Call every customer when sales drop to diagnose problems rather than guessing
When facing business crisis or sudden sales drops, systematically contact all customers to understand why behavior changed. Direct conversations reveal true problems that data alone cannot show. This works because customers often love your product but face specific situational issues (seasonality, compatibility, etc.) that prevent usage.
When to use
When you experience sudden drops in sales, engagement, or retention that you cannot explain from data alone. Particularly valuable for physical products or seasonal businesses where usage patterns change.
Don't do this
Making product changes based on assumptions or guessing why customers stopped buying. Shutting down too quickly without understanding the real reason for poor performance.
1 Founder Who Did This
When sales dropped to zero in summer 2018, Aaron called every single customer. All said the same thing: loved the blanket but too hot for summer, so they stored it. This insight led to cooling blanket innovation.