What if your next big strategy shift isn’t in your data, but in a customer conversation you haven’t had yet?
Most companies look inward to solve strategic problems.
But your customers are quietly telling you things your metrics won’t.
This week’s newsletter is about recognizing (and acting on) the insights already in front of you. Let’s dive in.
Customers often see strengths you’ve overlooked
A mid-sized company was doing everything right:
- Targeting smaller customers
- Lean go-to-market approach
- Solid profitability
They’d carved out a niche and were serving it well.
But at a trade show, something surprising happened.
Multiple attendees (actual buyers) told them their product wasn’t just competitive with enterprise tools…
It was better.
Better UX. Faster support. More thoughtful feature design.
They hadn’t seen themselves that way.
They pivoted their strategy based on that feedback
Rather than dismiss it as flattery, they took it seriously.
That insight reframed everything:
- They weren’t the scrappy alternative.
- They were the superior option.
- They were underpricing and under-positioning
So they made a bold move:
- Secured new investment
- Built strategic partnerships
- Repositioned the product for enterprise buyers
And it worked.
Revenue grew. Margins improved. And the market started to see them differently, because they saw themselves differently.
Customer feedback isn’t just about service. It’s strategic
Most teams view feedback as a support function.
But there’s a deeper layer, competitive intelligence that only customers can provide:
- They see how you compare to others
- They know what’s missing in the market
- They understand the value of what you’ve built, sometimes better than you do
Try this: Ask customers these 3 questions
Want to unlock this kind of insight? Start asking:
- What other options did you look at before choosing us? Why didn’t you choose them?
- What surprised you most about working with us?
- If we disappeared tomorrow, what would you miss the most?
These questions reveal what customers actually value—not just what they tolerate.
Feedback is a mirror. Look closely.
Strategic pivots don’t always come from whiteboard sessions or analyst reports.
Sometimes they come from listening differently.
Because when you start to see your business through your customers’ eyes, new markets (and new momentum) start to emerge.
Whenever you’re ready, there are three ways we can help your team…
1. Strategy & Growth Blueprint: A market-grounded strategy, annual planning, and 90-day execution framework the whole team owns.
2. Operations & Tech Reset: Bottlenecks mapped, future-state processes designed, and a phased tech roadmap ready to launch.
3. Manager+ Accelerator: Build core skills in delegation, feedback, goal-setting, and develop a plan to lead a stronger team.
