile enough to pivot when faced with market changes, which is better.