How Do I Find Out What My Customers Want?
June 24, 2025

If you’re building a product, growing a brand, or simply trying to stay relevant in a changing market, chances are you’ve asked yourself, “How do I really find out what my customers want?”

It’s a powerful question. And like most meaningful business questions, the answer isn’t found in a single source—but in a thoughtful approach that combines curiosity, discipline, and empathy. Let’s walk through it together.

Step 1: Listen Before You Ask

Many companies jump into surveys or interviews too quickly. But the first clues about what customers want are often already out there—if you’re paying attention.

• Online reviews (yours and your competitors’) are a goldmine of pain points and unmet needs.

• Customer service logs reveal common frustrations and frequently asked questions.

• Social media mentions or comments often reflect what’s missing or what delights.

This is passive research, but it’s incredibly revealing. Before you design a question, see what your customers are already trying to tell you.

Step 2: Ask Thoughtfully

Once you’ve listened, now it’s time to ask. But how you ask matters. Too often, companies frame their questions around what they want to hear—rather than what the customer actually experiences. 

Instead of asking, “Would you buy this?” Ask, “How do you currently solve this problem?” or “What’s frustrating about the options available to you?”

Here are a few wise formats to guide your inquiry:

• Customer interviews: Talk to people one-on-one. Ask open-ended questions about the category context—"Why are you buying [category]? Where are you buying? When are you buying (occasions)? What brands are you buying? Why those brands? What's most important to you when buying [category]? Let them tell stories. Clarity often hides in the details.

• Concept testing: Show customers a new idea or product and ask for feedback before it’s built. It’s easier to fix a sketch than a product launch.

• Surveys: When you need quantitative metrics, there are several free survey tools (Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, etc.). The questions you ask here are key. Make sure you think through exactly what you are measuring and how you will use the data generated from the question. If you don't understand how you'll use the data, don't ask the question.

Remember: Great insight isn’t just about asking questions—it’s about asking the right questions, to the right people, at the right time.

Step 3: Watch What They Do (Not Just What They Say)

There’s wisdom in the old saying, “People don't always do what they say they’ll do.”

That’s why observation is so powerful. If you can watch customers in action—whether it’s how they shop, scroll, unbox, or use a product—you’ll learn things they couldn’t articulate even if they tried.

Consider:

• Website behavior (clicks, drop-offs, scroll depth)

• In-store or at-home product use

• Usability testing or prototype walkthroughs

• Competitive unboxing

You’re looking for hesitation, delight, workarounds—anything that reveals the gap between expectation and experience.

Step 4: Synthesize the Signals

Once you’ve collected feedback, it’s time to translate it into something useful. Ask yourself:

• What problems are coming up again and again? Does our product or service solve for this?

• How differentiated are we from the competition? 

• What benefits and drawbacks does our product or service offer?

This is the art of insight: distilling raw data into actionable patterns. It may be one big “aha!” or a series of smaller nudges that guide your next move.

Step 5: Keep Listening

What customers want is not static—it evolves as the world, technology, and expectations shift.

Building a lasting business means building a habit of listening:

• Revisit feedback regularly.

• Stay close to your customer-facing teams.

• Keep your curiosity alive, even after success.

The companies that win are the ones that stay humble enough to keep learning.

Final Thought:

You don’t need a massive budget to understand your customers. What you need is intentionality—a genuine desire to understand, not just confirm.

If you can approach your customers with empathy, ask the right questions, and stay open to what you hear, you’ll be surprised how clearly they’ll tell you what they want.

And once you know what they want, everything else—from marketing to product to growth—gets a whole lot easier.