The deeper diagnostic
A good product still needs a way into the business
Four areas of your commercial motion. Sixteen evidence checks.
A customer can like your product and still have no clear way to buy it, use it, or make the case internally. This diagnostic helps you examine where that path gets difficult, and what customer evidence you need to understand it.
Choose one product, one customer segment, and one use case (the job your customer needs the product to do). Keep that situation in mind throughout the diagnostic. If you serve very different customers, run it again for another segment.
Set aside 25 to 40 minutes. Bring one or two recent deals, pilots, or customer conversations to mind. You do not need perfect data. Answer from what you have observed. If you do not know yet, choose 0. An unknown answer is useful information.
- Buying pathHow does customer interest become an approved purchase?
- Fit in the workWhere does the product fit into the customer’s work?
- Credible routeWho can credibly introduce the product, at the right time?
- Proof of valueWhat proof makes the value clear, and when does it reach the people making the decision?
You’ll finish with a score for each area, suggested next steps, and a worksheet for your next 30 days.
Score ranges help guide the discussion; they are not industry benchmarks. Each area is scored out of 12 here and out of 6 in the quick check, so the two scores should not be compared directly.