Business Blind Spots

Want one of the fastest ways to drift off course in business?

Stop listening to your customers.

You might think you know what’s going on inside your business, but your customers might be living a very different experience. And if you’re not checking in with them regularly, you’re not making decisions based on reality. You’re just guessing.

How to Actually Check In (Without Sending Another Lame Survey)

Let’s be honest…nobody gets excited to fill out a 10-question survey. Whether you’ve got radio buttons, drop downs, write-ins…you’ll either get surface-level answers or total silence.

You want the truth? You have to ask for it like a human.

Here are a few better ways:

• DM them on social – Comment back. Say thanks. Ask a quick question. A simple “What’d you think of working with us?” can go a long way.

• Send a short, personal email – Skip the marketing fluff. Write like you’d text a friend. “Hey, quick question: What’s one thing you love about what we do, and one thing you’d change?”

• Use voice or video – A 30-second Loom or quick voice memo shows you actually care and you’re actually human. It’s personal. And people reply to humans, not bots.

• Look for natural openings – Did someone just tag you in a win? Comment on a post? Shoot them a quick message and ask for feedback.

Ask These Two Questions—That’s It

You don’t need a spreadsheet of fancy prompts. Just get to the point:

1. What’s the one thing we do that you love?

2. If you could change one thing, what would it be?

Simple. Direct. And you’ll learn more from those two questions than from any 10-question form. Feel free to change them into your voice obviously. But there’s no need to get creative here.

Turn Feedback Into Action—Fast

Collecting feedback is step one. But if it just sits in your inbox or a Google Doc, it’s a waste of everyone’s time.

Here’s what to do instead:

• Spot patterns – Hearing the same thing more than once? Don’t ignore it. That’s a blind spot.

• Grab those small wins – Don’t wait for a perfect rollout. If something’s annoying customers and you can tweak it today, do it now.

• Close the loop – Tell your customers when you’ve made a change because of their input. That kind of trust pays off long-term.

Take the Challenge

This week, I want you to reach out to five customers (current or past) and ask those two questions. No gimmicks. Just curiosity and a willingness to listen.

What you hear might surprise you.

Could be a small tweak that solves a big frustration. Could be a compliment you didn’t even know you’d earned. Either way, you’ll be leading with insight instead of assumption.

Make it a Habit

Don’t just check in once and think you’re good to go. Build customer feedback into your regular business rhythm. Talk to a few customers each week, month, whatever works for you, but not less than quarterly.

Consistent check-ins are where the magic starts to happen. You’ll start to spot patterns and stay grounded in reality, getting ahead of potential issues before they can cause problems. Your customers will appreciate that you’re actually listening, and you may find some surprising new ideas to help drive growth.

That’s how real businesses win.