Winning Customers for Life: The Startup Secret Weapon

In a compelling podcast episode, Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell explore a crucial, yet often overlooked, aspect of a successful startup -- genuinely caring about your customers. They delve into the scenario of a founder who is building a B2B SaaS company for accountants but doesn't necessarily have a passion for accountants. The founder might have some insights and experience in the field, but the passion for the customer just isn't there.

Caldwell's advice to such a founder is profound. He encourages breaking down the barrier between salesperson and customer relationship, and to truly invest emotionally in the person on the other side. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the customer's life story and how the product or service can help them. He suggests that if a founder can take it to a personal level, such that they would remember their customers fondly even after leaving the company, that's the real deal. And this authenticity is something that can't be faked.

"If you actually care about the owner and you know their life story, and you can see how the software that you're selling them might..." - Dalton Caldwell

The duo also debunks a common misconception among founders -- they challenge the belief that the startup that raises the most money or has the most fame or employees will win. They argue, instead, that it's the startups that genuinely care about their customers that come out on top. These startups might raise less money or be less famous, but their genuine care for their customers gives them a competitive edge.

Seibel adds a vital perspective to this. He asserts that even if a founder doesn't particularly like the industry they're in, they can still care about the people they're helping. He highlights that everyone likes helping others, and it feels good to provide a service that delivers value. He contrasts this with the feeling of selling a product that doesn't work or isn't used, which he says leads to the founder feeling disheartened.

"It's really, really hard to beat a competitor who cares about the customer more than you do." - Michael Seibel

Caldwell concludes with a potent observation that customers can tell if a founder cares about them. They're more likely to share their problems, give the benefit of the doubt, and cut some slack if they can sense that the founder genuinely wants to solve their problems and not just make money.

The episode ends with Seibel and Caldwell reiterating the importance of genuinely caring about your customers. They emphasize that it's not just a tool for learning more, making more sales, and having more fun, but it's also a key factor in the success of a startup.

"People can tell if you care." And that's a superpower that every startup should strive to possess.

The conversation underscores the importance of genuinely caring about your customers. It's not just about making a sale or getting VC dollars; it's about building a relationship with your customers and genuinely caring about their needs. As Seibel and Caldwell put it,

"Caring about your customer is a superpower."And it's a superpower that every startup should strive to possess.