Beyond What: 'Why?' Matters in Product & Customer Success

When we say we are curious about a certain thing, what is the first question that comes up in our mind?

"Why is this thing designed this way?"

"Why isn't it designed differently?"

All those "why's" come up.

In the world of creating products and helping customers succeed, there's a simple yet mighty question that can make all the difference: 'why?'

For example, let's consider a new mobile app feature that is a chat function, where asking "why?" might prompt questions like:

"Why is the chat interface designed with these particular features?"
"Why isn't there an option for users to customize their chat backgrounds?"
"Why is the send button located in this specific area?"

Exploring these "why" questions allows us to unearth motivations, user needs, and potential pain points for both product and customer success.

Let's take a closer look at why 'why?' matters, and how it can transform the way we approach our work.

The 'Why?' in Product Management:

Finding Purpose: Instead of just adding features for the sake of it, asking "why?" helps us uncover the real problems our product solves. It's like giving our product a mission!

Getting Inside Customers' Heads: Features are cool, but do they really help our customers?
'Why?' prompts us to understand if our customers truly need and want those. It's like unlocking a secret code to make them happy!

Making Smart Choices: With limited time and resources, we need to make smart decisions.
'Why?' helps us prioritize what's important and avoid adding unnecessary stuff. It's like having a trusty compass to guide us!

Telling a Compelling Story: Features alone don't sell products; stories do.
A 'Why?' helps us craft stories to grab attention and make people excited. It's like turning a boring description into an exciting movie trailer!

Let’s dive into some real life instances:

Let’s say, you are building a new language learning app, and you need to convey it to your customers. How will you start your conversation as?

• "We have just built a new Scheduling tool," Instead of that, say: "We built a tool to save professionals’ time on scheduling."
• Now if you add a new feature and say “Our app has new filters," instead, say: "We added filters to help users find what they need faster."

Let's unfold another aspect of The ‘Why’ Equation!

Like we say, our end goal is to make customers happy, which makes understanding the "Why" equation crucial in Customer Success too.

The WHY Equation in Customer Success.

Understanding Goals: Customer success is about more than just fixing problems; it's about helping customers achieve their goals. 'Why?' helps us understand what they want to achieve since we are their trusted advisors!

Breaking Down Barriers: Problems will pop up, but 'why?' helps us figure out why they happened. It's like being a detective and solving mysteries to help our customers succeed!

Building Friendships, Not Just Relationships: Customer success is about building trust and connection. 'Why?' helps us have real conversations and show that we care. It's like turning customers into our Partners in Success!

Let’s dive into some more examples.

• Instead of a boring "How can I help you today?" email, ask: "What are you hoping to achieve with our product this week?"
• Let’s say, you have just fixed a bug and instead of saying “We have just fixed a bug”, ask: "How has this issue impacted your progress?"

A Note…

• Asking "why?" isn't about getting an answer; it's about really understanding.
• Encourage your team to ask "why?" too—it's super important!
• 'Why?' helps us connect with our users, make better decisions, and create products and experiences that truly matter.
By asking "why?" and listening to the answers, we can unlock the magic within our products and build relationships that last a lifetime.

So, let's keep it simple and unlock true understanding and guiding our customers towards sustained success!