Do you ever feel like you're getting mixed signals when you ask people if they'd buy your product?
You're not alone.
It’s a common scenario in the world of marketing and sales – one that often leaves business owners scratching their heads and wondering where they went wrong.
Picture this.
You've got this fantastic new product brewing, so naturally, you want to gauge interest.
You start polling friends, family, maybe even random strangers, and the verdict seems unanimous — ten out of ten people declare, "Count me in!"
You're floating on cloud nine, ready to pop the champagne and treat yourself to that shiny new BMW you've been eyeing.
After all, it's looking like smooth sailing from here on out.
But then reality hits.
When it's time to whip out your product and ask for the sale, suddenly those confident "yeses" turn into hesitant "maybes" or polite refusals.
It's a tough pill to swallow.
Why does this happen?
Spoiler alert: It's not that folks are intentionally leading you astray.
Quite the opposite, actually.
Most of them are just trying to be nice and make you feel good.
You toss out a teaser about your business idea like“I’m thinking of starting a small business... so, do you think it will work?” or “I’ve got a brilliant idea for an app — do you like it?” and before you know it, you're drowning in a sea of compliments.
“Awesome, love the concept!"
“Sounds terrific.”
"Sounds like a winner to me!"
You have walked into a compliment trap.
While those ego-boosting remarks feel great, they're not exactly a reliable litmus test for market success.
So, how do you cut through the fluff and get real, honest feedback about whether your product is a hit or a miss?
Simple.
Put it through The Mom Test.
Yep, you heard that right, The Mom Test.
Rob Fitzpatrick is guiding us through the art of extracting invaluable insights that even your mom can’t lie to you about:
Failing The Mom Test
Son: "Mom, mom, I have an idea for a business - can I run it by you?" I am about to expose my ego - please don't hurt my feelings.
Mom: "Of course, dear." You are my only son and I am ready to lie to protect you.
Son: "You like your iPad, right? You use it a lot?"
Mom: "Yes." You led me to this answer, so here you go.
Son: "Okay, so would you ever buy an app which was like a cookbook for your iPad?" I am optimistically asking a hypothetical question and you know what I want you to say.
Mom: "Hmmm." As if I need another cookbook at my age.
Son: “And it only costs $40 - that's cheaper than those hardcovers on your shelf." I'm going to skip that lukewarm signal and tell you more about my great idea.
Mom: "Well..." Aren't apps supposed to cost a dollar?
Son: "And you can share recipes with your friends, and there's an iPhone app which is your shopping list. And videos of that celebrity chef you love." Please just say "yes." I will not leave you alone until you do.
Mom: "Oh, well yes honey, that sounds amazing. And you're right, $40 is a good deal. Will it have pictures of the recipes?" I have rationalised the price outside of a real purchase decision, made a non-committal compliment, and offered a feature request to appear engaged.
Son: "Yes, definitely. Thanks mom - love you!" I have completely mis-interpreted this conversation and taken it as validation.
Mom: "Won't you have some lasagna?" I am concerned that you won't be able to afford food soon. Please eat something.
Our misguided entrepreneur has a few more conversations like this, becomes increasingly convinced he's right, quits his job, and sinks his savings into the app.
Then he wonders why nobody (even his mom) buys the app, especially since he had been so rigorous.
Doing it wrong is worse than doing nothing at all.
When you know you're clueless, you tend to be careful.
But collecting a fistful of false positives is like convincing a drunk he's sober: not an improvement.
Passing The Mom Test
Son: “Hey mom, how’s that new iPad treating you?”
Mom: “Oh - I love it! I use it every day.”
Son: “What do you usually do on it?” Whoops — we asked a generic question, so answer to this probably won’t be terribly valuable.
Mom: “Oh, you know. Read the news, play sudoku, catch up with my friends. The usual.”
Son: “What’s the last thing you did on it?” Get specific about examples in the past to get real, concrete data.
Mom: “You know your father and I are planning that trip? I was figuring out where we could stay. “ She uses it for both entertainment and utility, which didn’t come up during the “usually” answer.
Son: “Did you use an app for that?” A slightly leading question, but sometimes we need to nudge to get to the topic we’re interested in.
Mom: “No, I just used Google. I didn’t know there was an app. What’s it called?” Younger folks use the App Store as a search engine, whereas your mom waits for a specific recommendation. If that’s true more broadly, finding a reliable marketing channel outside the App Store is going to be crucial.
Son: “Where did you find out about the other ones you use?” Dig into interesting and unexpected answers to understand the behaviours and motivations behind them.
Mom: “The Sunday paper has a section on the apps of the week.” You can’t remember the last time you cracked open a paper, but it sounds like traditional PR might be a viable option for reaching customers like your mom.
Son: “Makes sense. Hey, by the way, I saw a couple new cookbooks on the shelf — where did those come from?” Business ideas usually have several failure points. Here it’s both the medium of an iPad app and the content of a cookbook.
Mom: “They’re one of those things you just end up getting at Christmas. I think Marcy gave me that one. Haven’t even opened it. As if I need another lasagna recipe at my age!” Aha! This answer is gold dust for 3 reasons: 1. Old people don’t need another generic set of recipes. 2. The gift market may be strong. 3. Younger cooks may be a better customer segment since they don’t yet know the basics.
Son: “What’s the last cookbook you did buy for yourself?” Attack generic answers like “I don’t buy cookbooks” by asking for specific examples.
Mom: “Now that you mention it, I bought a vegan cookbook about 3 months ago. Your father is trying to eat healthier and thought my veggies could benefit from a pinch more zazz.” More gold: experienced chefs may still buy specialised or niche cookbooks.
So, what sets apart a successful conversation from one filled with empty promises?
It's all about the approach.
Mom was unable to lie to us because we never talked about our idea.
It's a subtle yet powerful shift.
By focusing on others rather than our own ideas and listening like a trampoline, we unlock genuine insights that even our closest confidants can't fabricate.
How do you replicate this magic?
First, ditch the hypotheticals and dive into specifics.
The past holds the keys to real insights.
Next, steer clear of generic promises about the future.
Opinions are cheap, and promises can mislead.
Anything involving the future is an over-optimistic lie.
Keep it real.
Here's another tip.
When gathering feedback, make sure those ten people don't know you.
Familiarity breeds bias, and you don't want friends or family sugar-coating their responses.
That can skew your data, giving you a false sense of security.
Finally, cut to the chase.
Instead of dancing around the question of purchase intent, just ask for the sale outright.
Everyone likes to say "yes," but things change when wallets speak.
It's like when someone says they'd love to go on that trip with you next summer, but when you start planning, suddenly their enthusiasm wanes and they're nowhere to be found.
Skin in the game, my friend.
That's where the truth lies.
PS. Do you struggle to set yourself apart from your competitors? Does your tone of voice lack a little personality? Either way, get in touch and I’ll help you become remarkable. Or get more communication advice that doesn't suck here.
Comments