Significant sample
You need to have what’s known as a significant sample – enough testers to ensure that the results you get are reliable and not just down to random chance.
Sales person 1: ‘The sales of our new T-shirts are really disappointing.’
Sales person 2: ‘I can’t understand it – every customer who saw our samples loved them.’
How many people does the second sales person mean by ‘everyone’? If they discussed their samples with 50 or more people in their target market, then they’re unlucky to have such poor sales. But if they only talked half to a dozen people that might not be representative.
If your idea is for a product or service aimed at a smaller market, e.g business customers within a certain geographical area or a certain sector, you may be able to test your idea with a smaller number of customers. If you find widely differing feedback it’s wise to talk to more people.
Test your ideas qualitatively and quantitatively
A qualitative approach, involves in-depth testing of an idea, usually with a smaller number of customers.
The aim is to thoroughly explore the customers’ views about what you’re proposing. Does it meet their needs? If not, why not? What would need to be changed in order for it to be of use to them? If it does appeal to them, how would they use it? How often? In what circumstances?
A quantitative approach, involves testing to much less depth, but with a large number of customers. Typically, customers are asked a dozen or so questions. This method enable you to quickly collect a large number of responses on various aspects of a proposed product or service. You then have a significant amount of data on which to base your decisions.
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Informal conversations
Some ideas – especially in the early stages – can be tested by simply describing them. For example, a tradesperson or someone who provides consumer services could describe it to customers in the normal course of their work.
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Physical samples
For some products, people will need a physical sample to understand what you have in mind. Giving out trial batches of food and drink are obvious examples, as are items of clothing. For products that are not cost-effective to produce in small quantities, consider creating visual mock-ups, and presenting them alongside samples of actual materials you intend to use.
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Surveys
These can be carried out in-person or online. There are a number of easy-to-use online survey tools, some of which are free for about 100 responses. You can compile your survey using question templates. Survey tool providers can enable you to extend surveys beyond your known customers by selling you access to an audience of people who fit your target market. Providers of online consumer surveys tools and access to different groups of target customers include: Google consumer surveys and SurveyMonkey.
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Meetings
For some products and for many types of services, a presentation supported by visuals or samples, is the best way to convey your ideas and to get feedback. You could arrange a meeting with a customer especially to do this, or tag it on to the end of a meeting that’s already been planned (but make sure they’re happy to spend a little extra time on this – don’t just spring it on them).
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Interviews
You can arrange special interviews with customers in which, using a set of questions as a framework, you can probe and build on the responses you’re getting. For example, “You mentioned that you envisage other ways of using this. Tell me more about that.”
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![Focus group]()
Focus groups
These are sessions in which up to a dozen customers are invited to provide feedback on your idea for a couple of hours. You can structure the discussion around a series of questions, and just as with individual interviews, you should probe people’s answers. E.g if people disagree with each other try to find out what lies behind this.
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