This week on the podcast, we had two guests on who come from very different sizes of company, but both talk about the importance of talking with the customers.
It might look different how it is done in either company, but the result is the same.
Katie and her trekking toddlers…
Katie and Connor launched Trail Magik just over a year ago selling a kid carrier they created for hiking with kids.
Connor wasn’t so sure there were that many other parents out there that wanted to take their kiddos hiking, but Katie knew there were.
She just needed to find them.
As it turns out, there was a really big outdoor community that was interested in the Trail Magik. She didn’t know them in the beginning, but she found them on Instagram
That is how she started. Talking with others like her. Getting feedback. Getting reviews and customer photos.
These connections helped her to build up an affiliate program. People were happy to share this unique kid carrier, and she was more than happy to pay them instead of ads.
And most importantly, it allowed her keep things real, and focus on what was important: the community.
Had she jumped straight into Facebook and Google ads, she would have thrown her business in a sea of kid carriers. Competing on price or features, or, heaven forbid, installed 15 apps on her store.
Keeping in real, especially in the beginning, is why she was able to start scaling things up after laying a solid foundations.
Joe and those who love fire…
Joe is the Website Product Owner at Solo Stove. They make smokeless fire pits you can use in your backyard or when camping.
And who doesn’t love sitting around a campfire. There is something special about it. Watching the flames. Hearing the crackling
Anyway…
In the middle of our interview, Joe turned things around to ask me a question.
How do you like your s’mores?
Now, I am sure I have been around a fire pit once or twice since college, but I can’t recall having a s’more since I was a boy scouts. Like at least 25 years ago.
Melty.
I had an answer… it had been that long ago and I still remembered that I like my marshmallows on fire, melting that chocolate…
Joe asked this because he knew I would have an answer. He and the team at Solo Stove have done some really cool initiatives to connect directly with customers. To listen to their stories. To hear about the moments.
To understand that those moments are what they really sell.
As a product owner, it is not part of his job to talk with customers. There’s a whole other department for that. But they took the time to do so. And the aha! moment that came from those interactions shaped the way he approaches his role.
The Point Is…
It doesn’t matter if your business has one person, like Trail Magik, or 300, like Solo Stove. If you just launched, or already IPOed. Talking with customers and getting their side of the story is what fuels growth.
There is always more on our to-do lists than we have time to do. But make a concerted effort to talk with a few customers every week or month. You might find that you don’t need to do half of the to-do’s.
Segments & Strategies: Katie from Trail Magik
Segments & Strategies: Joe from Solo Stove