We bought a brand, Neat – sweat-proof clothes. Follow along to see how we’re growing it. ​SEE ALL THE UPDATES HERE​.  

What was my first move after acquiring Neat? 

Contrary to expectations, I didn’t rush into sweeping changes or launch new ad campaigns. Instead, I sought a strategic shortcut to discover the most effective growth plan.

And that shortcut? 

It’s simple yet powerful: engaging directly with our customers.

TLDR: Talk to customers .

I prioritized understanding their perspectives before implementing any changes.

Here is how we approached it.

We reached out to our leading customers via email, requesting their input through a carefully crafted survey.

The survey included questions like:

Growth plan

Then I setup 1:1 calls with customers for 15 minutes. This is where I got feedback on the following:

  1. How did they hear about us?
  2. What do they think of the product?
  3. What would they change about it?
  4. What other brands / products do they wear?
  5. If they controlled the product roadmap what would they want?

growth plangrowth plan

But, here is the most important part. I was able to talk all of those learnings and turn those into actions. Here is what those insights are doing

  1. The ad copy we write (Thanks testimonials!)
  2. The keywords we target for Google Ads
  3. The headlines on our landing pages
  4. The product roadmap
  5. The colors we launch
  6. The product iterations (looking at you neck-line!)
  7. The competitors I study

growth plangrowth plan

Customer insights give you super-power when you’re crafting the right go-to-market strategy.

But, this shouldn’t be a one-time task. It must be built into your workflow. Here is how we’re doing that:

  1. Post-purchase surveys
  2. Regular one-on-one customer interactions
  3. Quarterly surveys for our VIP customers

I’m open to suggestions. What other strategies could further enhance our customer-centric growth plan?