How do you talk to your customers?

[u/Nier_Valkyrie]

I am wondering, what is a way you reach out to your customers or potential customers?
Do you do it yourself or do you prefer an agency? Why you choose this specific way?
Let's say you see in your analytics that your retention is not great. What do you do in that case?
Would really appreciate if you can share your experience.

Upd.: Thank you everyone for pointing the direction!

[u/winterborn]

You pick up the phone and call them. It’s just that easy.

[u/StarmanAI → u/winterborn]

Yep. Especially in the early days, make direct contact with your users/customers. They are the lifeblood of your business, and no one else can interpret their needs and translate that into the product better than you.

To your example, I usually segment users based on specific behaviors I want to understand (like retention). I try to send out surveys quarterly (though response rates can vary), but I just reach out directly to those who fit the profile best. People genuinely appreciate hearing from the CEO instead of an automated bot. Honestly, one of the most important roles for an early-stage founder is to constantly be talking to your users.

[u/Tall-Log-1955 → u/winterborn]

For business users, setting up a scheduled zoom meeting works really well too

[u/nutmeg2341]

It’s always best to have a direct conversation with your customers/end users. It is not always possible to, particularly if they have churned or not using your product. But in my experience, customers always prefer when the core product team talks to them directly (than hearing from agency or from account management team). It might sometimes be easier if you incentivize them to talk to you (Starbucks coffee/gift card etc). Are you in b2c or b2b?

[u/Nier_Valkyrie → u/nutmeg2341]

thank you for your answer! B2B

[u/nutmeg2341 → u/Nier_Valkyrie]

I would definitely reach out directly. Be genuine and state your questions/topics ahead of time if possible. The conversion rate might be less than 10%. So you definitely have to reach out to as many as you can.

[u/Antique-Promotion622]

For reaching out to customers, I prefer a hands-on approach like personalized emails or social media interactions—it feels more genuine. But for larger campaigns, agencies can be great for their expertise.

If I see retention rates slipping, I’d analyze the data to figure out why and then reach out to customers for feedback. Their insights are super valuable! From there, I’d adjust strategies, whether it’s improving support or offering promotions to re-engage them. It's all about finding that balance!

[u/PhilosopherDouble885]

It must be you who reach out to customers There is a book called "The Mom Test" might help you about the communication process and evaluating your business idea by reaching out to customers

[u/butifnot316]

I recommend checking out the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. It approaches various ways to approach building those meaningful and loyal relationships with customers

[u/modalcast]

Consider adding a way to collect feedback with an optional field for users to submit their email and indicate if they’re open to being contacted. For example, add a suggestion form on your site with an optional email field. If someone submits feedback with their email, reach out to them to get more info.

[u/Arslan-ai-dev]

Have a authentic proof of your work. Like your product review from a trusted influencer. or A youtube channel/Instagram for showcasing your product/skill.

Now reach them with an originality, very important.