Product Princess Journal / Customer Experience

Stop Asking, “Do You Like It?”

“I love it!” is lovely to hear. It is not the same thing as buying intent.

One of the easiest questions to ask when you are developing a product is:

“Do you like it?”

And almost everyone will say yes.

Your friend says yes.

Your sister says yes.

The woman standing beside you at a market says yes.

Someone on Instagram leaves:

“OMG, I need this!”

And for a minute, it feels like proof.

I understand why.

When you have put your time, money and heart into something, hearing people love it feels incredible.

But eventually you learn something every product entrepreneur needs to know:

People are kind. Customers are specific.

And those are not always the same thing.

Compliments are not data.

Someone can genuinely think your product is beautiful and still have absolutely no intention of buying it.

That does not mean they lied.

They may love the idea but not need it.

They may love the product but not at that price.

They may love it for somebody else.

They may think it is clever but have no place for it in their life.

They may even fully intend to buy it someday.

Someday just happens to be a terrible sales forecast. 😂

That is why “Do you like it?” is usually the least useful question you can ask.

It invites politeness.

What you need is information.

Ask questions that make people think.

Instead of asking whether someone likes the product, try asking:

Would you buy this?

Then wait.

If they say yes, keep going.

What would you expect to pay for it?

Where would you expect to find something like this?

What would make you hesitate before buying it?

What would you compare it to?

Who do you think this product is for?

What problem do you think it solves?

What would make it an immediate yes?

Now you are learning something.

And sometimes the answer you receive will not be the one you hoped for.

That is okay.

Actually, that is often the most useful answer.

Listen especially closely to hesitation.

Entrepreneurs have a funny habit of hearing objections and immediately trying to explain them away.

Someone says:

“It feels a little expensive.”

And we immediately explain the materials.

“I’m not sure where I would use it.”

And we start describing twelve different places they could put it.

“I don’t really understand what it does.”

And suddenly we are delivering a seven-minute presentation. 😂

Try not to.

Ask another question instead.

“What price would feel right to you?”

“What would make the use clearer?”

“What did you think it was when you first saw it?”

Your job in that moment is not to convince them.

Your job is to learn.

Watch behaviour too.

Sometimes people tell you one thing and their behaviour tells you something else.

At a market, someone may gush over one product and then buy another.

Online, a product may receive hundreds of likes and barely any sales.

Another product may get almost no attention on social media and quietly become your bestseller.

Behaviour is information.

What people click.

What they pick up.

What they put back.

What they add to cart.

What they actually pay for.

Those things often tell you more than a compliment ever could.

Ask people who could actually become customers.

Your mom loving the product is wonderful.

Your best friend loving it is wonderful.

Your husband saying, “Yeah, I think people will buy that,” is supportive.

But unless they are the person the product is designed for, their opinion should not carry the same weight as someone in your actual market.

You want feedback from people who:

Have the problem.

Use similar products.

Spend money in the category.

Fit the customer you are trying to reach.

Because the question is not whether people like it.

The question is whether the right people value it enough to buy it.

That distinction can save you a tremendous amount of money.

Do not be afraid of the answer.

This may be the hardest part.

Sometimes we ask vague questions because we are afraid of specific answers.

“Do you like it?” feels safe.

“What would stop you from buying this?” feels a little more dangerous.

But I would much rather discover the problem when I have made ten than after I have ordered ten thousand.

Feedback is not rejection.

It is information.

And information gives you choices.

You can adjust the price.

Improve the packaging.

Change the messaging.

Refine the product.

Find a different customer.

Or sometimes discover that the idea needs more work before you invest further.

That is not failure.

That is exactly what testing is supposed to do.

The Product Princess takeaway

Enjoy the compliments.

Seriously.

You worked hard. Let people tell you something is beautiful. ❤️

Just do not confuse applause with demand.

Once someone says:

“I love it!”

Smile and say:

“Thank you. Can I ask you something?”

Then ask the question that gives you information you can actually build a business with.

Because the goal is not to create something everyone politely likes.

The goal is to create something the right customer values enough to buy. 👑