Sean Ellis, Founder & CEO, Qualaroo

1. Feedback for Growth
Your Customers Hold the Keys to
Unlocking Growth
@seanellis
Sean Ellis
July 29th 2014
CEO of Qualaroo,
GrowthHackers.com
Twitter @seanellis

2. Lookin’ for Love…
@seanellis

3. Beware: “I’d Love You If You Were Only….”
@seanellis

4. Right Feedback is Stage Dependent
@seanellis
Scale
Growth
Growth
Transition
Product/Market Fit

5. Product/Market Fit Feedback
@seanellis
Scale
Growth
Growth
Transition
Product/Market Fit

6. What is Product/Market Fit?
@seanellis
Large group wants/needs your product – “must have”

7. @seanellis
Product/Market Fit is Single Most Important
Factor for Sustainable Growth
@seanellis

8. Early Feedback Drives PM Fit
• Validate problem is worth solving
• Understand current solution
• Partner on building solution
• Talk to prospective customers every day
@seanellis

9. Validating P/M Fit Growth Threshold
How would you feel if you could no longer use
this product?
a) Very disappointed (40%+)
b) Somewhat disappointed
c) Not disappointed
d) N/A – I no longer use your product
@seanellis

10. Iterate on “Must Have” feedback
• How are they using the product?
• What is the key benefit?
• Why did they seek your solution?
• What alternatives did they consider?
@seanellis

11. Case Study: Weak to Strong PMF in 2 Weeks
• Surveyed 100s of early users: 7% “very
disappointed” without…
• Updated messaging and onboarding to highlight
“must have” benefit and use case.
• Two weeks later 40% would be “very
disappointed” without.
@seanellis

12. @seanellis
Product/Market Fit is Single Most Important
Factor for Sustainable Growth
@seanellis

13. Feedback to Transition to Growth
@seanellis
Scale
Growth
Growth
Transition
Product/Market Fit

14. @seanellis
Create Value Delivery Machine
@seanellis

15. Feedback for Describing/Positioning
• When recommending, how would you describe it?
• What is the primary benefit that you receive?
• Why is that benefit important to you?
• Focus on answers from “must have” users
@seanellis

16. Feedback About Initial Intent
• Most powerful force available to marketers
• Feedback: Ask visitors what they want
@seanellis

17. Feedback About Initial Intent
• Most powerful force available to marketers
• Feedback: Ask visitors what they want
@seanellis

18. Understand Friction
• User testing – talk out loud task attempt
• Survey on success page: What almost stopped you… ?
• Exit intent surveys at key drop off points
@seanellis

19. Understand Friction
• User testing – talk out loud task attempt
• Survey on success page: What almost stopped you… ?
• Exit intent surveys at key drop off points
@seanellis

20. Tune Value Delivery Machine
• Address intent first
• Clear description
• Strong authentic promise
(connects to intent)
• Address fears and UX issues
@seanellis
Effective Onboarding (Iterate)

21. Case Study: Value Delivery Machine
• SEM stalled at $10K/month
• Realized weak value delivery engine
• Obsessively iterated onboarding for value delivery
• Same SEM words scaled to $1M/month - 3 month ROI
@seanellis

22. Feedback to Scale Growth
@seanellis
Scale
Growth
Growth
Transition
Product/Market Fit

23. @seanellis
Acquire the Right People,
In the Right Way
@seanellis

24. Feedback for Prospect Outreach
• How did you discover _____ ? (double down)
• How do you generally discover (insert category)?
Any active seekers? (search)
Example: Twitter for growth marketing news
• Why is the key benefit important to you?
Context for when problem is worst (most receptive)
@seanellis

25. Word of Mouth Should Dominate
• Every PM fit improvement accelerates word of mouth
@seanellis
The key learning from our book: “Startup Growth Engines”

26. Questions?
@seanellis
Thank You.
Sean Ellis
CEO of Qualaroo
& GrowthHackers.com
Twitter: @seanellis