3Cs
Use company, customer and competitor questions to understand an unfamiliar case. Identify the key uncertainty and choose a focused structure.
Use the idea inside a branch. Never say the name.
- Company: what we are good at
- Customers: who they are, what they need
- Competition: who else serves them
Watch out: It orients you; it is not the structure you solve the case with.
On a case
A cement maker wants to start selling paint.
- Company: dealers, trust with builders
- Customers: homeowners, painters, contractors
- Competition: large paint brands, new entrants
Illustrative case. Figures and conditions below are assumptions for practice, not market data.
For a cement maker entering paint, company questions test whether dealer relationships, brand trust and distribution transfer to the new product. Customer questions distinguish homeowners from painters and contractors, who may influence the purchase differently.
Competition questions examine established brands' service, tinting availability, retailer economics and likely response. Owning cement distribution is a possible advantage, not evidence that customers want the company's paint.
After this first-minute scan, select a focused entry structure. Ask whether the same dealers can profitably serve the target customer and whether manufacturing quality meets the need. Test those two assumptions with a limited range before investing in a national launch. Avoid spending the whole interview filling three broad lists.
Sources and further reading
- US Small Business Administration: market research
Questions for testing customer demand, market size, location, saturation and competing prices.